Guzel Yakhina is a Russian author and screenwriter. She is a winner of the Big Book literary prize and the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award. Guzel Shamilevna Yakhina was born in Kazan. Her mother is a doctor, while her father is an engineer. She spoke Tatar at home and learned Russian only after she started going to daycare.
She studied at the Department of Foreign Languages in the Tatar State University of Humanities and Education. In 1999, she moved to Moscow. In 2015, she graduated from the Moscow School of Film with a degree in screenwriting. Yakhina worked in public relations and advertising. She began her writing career with publications in the journals Neva and Oktyabr. Sections of her debut novel Zuleikha appeared in the journal Siberian Fires.
Yakhina's debut novel is based on the experiences of her grandmother, a Tatar. In the 1930s, as part of dekulakization programme, the Soviets forcefully relocated many Tatars from the European part of Russia to Siberia. Yakhina's grandmother was among them. She was exiled at a young age and was able to return home only sixteen years later. The novel describes the experiences of Zuleikha, a peasant Tatar woman. Her husband resisted dekulakization and was killed. Zuleikha was transported to Siberia and left in a remote location on Angara River with little means of survival. Zuleikha had to overcome the harsh conditions, build relationships with other exiles and forge her new identity and reasons for living. Yakhina initially wrote the draft as a screenplay, and later rewrote it as a novel. Before being accepted for publication, the novel was rejected by multiple publishers. see also: 袚褍蟹械谢褜 携褏懈薪邪
O recenzie nu mai are rost s膬 fac. A trecut prea mult de la apari葲ia c膬r葲ii. Mai bine v膬 povestesc episodul care m-a impresionat cel mai tare la prima lectur膬 a romanului. Zilele trecute l-am r膬sfoit tocmai 卯n acest scop. Episodul nu e legat nici de Zuleiha, nici de abuzivul ei so葲, Murtava, 葯i nici m膬car de abulicul comandant de lag膬r Ignatov.
Am observat c膬 unii cititori 卯l simpatizeaz膬 pe comandant. Pentru mine a r膬mas un personaj mai degrab膬 nedefinit, 葯ters. Cam aceia葯i cititori cred c膬 Zuleiha deschide ochii ar fi un roman de dragoste (卯n vremea terorii). Mi se pare o lectur膬 gr膬bit膬. Guzel Iahina a scris, 卯n realitate, un roman despre trezirea unei con葯tiin葲e. 葮i nu e vorba de Ignatov, care se pr膬bu葯e葯te 卯n alcoolism 葯i indiferen葲膬, ci de Zuleiha.
Un alt personaj care va ie葯i din 卯ntuneric (葯i se va m卯ntui prin devotament 葯i iubire de ceilal葲i) este medicul chirurg Wolf Karlovici Leibe, profesor la Universitatea din Kazan (capitala de azi a Tatarstanului). Despre el este vorba 卯n episodul men葲ionat de mine chiar la 卯nceputul acestei note. Scena se petrece, desigur, 卯nainte de deportare. Medicul Leibe tocmai s-a trezit (doarme 卯n cabinetul de lucru), 葯i-a pus halatul 葯i 卯i cere servitoarei Grunia s膬-i aduc膬 cea葯ca de cafea. 脦ntre timp, ia o stropitoare 葯i-葯i ud膬 arborele ornamental de la fereastr膬. Apoi se preg膬te葯te de lucru. Va redacta un curs, un tratat. 脦n timpul nop葲ii, i-au venit idei noi.
Lini葯tea profesorului e tulburat膬 de vizita unei doamne, Ilona. Leibe este o 鈥瀞omitate鈥�, un 鈥瀏eniu鈥�, zeci de femei 卯i cer sfatul 葯i a葯teapt膬 un diagnostic precis din partea specialistului. Ilona ar vrea un copil, n-a r膬mas gravid膬 niciodat膬; probabil c膬 a vizitat 葯i al葲i doctori, Leibe e ultima ei speran葲膬, numai el o poate ajuta. 脦n fond, a ajutat-o c卯ndva 葯i pe mama ei. A葯ezat膬 str卯mb pe un fotoliu desfundat 葯i cu un cui care o 卯n葲eap膬 卯n picior, Ilona 卯i explic膬 st卯njenit膬 problema cu care se confrunt膬. Leibe se eschiveaz膬. 脦i cere s膬-l caute 卯n alt膬 zi, acum e presat de timp, trebuie s膬 plece la universitate.
