Details:

Page: 502
Format: 145 x 215 mm
Word: ≈ 120 000
ISBN: 9789941239106

Small Country

Author: Lasha Bugadze

Description: 

Based on a true story, the novel is narrated by the author-protagonist, whose short story was demanded to be banned by the parliament in 2002 and who was almost excommunicated by the Orthodox Church of Georgia. 

At the turn of the new century the country is headed by the aging Eduard Shevardnadze, the former Foreign Minister of the USSR and now the President of independent Georgia. The main demand is to change the government, which entails total changes – in a way the change of the government is assumed to carry the power of changing destiny itself. 

The author-protagonist publishes a story in a literary magazine of a modest circulation. The satirical story is about the legendary Queen Tamar of the 13th century, or rather about her unfortunate marriage to Yuri, the Russian prince, who demonstrated inappropriate habits at their wedding night, absolutely unfit for a royal descendant. 

Several months later, some MPs demanded that the author should be punished, insisting on introduction of censorship. In their opinion, the young author had insulted the national history and stained the name of the most revered queen.  

If in the beginning the scandal seemed somewhat entertaining for the 23-year old author, his girlfriend and friends, later on it became rather tedious, even oppressive. Politicians and the media got actively involved in the scandal, using it to manipulate the public opinion, applying various methods at their disposal. 

Quotation

“Bugadze describes post-Soviet Georgia which still have Soviet heritage but in the novel this heritage starts to affect various institutions. ”
© INDIGO Magazine

“Deadly doze of self-irony.”
© Davit Gabunia (playwright)

“The whole novel is about paradigms, it’s about the youngster who has right to be free and to either compromise or not.”
© Rustavi 2 channel

“This is the three-decade history of our country. And the real history is not in school textbooks but in fiction like this.”
© Dato Gorgiladze (writer)

Rights Sold