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The Story Smuggler
Some smuggle cigarettes or alcohol, others weapons, but for renowned Bulgarian novelist Georgi Gospodinov, the most dangerous contraband is carried by writers, who surreptitiously move stories across borders. In The Story Smuggler, Gospodinov explores how smugglers, writers, and translators are all involved in transporting whatever may be desired, valued, missing, repressed, or forbidden.
There’s a melancholic tone here, as Gospodinov’s exploration focuses on his childhood in Communist Bulgaria and on the fantasies of other lives and places that this childhood engendered. Accompanying the text are drawings by award-winning Bulgarian animator and graphic artist Theodore Ushev, adding a further layer to its exposition of border-crossing.
There’s a melancholic tone here, as Gospodinov’s exploration focuses on his childhood in Communist Bulgaria and on the fantasies of other lives and places that this childhood engendered. Accompanying the text are drawings by award-winning Bulgarian animator and graphic artist Theodore Ushev, adding a further layer to its exposition of border-crossing.
70 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2024
9 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Georgi Gospodinov
55 books2,273 followersGeorgi Gospodinov is a writer, poet and playwright based in Sofia, Bulgaria. He studied Bulgarian Philology at Sofia University. Later he defended a PhD on New Bulgarian literature with the Bulgaria Academy of Science's Institute for Literature. He is one of the most translated Bulgarian authors after 1989. He published the first Bulgarian graphic novel The Eternal Fly (Вечната муха).
Profile in Bulgarian: Георги Господинов.
Profile in Bulgarian: Георги Господинов.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 28, 2024
At a time when I despair of all mankind, hearing daily of the pain and suffering that human beings inflict on other human beings, it was more that just pleasant to read this gem of a book by an author who shows that he has a soul. It was inspirational.
I wish to thank Kristina Kovacheva and Dan Gunn who translated this book. Without them, I might never have been able to read it.
I wish to thank Kristina Kovacheva and Dan Gunn who translated this book. Without them, I might never have been able to read it.
August 3, 2024
"My pen is a child's spade with which I dig in the sandpit of the past; my writing is a sifting of sand in the search for a golden grain of childhood."
"Well, we are all emigrants from the homeland of our childhoods."
This is a beautifully crafted, concise memoir that touches on themes of childhood, memory, language, and the significance of translation. Though brief, it leaves a lasting impression. I’ve read Time Shelter and didn’t finish The Physics of Sorrow (but I plan to complete it). I found the author’s non-fiction work even more compelling. He has a remarkable ability to make his personal experiences resonate universally.
I'd like to express my gratitude to Kristina Kovacheva and Theodore Ushev for their outstanding translation work on the book.
"Well, we are all emigrants from the homeland of our childhoods."
This is a beautifully crafted, concise memoir that touches on themes of childhood, memory, language, and the significance of translation. Though brief, it leaves a lasting impression. I’ve read Time Shelter and didn’t finish The Physics of Sorrow (but I plan to complete it). I found the author’s non-fiction work even more compelling. He has a remarkable ability to make his personal experiences resonate universally.
I'd like to express my gratitude to Kristina Kovacheva and Theodore Ushev for their outstanding translation work on the book.
December 22, 2025
насправді не знаю, скільки зірок. оцінка – середнє арифметичне моїх вражень)
коротка книжка, щоб краще зрозуміти, як пише ҐҐ, і хто такий Ґаустін із Часосховища.
так і не зрозуміла, чи подобаються мені ностальгійні мотиви від автора, читатиму ще шось
коротка книжка, щоб краще зрозуміти, як пише ҐҐ, і хто такий Ґаустін із Часосховища.
так і не зрозуміла, чи подобаються мені ностальгійні мотиви від автора, читатиму ще шось
June 29, 2024
Adorei o seu "Refúgio no Tempo", por isso tive interesse em ler este pequenino livro de memórias. São apenas 40 páginas, do tamanho de um conto.
Gospodinov conta-nos um pouco sobre a sua infância, adolescência e início da idade adulta, tudo situado numa Bulgária sob o regime comunista, dando conta do que sentiu falta, da sua família, mas acima de tudo da importância das histórias para si.
Aprendi duas coisas, a primeira, uma palavra, "тъга", uma espécie de melancolia, que Gospodinov aproxima de "saudade", mas diferencia por denotar como uma forma de estar, uma forma de viver búlgara.