Surprins膬, femeia se las膬 卯n genunchi 葯i se prinde cu m卯inile de t膬blia mesei, vrea s膬-l 卯nduplece. 葮i abia atunci observ膬 cu groaz膬: 鈥濸raful acoper膬 totul: t膬blia biroului, instrumentele de scris, c膬limara deschis膬, cu o mic膬 balt膬 de cerneal膬 uscat膬 pe fund, foaia de h卯rtie alb膬, imaculat膬 艧i tocul cu v卯rful rupt a艧ezat pe ea. Profesorul tresare speriat, 卯艧i 牛ine cea艧ca de cafea 卯n fa牛膬, parc膬 ap膬r卯ndu-se. Cea艧ca are o cr膬p膬tur膬 mare 艧i e complet goal膬... Leibe se uit膬 la ceas. Limbile stau nemi艧cate pe cadran鈥�. Ilustrul doctor 卯葯i pierduse min葲ile.
Cititorul 卯n葲elege subit c膬 profesorul Leibe 葯i-a pierdut min葲ile. Amintirea acestui episod m-a urm膬rit mult timp. A葯 men葲iona c膬, 卯n lag膬r, medicul 卯葯i va rec膬p膬ta luciditatea... (15 martie 2022)
Un condei puternic 葯i talentat 葯i o poveste ce transcende anii cei mai grei pentru oamenii simpli 葯i nevinova葲i din Uniunea Sovietic膬. Zuleiha este o t芒n膬r膬 t膬t膬roaic膬, so葲ie a unui culac (singura vin膬 a sa), ce porne葯te o lung膬 c膬l膬torie a supravie葲uirii dinspre satele Kazanului p芒n膬 卯n dep膬rtata taiga din Siberia. Este o poveste despre puterea uman膬 葯i umanitate, despre iubire imposibil膬 葯i supravie葲uire dur膬, despre violen葲膬 葯i dispre葲, despre complicit膬葲i 葯i maternitate. Totul scris impecabil, 卯ntr-un stil ce aminte葯te de marile c膬r葲i ruse葯ti. Categoric, una dintre c膬r葲ile anului.
Cartea asta e o patura deasa, tesuta din lana netoarsa. Uneori e aspra, inteapa si ustura. Alteori e surprinzator de moale, ca o blana deghizata. Dar tine intotdeauna de cald sufletului.
Started off strong, but the second half didn't live up to expectations set (for me) by the first half. The opening is promising, with great writing and a lot of interesting Tatar color throughout. However, much of what follows feels too obvious, like a set piece about the 1930s, dekulakization, and collectivization. Perhaps even worse, after that, the narrative jumps down roads that do not feel very motivated by the previous characterization -- for example, while there is some foreshadowing of the events in the chapter "The Black Tent," those hints are never very believable when held up against Zuleikha's internal development as a character.
The last 100 pages or so were slow and uninteresting, and I regretted seeing familiar characters spun away from the center of the action for seemingly no reason but to create a sense of melancholy heading into the ending. Overall, the writing itself deserves some accolades, but the novel doesn't hold together for me.
Review on English, followed by the Bulgarian one. 袪械胁褞褌芯 薪邪 邪薪谐谢懈泄褋泻懈 械 锌褗褉胁芯, 褋谢械写胁邪 褌芯胁邪 薪邪 斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈.
Unfortunately, this highly praised book turned out to be a complete soviet propaganda rubbish, craftly pushed as something significant, new and different. :(
Here we have a sterile, unrealistic characters and a weak story in which the events are only barely sketched only as not to offend the today鈥檚 Russian dictator, whose idol is the mass murderer Stalin. In the book Stalin is presented as an uncle from a portrait on the wall, with a mustache and a kind look in his eyes!?!
The author slapped us with a Disney version of the Gulag, which is an insult to the memory of the millions victims of the Bolsheviks painful hatred of the normal.
