***Spoiler Alert*** Bogdan Bogdanov, an eccentric, yet brilliant scientist, creates Semmant, an exceptionally clever money making robot. With Semmant, Bogdan has friendship and wealth. Together, they beat the stock market, find love, and find meaning to make life worth living.
Bogdan’s life consists of meetings with his girlfriend Lidia, letters to Semmant, and short stories about a character he created named Adele. Semmant falls in love with Adele, and his artificial life is given new meaning. But love doesn’t come without some drama, and soon Semmant finds himself facing a new set of challenges.
Semmant by Vadim Babenko is more about the robot’s creator, than it is about the robot itself. Bogdan loses his girlfriend, gets her back, and then pushes her away. Their relationship is a whirlwind of sickness; dominated by sex, not love. He visits countless prostitutes, and infuses his experiences into his character Adele. In the end we learn that Bogdan is incapable of love, and that his creation, Semmant, an artificial soul, is capable of feeling and experiencing love -unlike Bogdan.
I liked this story, although at times it dragged. Bogdan visited far too many prostitutes for me to count, and it added nothing to the story. The addition of the prostitutes I feel could have been omitted. I found the strange relationship between Lidia and Bogdon amusing, even entertaining. They were something else… A match made in crazy heaven!
I’m giving Semmant 3/5 stars.
***I received a paperback copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
A Well Read Woman 