"Does it resemble other sorrows that are hard to translate, such as Turkish hüzün, to which Orhan Pamuk has devoted so many inspired pages? Or Portuguese saudade? Not really. Those are sorrows or melancholies of empires, of former empires; their sorrow is born of what once was owned and now is lost; they are closer to nostalgia, or homesickness for a larger world that can no longer be possessed. By comparison, Bulgarian тъга is second-order melancholy: sorrow over the loss of something that has never been possessed."
A segunda, é que os búlgaros acreditam que o lugar onde é depositado o coto umbilical determina o futuro do bébé, pelo que no tempo do comunismo aqueles que viajavam para fora costumavam levar esses bocadinhos de pele para depositar noutros países.
É uma leitura feita de melancolia, mas curta, e capaz de nos oferecer um pequeno acesso ao mundo íntimo de Gospodinov.
Gospodinov conta-nos um pouco sobre a sua infância, adolescência e início da idade adulta, tudo situado numa Bulgária sob o regime comunista, dando conta do que sentiu falta, da sua família, mas acima de tudo da importância das histórias para si.
Aprendi duas coisas, a primeira, uma palavra, "тъга", uma espécie de melancolia, que Gospodinov aproxima de "saudade", mas diferencia por denotar como uma forma de estar, uma forma de viver búlgara.
"Does it resemble other sorrows that are hard to translate, such as Turkish hüzün, to which Orhan Pamuk has devoted so many inspired pages? Or Portuguese saudade? Not really. Those are sorrows or melancholies of empires, of former empires; their sorrow is born of what once was owned and now is lost; they are closer to nostalgia, or homesickness for a larger world that can no longer be possessed. By comparison, Bulgarian тъга is second-order melancholy: sorrow over the loss of something that has never been possessed."
A segunda, é que os búlgaros acreditam que o lugar onde é depositado o coto umbilical determina o futuro do bébé, pelo que no tempo do comunismo aqueles que viajavam para fora costumavam levar esses bocadinhos de pele para depositar noutros países.
É uma leitura feita de melancolia, mas curta, e capaz de nos oferecer um pequeno acesso ao mundo íntimo de Gospodinov.
October 29, 2025
Я в захваті. Від кожної сторінки, від кожного речення, від кожного слова. Мінімум тексту — максимум змісту, смислу, наповнення... Дякую автору за влучність та щирість.
June 6, 2025
поки читала, наштовхнулась на думку, що так багато людей сумує за часами соціалізму (включно з самим ґосподіновим, звісно🙄) через те, що тоді кожен мав велику, неосяжну, кольорову та яскраву мрію, яка створювалася дефіцитом усього і була сенсом життя. скрута минула, світ для таких людей поблякнув, більше немає чого прагнути, а відповідно і заради чого жити
окремо мене насмішило те, як автор повторює про неперекладність та унікальність приказки: «спить, як зарізаний». мен, ми буквально кажемо: «спить, як убитий», про що ти
окремо мене насмішило те, як автор повторює про неперекладність та унікальність приказки: «спить, як зарізаний». мен, ми буквально кажемо: «спить, як убитий», про що ти
January 8, 2017
When I first read Gospodinov’s novel The Physics of Sorrow I was completely captivated by his poetic language, insightful metaphors and riveting storyline. Despite its brevity, Gospodinov’s writing in The Story Smuggler, #29 in the Cahiers Series, is as equally lyrical and absorbing as his longer novel. He begins his narrative with a discussion of the Bulgarian word тъга which is usually translated as “sorrow, melancholy.” But he explains that it is really a word that means much more than “sorrow” or “melancholy” because this noun also encompasses a “longing, something unrealized, a dream of what has been lost forever or of what has never been achieved.” Finally, he adds that this feminine noun doesn’t overwhelm us immediately, but instead creeps up on us as, “her waters are placid, her poison is slow, enfeebling.”
Gospodinov uses this Bulgarian word as a starting off point from which to reflect on all of the freedoms that he and other Bulgarians weren’t allowed to experience under a totalitarian regime. There is a melancholic beauty to Gospodinov’s language as he describes his childhood filled with repressed and hidden sorrows:
"Some smuggle cigarettes, others alcohol,—or weapons. Our contraband, being invisible, is more dangerous. Our contraband is undetectable by scanners. The excess baggage that we conceal is stories, our own and those of others. I come from a place where people are accustomed to holding their peace, or to recounting their stories in secret. A place of unarticulated тъга—vast, hidden fields of it."