Mass starvation and murders, deportations on a class and ethnic basis, living and working in inhuman conditions until you burst into the icy Siberian wasteland are presented to us here as a picnic with mosquitoes - oh, it's unpleasant, but it will be ok. And all these innocent victims and their sufferings are only so that the USSR can arm itself to the teeth and carry out a "world revolution" where no one needed it. On other hand, the WWII was started by them in union with German National-socialists.
I would be ashamed to betray my people and their past in this way, but obviously money doesn't smell for Yakhina!
P.S. The Bulgarian edition is adorned with yet another bad cover, which however, is strangely in sync with the meaningless content inside the book!
I recognised a real writer from the first page of this book, as I believe almost anyone would. Not graphomaniac, not Stalin's crimes exposer, but an AUTHOR who is directly drawing her inspirations from the best examples of classic Russian literature and talented enough to still find her own way. Plot of the book revolves around life and fate of a young Tatar woman in the 30s and 40s. She starts as a cowed powerless wife in a muslim family and ends up in a labour camp in Siberia, raising child, surviving, finding and losing love and friends. And the book is centaur of a sort. Yakhina is a poet and in the more literary chapters, the ones in Tatar village or when her child is born and many others, when she is not concerned with plot twists, she is stunning. The novel is truly poetic on a scale of Bunin maybe. But when she needs to move the plot forward she suddenly becomes Hollywood movie writer with entertaining but very doubtful (to say the least) turns and twists. Said centaur will ride you to the last page in a few evenings, no doubt about that, the book is amazing. But the author has potential for so much more!
While I was reading, i was at 5 stars, at 2 stars, at 3 stars and at 4 stars. Mean : 3,5. Somehow the end saved the book, even though "cheezy". It started very powerful, i loved the first part. And it was good until the first winter in the colony ended. After that it became boring. There were more than 150 boring pages. I think the problem was that, as with so many other books, there was a plain presentation of facts, from the writer's point of view. We are introduced to a lot of characters, however they have supporting roles and we never learn more about them. Why the doctor deserved to have his story told and Isabella didn't? Or the painter. Or even Gorelov? I think also that Ignatov deserved more, but it was all-right. Because this story isn't only about Zuleiha. I thought it was, but I was wrong. Lukka the fisher - who was he? Maybe more about the "Four angels" and less about the hunting. From the historic point of view, the book is very good in presenting the facts. I found myself searching the Internet about Kazan (the capital of Tatastan). But as i said, that was almost it. I hoped for more power, because the power was there (there are some terrifying scenes described greatly by Yakhina). Good book, could have been a great book.
Imi e putin greu sa scriu despre cartea asta. Poate pentru ca subiectul e destul de greu si impresia cu care am ramas e: "Doamne, ce vieti irosite!" Dar cumva parca nu-s multumita de ideea asta, ma sacaie, ma gandesc ca totul a fost atat de in contratimp, viata a trecut pe langa personaje, scurtele momente de fericire (pentru Zuleiha si ceilalti deportati, ca nu am surprins nici macar un moment de fericire in viata lui Ignatov) au fost prea putine, tumultul personajelor - foarte subtire schitat a fost totusi atat de puternic. Am numai cuvinte de lauda la adresa traducerii Laurei Schidu, a sunat atat de bine, de autentic, de frumos. Inca o bucata de istorie descoperita si absorbita cu inima stransa, cu sufletul indoit de cruzimea rasei umane. Am simtit o bucurie imensa urmarind transformarea Zuleihai, neobosirea ei, harnicia ei, iubirea ei, puterea ei (saraca, nici nu era constienta cat de puternica e, a mers cu viata de mana si a infruntat tot ce i s-a oferit), lepadarea ei de superstitii (cu o singura exceptie) si religie, de trecut (cu o singura exceptie), de rusine. Mi s-a rupt sufletul de dualitatea lui Ignatov, un om menit sa fie rau, care se impotrivea cu totul posibilitatii de a fi bun, si totusi inzestrat cu o constiinta care a dat la o parte indoctrinarea. In opinia mea e cel mai tragic personaj al cartii. Unul dintre cele mai memorabile episoade pe care le-am citit eu vreodata e acela al nasterii lui Iusuf. Exceptional cu Iahina l-a prezentat din perspectiva doctorului si nu a mamei. Am savurat si efemerele momente comice (in special pe cel cu tablourile lui Ikonnikov), multumindu-i autoarei ca a permis ca personajele ei sa mai simta si bucurie din cand in cand. Inca procesez, inca ma gandesc la finalul deschis si la cateva posibilitati. De obicei am nevoie de "incheiere", insa de data asta i-am fost recunoscatoare autoarei ca n-a intervenit.
