Ask Miechka in exile. Why you should read Evgenia Kuznetsova’s new novel. REVIEW
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Soulful heroes, understandable and recognizable characters, close situations, but now without a warm home atmosphere. Because we had to say goodbye to home because of the war. Read UP.Kultura in Telegram. The novel “The Ladder” is the second book by the Ukrainian writer Yevgenia Kuznetsova. It was published by the Stary Lev Publishing House in March 2023, just like the author’s previous book – the bestseller “Ask Miechka” (2021). Why do readers love Kuznetsova? The novel “Ask Miechka” was not just a successful artistic debut of Yevgenia Kuznetsova, but also created a whole world of the author, which readers accepted and loved, because they recognized themselves in it. The writer writes extremely easily and clearly. She knows how to convey even complex stories, trials and life’s troubles through the prism of irony and humor. By the way, humor is one of the main features of her writing. And her characters are simple and sincere in their naivety, often looking funny or weak in certain situations. Everyone will eventually recognize themselves, relatives and friends in these heroes. Readers love Kuznetsova for the opportunity to easily touch someone else’s and feel it as their own, to immerse themselves in a familiar world. When you read one of her books, you will become part of a big family where everyone understands everyone. The new novel “The Ladder” was written after the beginning of the full-scale invasion and raises an extremely important topic for Ukrainians: how to live for those who do not fight? This question runs through the entire novel, in which the author, thanks to her characters, tries to analyze the behavior of Ukrainian refugees and migrants, records the realities of the first weeks of the full-scale invasion. Photo: Stary Lev Publishing House The book is about a young Ukrainian, Tolik, who works as an Aitiv and lives in Spain, where he left long before 2022. The guy just bought a house and was going to make it the home of his dreams, but everything changes on February 24… Mother, sister Irusya and her friend Polina, aunt Hryhorivna, uncle Anatoliy Stepanovych, as well as the dog Vladik and two cats are forced to flee from Kharkiv, which is constantly under fire . They find refuge in Spain. This is where the funny and at the same time bitter story of the coexistence of these different people begins. Their everyday life, uncomfortable situations, peculiarities of character of each member of the newly created family, external circumstances mix and press, turning everyday things into unforgettable adventures. Survivor syndrome It is most interesting to observe the psychology of the main character Tolik and his mental torment when he is “left alone with his conscience”. He is tormented by the fact that he is not at the front in Ukraine, but in a warm and comfortable Spain: “Every time those who are fighting were mentioned, something between shame and bitter whining filled him inside, and every time it was about someone who remained in Ukraine, but he did not go to the front, he eagerly listened to these names, as if they somehow justified him.” If a person is “not a fighter” on the war front, he can fight the enemy in many other areas. This open struggle of our heroes with Russians in Spain is also mentioned in the novel. Because everyone has their own war and their own front. During another meeting of the residents of Tolik’s house, he had an epiphany: “In general, it was imagined that war is a very black and white feeling: here is pure distilled horror. It turned out that horror has hundreds of shades – horror with a tinge of anger, irritation, and sometimes, even love. And when the war got closer, destroying neighboring apartments, taking away familiar people, there was a feeling of hopelessness with the taste of adrenaline, as if you were sitting at the start of a roller coaster.” War with a tinge of love is another topic touched upon by the author. Can love be out of time? Can you afford to fall in love in the midst of war, even if you’re safe? Won’t it be too late then? The writer leaves these questions open so that everyone can answer them for themselves. As for the mysterious ladder that gave the title to the work, everyone has their own in life. And will Tolik stop using the ladder to get into his own house – read about it in the novel. Read also: Where to look for Ukrainian books abroad: activists created a map in 22 countries
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