Vasily Grossman, after the confiscation of his Life and Fate by the KGB, decided to follow in the footsteps of other Russian authors and journey to ArVasily Grossman, after the confiscation of his Life and Fate by the KGB, decided to follow in the footsteps of other Russian authors and journey to Armenia, on the pretext of translating a book by an Armenian author, Martirosyan. The book resulting from his trip is An Armenian Sketchbook, which is an apt name indeed. The novel is a mishmash of sketches of life in Armenia, Grossman's own views on life, philosophical musings, and the author's activities in the country.
The book is a look at Armenia purely from a Soviet perspective. The country acquired a different culture as part of the Soviet Union, and this is what Grossman experienced during his stay. From the discussion on Stalin's statue in Yerevan to meetings with the old party members, it has a very distinct outlook, which I enjoyed. I am rather tired of travelogues repeating the tired cliches of the British or the Americans.
The novel, slim as it is, covers a lot. It cannot specifically be labelled a travelogue, as I believe there is a lot of philosophical musings in it, including on the killing and eating of animals, the existence of the Soviet Union, the historical relevance of Armenia, and so on. There are however, snippets of life in the country, hidden among these ramblings, and they are somewhat connected, so that I was never quite lost or bored.
One funny thing is that the author kept repeating that he spoke no Armenian, but he was there to translate an Armenian book. I am not sure how he even achieved it. He did explain he was a literary translator as opposed to a literal one. But can one translate anything without grasping the beauty of the written word in the original language? Hmmm ... That's something I have never come across before!
A straightforward travelogue this is not, but if you want to be surprised, then you must follow the paths Grossman explores in this sketchbook. The structure of the novel is slightly reminiscent of Bruce Chatwins In Argentina, but much better in the writing, the content, and in joining the threads of the narrative together. Unlike with Chatwin, I never got bored with Grossman's writing, no matter what he was discussing.
I did enjoy this book a lot and its most outstanding feature was that it was different! It might not have worked for a longer book, but at only about 130 pages, the words don't become redundant. ...more
The debut novel of Armenian American author Maral Boyadjian, As the Poppies Bloomed is a tribute to her four grandparents, all survivors of the ArmeniThe debut novel of Armenian American author Maral Boyadjian, As the Poppies Bloomed is a tribute to her four grandparents, all survivors of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks and the Kurds. The story is their story, and the stories of their friends and acquaintances, most of whom perished during the massacres.
The story starts in 1913 when the Ottoman Empire ruled Armenia. In a remote village up in the mountains, families come alive under the expert writing of Boyadjian. The narrative follows the story of Anno and Daron, a couple deeply in love. The other characters include Anno's extensive family, Daron's large family, and other villagers. Each of them has a place in the narrative and a story to tell of their own. As the threads of village life mesh these characters together strongly, war is brewing up elsewhere.
I fell completely in love with Anno and Daron and was cheering for them to succeed. They did get married and had a child, and everything seemed to be going their way. But love stories set in the midst of genocide can't possibly have a happy ending. I actually cried and was red-eyed by the time I reached the end. What had started off beautifully ended in the worst possible manner. There could be no better criticism of war and genocide.
All the characters in this book were beautifully etched and I could feel an emotional connection to them. Each page of the book brought me closer to them and their impending doom. Their way of life was neither attractive nor desirable but they are still humans with emotions like everyone else. Life in Ottoman Armenia was also beautifully depicted, especially the relations between the Kurds and the Armenians. This book is well-researched, well-written, and has the ability to tug at your heartstrings. Above all, you feel the love pulsating between Anno and Daron, a rarity in most love stories for me.
The situation keeps repeating itself. Genocide continues, war continues, and refugees are being displaced by the thousands. We just need to remember that these are all people with individual, interesting stories, not just statistics that need to be sorted out. Until we are all living free of oppression and violence, none of us are really free....more
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