I'm glad I did open my eyes when I picked up this book from the bookshop couple of weeks ago. It deserves an immense bouquet of stars. It just feels like the book itself was part of myself even before reading it. The fact that it was enthusiastically acknowledged by Lyudmila Ulitkaia and Evgheni Vodolazkin [I simply love these two writers] triggered more intense focus and highlighted intent on starting the reading journey without any doubt on the quality of this experience. I could relate the heavy body of the story to other beautiful gems read before. It gently reminded me of Andrei Makine novels [one of my earlier crushes] which I felt as impressive and powerful epics of human life. Even if there are no pages more to cover, it feels that the story is open to continue. I have enjoyed it so very much [some chapters were tremendously heart-touching and thought-provoking] and I know I shall open my eyes on it again. Fortunately it rests safely not far away from my reach now.
O doamne, ce carte! Abia am terminat o de citit si nu-mi gasesc cuvintele sa exprim ceea ce simt. Este o carte ce te trece prin toate starile! Este o poveste at芒t de frumos scrisa, 卯nc芒t m a prins din primele pagini 葯i de葯i o l膬s膬m cu greu din mana, am tot intercalat cititul ei cu a altor c膬r葲i tocmai pt ca nu voiam s膬 se termine. Zuleiha este genul de personaj pe care ajungi sa 卯l admiri pentru puterea 葯i determinarea de care da dovada la fiecare pas. Ii dau 5 stele 葯i o adaug la lista mea lunga de favorite.馃
Foarte cinematic, cu multa atentie pentru detalii si personaje memorabile. Mi-a placut foarte mult evolutia lui Ignatov si o sa ma urmareasca mult timp imaginea soacrei. Pentru mine, stilul de conturare pentru Zuleiha nu a functionat - am simtit ca nu i-am auzit vocea si gandurile cu adevarat, doar mici franturi. Ramane totusi o poveste impresionanta, cu un stil foarte frumos de scriere.
Dup膬 lectura asta anevoioas膬 am s膬 o 卯ncadrez pe Iahina 卯n categoria autorilor care 卯葯i 葯antajeaz膬 emo葲ional cititorii, v芒nz芒ndu-le o poveste trist膬, dar scris膬 prost.
Au fost o gr膬mad膬 de aspecte care nu mi-au pl膬cut.
- mult prea multe descrieri, obositor de multe 葯i inutile. Ca 卯n fragmentul de mai jos. Chiar era nevoie ca at芒tea substantive s膬 fie 卯nso葲ite de detalii? Se sim葲eau singure sau ce?
,,Au golit 葯i a doua sticl膬, au m芒ncat to葲i napii, toate ridichile, mici c芒t boabele de maz膬re 葯i acre, au dat gata cina adus膬 de Gorolev (babu葯c膬 pr膬jit膬 卯n pesmet, mustind 卯nc膬 de gr膬sime), au fumat zeci de 葲ig膬ri scumpe aduse de Kuzne葲, 卯n vreme ce lumina galben膬 ca l膬m芒ia a l膬mpii cu gaz r膬zb膬tea anevoie prin fumul alb膬strui 葯i gros..."
- ritmul e agonizant de lent. Nu m膬 deranjeaz膬 c芒nd lipse葯te ac葲iunea, dac膬 este 卯nlocuit膬 de lucruri profunde despre via葲膬, de o analiz膬 psihologic膬 sau m膬car de o atmosfer膬 special膬. Aici, 卯ns膬, dureaz膬 200 de pagini ca deporta葲ii s膬 ajung膬 卯n taiga, iar din restul de 200 afl膬m ce v芒nau, cum str芒ngeau lemne 葯i ce mai f膬ceau ei pe acolo. Au fost c芒teva scene cu mesaj puternic, dar nu au meritat efortul de a ajunge la ele.
