The Cavemen Chronicle

The bunker-like caf in Tallinn known as The Cave is the epicenter of bohemian culture in Soviet-era Estonia. The cafs regulars, the Cavemen, escape the dreary reality above ground with vodka and high-minded discussion in their private hideaway. Told from the perspective of a gossip columnist, the novel traces the lives of several of these misfits as they attempt to pursue careers as artists, writers, and politicians in pre- and post-perestroika Estonia. The countrys march towards independence and democracy sets off a series of individual dramas that offer the reader a refreshing alternative to the grand narratives of world history. Written with great verve and humor, Mihkel Mutts novel provides an illuminating look at life on the fringes of occupied Estonian society.