Punkt zerowy
An unsentimental, humorous account of war in eastern Ukraine. Chekh captures absurdity and shifts in consciousness without pathos or heroics. “Zero point” is both the frontline and a mental reset—shedding illusions, desires, and dependencies. Winner of LitAkcent Book of the Year 2017; shortlisted for the Kapuściński Prize.
“I’m captivated by this book—by its lack of accusation, its attempt to understand the behavior of fellow soldiers (many of whom, from the safe perspective of the reader, we’d gladly lock up in a drunk tank or a jail cell), and by its intimate self-dissection carried out with humor, grace, depth, and attentiveness.”
— Wojciech Szot
“Artem Chekh’s essays are written in a light tone. The stories are chronological and cohesive, together forming a vivid picture of the author’s year-long service in the army. They are more likely to provoke a smile—sometimes a bitter one—than deep reflection, though there is no shortage of serious moments and insights.”
— Wojciech Podgórski
“It’s worth resetting yourself with this book, if only because it offers a vision of armed conflict unlike the one we usually see. It’s an antidote to today’s mass media.”
— Przemysław Głuchowski
“The anti-war pathos and darkly humorous exposure of military bureaucracy’s absurdities in Point Zero immediately brought to mind Jaroslav Hašek’s The Good Soldier Švejk.”
— Eugeniusz Sobol
“These small, colorful vignettes form a complete picture—full of emotion, captured and held at just the right moment. We are drawn into the story, eager to read on and marvel at how much meaning can be contained in so few words, how disappointment and fear can be dispelled with humor.”
— Doris