- Zuleiha este momeal膬 pentru feministe, implicit mame. Umbl膬 vorba c膬 ar fi o supravie葲uitoare. Este, ea 葯i celelalte personaje care apar. Totu葯i, romanul poart膬 numele ei. Ea apare la 卯nceput 卯n prim plan, apoi este doar strecurat膬 printre ceilal葲i supravie葲uitori, muncind continuu 葯i 葲in芒nd ochii pleca葲i. Mult mai mult mi-a pl膬cut Isabella, o alt膬 supravie葲uitoare, elegant膬 卯n atitudine 葯i impun膬toare, care le-a 葲inut piept solda葲ilor.
Mesaje, teme 葯i personaje promi葲膬toare, dar scriitura nu a avut pilonii necesari pentru a le sus葲ine. Dou膬 stelu葲e pentru c芒teva personaje secundare. La revedere, Iahina! Nu sunt deloc 卯nc芒ntat膬 de cuno葯tin葲膬!听C芒teva citate aici: .
,,Dar moartea 卯i a葯tepta pe to葲i - se cuib膬rea 卯n ei sau mergea al膬turi, li se 卯mpleticea ca pisica printre picioare, se a葯eza ca praful pe haine, le intra 卯n pl膬m芒ni odat膬 cu aerul. Moartea era omniprezent膬 - mai viclean膬, mai de葯teapt膬 葯i mai puternic膬 dec芒t via葲a neroad膬, care pierdea mereu b膬t膬lia.''
I really enjoyed this novel and I have been thinking about its unique perspective and character, that it is story about a woman who is sent to a labour camp, imagined by a young woman who was inspired to write it by the memories of her own grandmother and it has been translated from Russian into English by a woman.
One of my favourite books by Martin Booth was set in a Russian gulag, yet these are very different books. In his novel I was seduced by the writing, the mystery, his observations of the smallest details, it wasn't a translated novel so it perhaps had more opportunity to soar in terms of language.
Zuleikha is a perplexing story because we meet this young woman right from the first pages and we fear for her. Not because she might be taken away and sent to a labour camp, but because she lives in fear of her husband and her nasty, manipulative, ancient mother-in-law. She is going to encounter hardship, but ironically she is also going to encounter a kind of freedom in that hardship. And so the while it is a journey to the camp and a life under the control of a commandant, it is a transformation for her, that will introduce to her to different kinds of suffering and moments of happiness.
And then there is the Commandant, who is also one of the main characters, his life too will undergo a transformation, of a different kind.
A thought provoking, interesting story and reflection, not at all brutal or hard to read, the author writes with compassion for her characters and brings out something more than what we come to expect from stories set in prison-like environments.
My full review , including a little on the history of the Gulag, April 2019 marks 100 years since they first started.
De葯i roman de debut, "Zuleiha deschide ochii" este o carte cu care scriitoarea de sorginte t膬tar膬, Guzel Iahina, se 卯nscrie 卯n galeria numelor mari 葯i continu膬 tradi葲ia grandiosului roman rusesc.
Povestea e una despre sacrificiu 葯i supravie葲uire 卯n conditii greu de imaginat, despre puterea fiin葲ei umane de a surmonta vitregiile naturii 卯n cumplita taiga siberian膬.
葮i toate acestea pe fundalul unei Rusii tulburi, a anilor '30, '40 ai secolului trecut.
Figura central膬 este cea a unei tinere femei, Zuleiha, originar膬 dintr-un sat de t膬tari de la marginea Uniunii Sovietice, mam膬 oropsit膬 de pierderea c芒torva copii 葯i v膬duv膬, ce ajunge s膬 fie deportat膬 卯n Siberia.
Al膬turi de sc膬p膬ta葲i de diverse na葲ionalit膬葲i, ea continu膬 lupta pentru existen葲膬 葯i nu pu葲in straniu este ceea ce se petrece 卯n aceast膬 izolare for葲at膬.
Un roman puternic, de caracter, o carte a iubirii, plin膬 de originalitate, ce dezv膬luie o Agripin膬 din alt膬 epoc膬 葯i cultur膬, ce parc膬 strig膬 s膬 fie auzit膬.
Puternic膬, impresionant膬, dramatic膬, pe alocuri sf芒葯ietoare ori duioas膬, pagini de istorie fic葲ionalizate, care m-au dus cu g芒ndul la pove葯tile bunicii despre deschiaburire 葯i colectivizarea cu de-a sila, care s-au petrecut 卯ntocmai 葯i la noi. De citit neap膬rat, sau de ascultat.
