Russians and Georgians in one train just a month after August war in 2008. Now add to it Armenians sitting in front of Azerbaijanis, being joined after few seconds by a Chechen. All of them being in a bus in Lizbon. This is just the beginning of the ‘Literature Express’ written by Lasha Bugadze.
I was starting the ‘Literature Express’ being a bit sceptical about it, I do admit it. I will tell you, why it was so in the end. However from the very first pages I started being under impression this may be one of the best Georgian books I have ever read. The description of the Georgians travelling by plane from Tbilisi to Portugal made me laugh so hard I cried. I was laughing so much, I had to stop reading few times. Whoever was flying with Georgians would love this part of the book.
Why ‘Literature Express’?
Let’s start with the title – ‘Literature Express’ is a German project in which participate nearly 100 writers and poets from all over the Europe. They are supposed to spend a couple of weeks in a train travelling together across Europe from Lisbon to Warsaw (via Kaliningrad and Moscow). The stay in each of the countries is used by Lasha Bugadze as an opportunity to show the stereotypes and the complexity of relations among the representatives of those several nations.
Stay positive – we do not get to know all 99 travelers. Nevertheless those described created a vivid mix of what we may call “Europe intelligentsia”. We meet all of them via the eyes of Zaza, our narrator, one of two participants from Georgia who were chosen by the Georgian Ministry to participate in the project. The second one is Zviad, poet who does not speak English. Exactly those parts of the story. Who talks with whom or should (not) talk and using which language? This becomes the extremely interesting addition to the main plot as well as the second or the third layer of the whole book.
The main one though is the constatation of own inability to create and write by our Georgian narrator as well as his falling in love with beautiful Greek lady, married to the translator from Poland. For me being Polish this part of the book was additionally interesting to read and to get to know how the author depicts a Polish man. May I only assume you will have the same fascination on how your nation was described. By the way, if there are any scientists and researchers listening. Maybe you can devote part of your academic study to analyse how your nation is being described in Georgian literature. It would be a hit. For sure I would read it.
How does the life of Georgian writer look like?
The writers and poets, not only Georgian ones, are often fascinating people for me. To be more precise, my pragmatic approach to life always makes me ask: “How do they earn money for living?”. This piece of information you will find in ‘Literature Express’ by Lasha Bugadze as well. The discussions with a little of jealousy why the colleague from another country is more popular than I am. My work is equally good if not better. ‘I could write hundreds of stories like that’ – just to paraphrase the Chechen writer talking about his colleague from Bulgaria whose piece was published in the New Yorker. Not sure if I am going too deep and try to find hidden illusions, but my impression is that the Bugadze’s choice to write about American magazine was not by accident. There are more threads like that but I have to stop here not to spoil you the whole book.
We should add to this, the beauty of the last chapter – the moment when the reader (at least me) is thinking: Ok, so now will be just the story summary, boring. You cannot be more wrong. There is a genius plot connecting President of Russia, shooting and who cannot be a Muslim as well as jihad. I will just add that our main character changes his perception of Georgia.
Last but not least, my two favourite scenes. The firs one is the one in the plane I have already told you about. The second one is the debate in Paris in which our Zaza (narrator) is one of the panelists and he wants to talk about Georgian-Russian war. One of the other panelists is his Russian counterpart and the mix of it makes the French moderator quite nervous. This is the perfect depiction of the complexity and multiplicity of the modern Caucasus.
Is it worth reading Georgian literature?
Before I finish today with strong encouragement for this book and the sentence: “Please read Georgian literature!” I will add that there are 2 editions of this book in English. In one of them the letters the express participants write are written not only in English but also in their native languages (and alphabets). Thanks to this you can really get a grasp and visualization of how the group is mixes and the communication complexity we have in Europe, especially in the Caucasus.
Of course there are many more interesting threads about which we could talk for hours. However, if I continue I will tell you the whole story. Instead of it I want you to discover it on your own and have as much fun as I had reading Georgian ‘Literature Express’ by Lasha Bugadze.
Where can you buy the ‘Literature Express’?
As promissed, I have to reveal why I was sceptical when buying this book. I had an assumption that I want to read books from the Caucasus region which will show me the “true Caucasus and Georgia” via the eyes of the people who live here. “Come on, I know the Europe already” – that was my though. Luckily for me the rule I have “buy each book from the Caucasus region” paid off.
As mentioned there are two editions of the book. One is by Dalkey Archive Press and the second one by Sulakaluri Publishing. The second one is mainly available in Georgia.
If you have already read this book, let us know in comments what were your thoughts! Additionally, if you like our series, you can let us know by liking it, following us as well and sharing it with your friends. It will help us a lot in connecting with other fans of the region.