Otar Chiladze’s “The Basket” translated by Anahit Bostanjyan is already available to the Armenian reader
Recently, there was a turmoil in Yerevan book stores regarding Otar Chiladze’s “The Basket” novel translated by Anahit Bostanjyan. For about 3 years, each book of “Foreign Words” series by “Antares” publishing house (already around 30 books) aroused interest but no such thing has ever happened. You can read in the summary, “Famous Georgian writer Otar Chiladze’s “The Basket” novel, with comparison of the history and the present, reveals the tragic contrast of the dream to have statehood and disappointment at the fulfilment of the dream, the great national ideals and usual national reality, with human destinies, developments of unusual relationships, passionate elements of authoritative word and proprietors posture.” And how to explain this kind of interest to the mentioned novel, none of the specialists, including one or two literary critics, were reluctant to “share” with Aravot.”
Only literary critic Arkmenik Nikoghosyan grudgingly said the following: “There is something amazing. Both during the Soviet Union and independence period, there was always a high opinion about Otar Chiladze’s literature. But for some reason his works have never been translated.” Detailing, he added, “Perhaps one of the reasons is that the writer expresses not so much favorable views about Armenians. “The Basket” is an example of it, especially when it surprisingly demonstrates our newly independent state, society, especially all the defects and shortcomings of the government. Although, the work is about the Georgian reality.” Director of Antares publishing house, Armen Martirosyan, briefly describing the plot of the novel, noted, “The hero is born in the basket, growing up, making friends, becoming strong and dreams to build his country with the similarity of his birth place, in this case, a stable … Doesn’t it look like our reality? …
At least, recently, on various occasions, it is spoken about rural culture’s intrusion to the city, destruction of Yerevan architecture and about the cultural of solving the issues by the rural manners … This book is an example that you will not build a state in such a way. This requires to have the columns of the statehood – the citizens.” Mr. Martirosyan referring to the novel cited literature critic Anush Sedrakyan’s words: this novel is the cornerstone of Eastern European literature, and then continuing added, “Ms. Sedrakyan states the fact of the absence of the genre of the novel about any dynasty, saying that “The Basket” has a direct connection with the issue of building a statehood.” With the publication of this novel, as Armen Martirosyan says, I am sending a challenge to modern Armenian writers to fill in the big gap in this field. On the other hand, if such works are born by the dictates of the reality, and, by and large, if desired, even writing such a novel may not be sufficient because today’s reality, the posture of the authorities have anti-state sentiments.
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Samvel DANIELYAN
In the photo – Armen Martirosyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan
“Aravot” daily