鈥濱gnatov habar nu avea cum se poate s膬 iube葯ti o femeie. Po葲i s膬 iube葯ti numai lucruri m膬re葲e: Revolu葲ia, Partidul, Patria. Dar femeia? Cum s膬 exprimi cu acela葯i cuv芒nt ce sim葲i fa葲膬 de dou膬 lucruri at芒t de diferite - s膬 pui pe acela葯i taler al balan葲ei o femeie oarecare 葯i Revolu葲ia? Ar fi o prostie.鈥�
E cu siguranta una dintre cele mai bune carti citite anul acesta! Nu stiu de ce, dar mi-a adus aminte de Laur a lui Evgheni Vodolazkin - o mare capodopera, dupa parerea mea. Am ramas cu o senzatie de tristete si amaraciune, doamne ce de vieti irosite! si pentru ce? pentru nimic. E o bucata de istorie nu prea mult exploatata si prea putin cunoscuta mie, m-a marcat tumultul personajelor si cruzimea rasei umane si a tot ce inseamna Rusia, am dat ultima pagina cu inima indoita. Insa eu de Zuleiha vreau sa va vorbesc, ce femeie apriga si puternica! Nici nu stia cat de puternica e si m-am minunat de transformarea ei din femeia care era la inceput, fragila, plina de neincredere si superstitii, supusa soacrei si barbatului ei, in femeia neinfricata, vanator , neobosita, luptatoare si plina de iubire. Insa personajul cel mai trist si cel mai tragic, mi s-a parut Ignatov. S-a impotrivit cu toate fortele bunatatii, un om menit sa fie rau dar care in final a avut o constiinta mai puternica decat el, care a biruit. Finalul cartii este unul deschis, parca mi-ar fi placut sa mai fie ceva, dar cumva ma bucur ca s-a incheiat asa, uneori ce e prea mult strica. Asadar, daca nu ati pus inca mana pe cartea asta, nu mai stati pe ganduri. Merita!
I'm not sure if it's because I'm very sensitive to horrors caused by people to other people, or because the mother and sisters of my grandfather were deported from Basarabia to Siberia during WWII (and so this story strikes close to home), but this book left me with a very strong impression. The pace slow but never boring to me, the characters exquisitely done, the ending both heartbreaking and hopeful.
P.S. I saw many people complaining that Zuleiha isn't a main character in a novel with her name on it. I found the amount of page time she gets perfectly balanced - after all, she is just one in millions of people suffering this fate.
More about Soviet deportations from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
This is the best book I have read all year. It is a hard book, a cruel book, about a hard and cruel time and the people that were forced to live through it. It is about what it means to be a woman, a mother, a man, a servant of the state, an individual in the face of unspeakable cruelty, and still come out of the other side a human being. There are people you will love in this book, and people you will hate. There are people you will feel you've lived years and years with.
The author is extremely skilled and knows when to advance the plot and when to slow down. And more importantly, she doesn't spare the reader, she doesn't sugarcoat, she doesn't offer false reassurances. She assumes the reader is an intelligent person and capable of understanding the enormity of the cruelty of the 1930s in Russia.
If you read Russian, you must read this book.
I hear there is an English translation in the works.
Voi scrie aici parerea pe care mi-am spus-o si in cadru restrans, chiar daca o sa sar de data asta peste obiceiul meu de a scris cateva cuvinte in engleza.
---------
Bun. Am reusit si eu, cu chiu, cu vai, sa termin cartea. Doamne, cat de mult mi-a placut. 鉂� Sper sa se faca film, scenele cu Zuleiha deschizand ochii mi se par gandite special pentru cinema. Sa le iau pe rand acum: mi-a placut mica lectie de istorie - a fost destul de vaga, dar suficienta cat sa nu plictiseasca si destula cat sa ofere context si sa provoace interes. Mi-a placut vocabularul - ador sa citesc un roman cu vocabular bogat, iesit din tipar, cu cuvinte pe care nu le intalnisem pana atunci - gen izba. Mi-a placut iar foarte tare cum a redat timpul si culoarea locala Iahina, dar si metafora prin care descria relatia Strigoaicei cu fiul ei (era oarba si surda, dar ei comunicau perfect). La fel de fain mi-a placut cum a asociat toate temerile si cosmarurile Zuleihai cu relatia cu ea. Zuleiha mi s-a parut foarte puternica - un exemplu perfect de rezilienta, ca tot s-a discutat pe tema asta. A abordat moartea fiicelor asa cum a putut cu mintea sa, a abordat natural si sanatos viata lui Iusuf (pentru ca la inceput era stresata non stop ca va muri), i-am admirat daruirea si am plans de emotie cand s-a taiat la degete ca sa il hraneasca cu sangele ei. M-a impresionat foartr tare scena. Mi-a placut ca l-a lasat pe Allah si a decis sa se lase in voia placerilor chiar daca pentru scurt timp, am regretat doar ca a asociat idila sa cu accidentul lui Iusuf, dar era normal in situatia sa, traumatizata de soacra, religie, babisme si mituri. I-am inteles atat de bine suferinta ca fiul ei pleaca dar si gestul de la final cand l-a implorat pe Ignatov sa o ajute. Si ajungand la Ignatov, asa o zbatere era in el... o lupta continua intre bine si rau, incontinuu lupta sa isi salveze oamenii si isi spunea ca o face doar pentru functie, cand mi se parea asa evident ca o face din convingere. Pacat ca nu si-a dat voie sa fie un om bun. Am plans (dar am plans ceva la cartea asta 馃榿) si de teama cand a ars certificatul de nastere a lui Iusuf, nu imi venea sa cred. Si de usurare cand l-a refacut trecandu-se pe el ca tata. Mi s-a parut ca abia atunci a dat voie binelui din el sa invinga lupta cu raul, cand si-a dat seama ca sistemul l-a batjocorit la un loc cu deportatii. Leibe. 鉂� Minunat personaj. Episodul cu nasterea a fost exceptional scris, din punctul meu de vedere. Am sorbit fiecare cuvant si mi-a placut la nebunie cum a decis sa ilustreze Iahina relatia sa cu dementa - sau ce boala o fi avut. Mi-au fost dragi si celelalte personaje, episodul cu Parisul pictat m-a distrat maxim, mi s-a parut o gura de aer intr-o mare de suferinta. Mi-a atras atentia fragmentul in care se mentioneaza ca Zuleiha nu e fericita, ci multumita. Tind sa cred ca in acel context, dupa ani de zile, Zuleiha ar fi zis ca a fost totusi fericita. A crescut un copil sanatos, destept, pasionat, harnic, care o iubea. Mi-a placut ataaaaat de mult finalul! Nu mi s-a parut deloc happy-end, doar o sansa si atat. Fiecare are dreptul sa isi construiasca asa cum doreste continuarea, eu mi-am construit-o cu Iusuf ajuns in libertate, nu musai pictor - posibil ca talentul sau de a picta teme sovietice sa fie o iluzie in lumea reala. Dar cu exemplul unei asa mame o poate lua de la zero in alt domeniu pentru ca e puternic. Spre deosebire de ce spune Andreea in recenzia sa, mie nu mi s-au parut deloc irosite vietile personajelor. Mi se pare ca au avut o forta fantastica de a scoate tot ce e mai bun dintr-o situatie groaznica. In toata oboseala si suferinta lor, oamenii inca erau buni cu Ignatov, inca se bucurau de un "vernisaj" sau de o solianka facuta din apa fiarta cu sare si atat. Mi s-au parut admirabili cum nu s-au lasat prada esecului si cum si-au construit o comunitate, noi vieti, noi motive de bucurie. In paralel vad fericirea parintilor nostri in comunism, pentru ca in ciuda conditiilor de trai tot se bucurau de anumite lucruri. Si la urma urmei, din perspectiva mea, asta e secretul vietii, sa te bucuri de ceea ce ai in conditiile in care traiesti. Saracia nu te impiedica sa te bucuri de sanatatea copilului tau, coruptia nu te impiedica sa te bucuri de primii lui pasi, munca grea nu te impiedica sa te bucuri de un buchet de flori si tot asa. Iar oamenii aia au razbit si si-au facut casa in colonie, in Siberia, la capatul lumii, in conditii aspre, ceea ce mi s-a parut de admirat.