Gospodinov gives numerous examples of a longing for things that are forbidden during his boyhood in Bulgaria: cakes, chocolate, trips abroad, jeans, and pop music. Each school child, he tells us, had an “illicit secret” notebook called a lexicon which was wrapped in colorful paper and written in with a multitude of colorful pens. All school books were wrapped in the same white color and all notebooks were written with the same blue ink, so the decorating of their lexicons was a kind of rebellion in itself. They would also leaving drawings, quotations, or the highly coveted images cut out from Western magazines in one another’s books.
The children would have questions listed in their lexicons and secretly pass around and answer each other’s questions. The questions might seem rather mundane or unimportant to those of us who grew up in the West but these were all topics that Bulgarian teenagers living under Communism were not able to discuss openly: What country would you like to live in? Do you listen to rock music? What is your favorite movie/actor/actress? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? These lexicons were the primary means of teenagers attempting to smuggle their own stories among one another:
The lexicon was a place of escape, a refuge, a territory of not fully conscious teenage resistance and struggle for an identity of one’s own, for a profile different from the one imposed by the system. A small personal niche, a private chamber, a secret enclave where you could see yourself wearing jeans, illegally smuggled by some long-distance lorry-driver; where you could flip through a contraband copy of Rolling Stone; where you could be a world traveler and a happy visitor of beloved Italy, France or Japan.
There is a sense that Gospondinov spends the rest of his life traveling around the world and writing in an attempt to make up for the sorrow, the тъга, from his early years. In the 25 short yet description chapters of The Story Smuggler he writes about trips to Germany, Iceland and England. And he writes about his urge to write—poetry, fiction, diary entries— from a very early age. But there is a underlying feeling that he can never really recover the simple pleasures and freedoms that were denied to him throughout his formative years.
This volume was translated from the Bulgarian by Kristina Kovacheva and Dan Gunn. The illustrations, which are also quite intriguing, are done by the Bulgarian graphic artist Theodore Ushev.
This is the first selection I have read from the Cahiers Series and I am was so impressed with the quality of writing and art work in this slim book that I ordered six more publications from the series. I would love to know what other Cahiers that readers have enjoyed. I would like to make my way through the entire series if all of the volumes are all as well-written as this one.
Gospodinov uses this Bulgarian word as a starting off point from which to reflect on all of the freedoms that he and other Bulgarians weren’t allowed to experience under a totalitarian regime. There is a melancholic beauty to Gospodinov’s language as he describes his childhood filled with repressed and hidden sorrows:
"Some smuggle cigarettes, others alcohol,—or weapons. Our contraband, being invisible, is more dangerous. Our contraband is undetectable by scanners. The excess baggage that we conceal is stories, our own and those of others. I come from a place where people are accustomed to holding their peace, or to recounting their stories in secret. A place of unarticulated тъга—vast, hidden fields of it."
Gospodinov gives numerous examples of a longing for things that are forbidden during his boyhood in Bulgaria: cakes, chocolate, trips abroad, jeans, and pop music. Each school child, he tells us, had an “illicit secret” notebook called a lexicon which was wrapped in colorful paper and written in with a multitude of colorful pens. All school books were wrapped in the same white color and all notebooks were written with the same blue ink, so the decorating of their lexicons was a kind of rebellion in itself. They would also leaving drawings, quotations, or the highly coveted images cut out from Western magazines in one another’s books.
The children would have questions listed in their lexicons and secretly pass around and answer each other’s questions. The questions might seem rather mundane or unimportant to those of us who grew up in the West but these were all topics that Bulgarian teenagers living under Communism were not able to discuss openly: What country would you like to live in? Do you listen to rock music? What is your favorite movie/actor/actress? Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? These lexicons were the primary means of teenagers attempting to smuggle their own stories among one another:
The lexicon was a place of escape, a refuge, a territory of not fully conscious teenage resistance and struggle for an identity of one’s own, for a profile different from the one imposed by the system. A small personal niche, a private chamber, a secret enclave where you could see yourself wearing jeans, illegally smuggled by some long-distance lorry-driver; where you could flip through a contraband copy of Rolling Stone; where you could be a world traveler and a happy visitor of beloved Italy, France or Japan.
There is a sense that Gospondinov spends the rest of his life traveling around the world and writing in an attempt to make up for the sorrow, the тъга, from his early years. In the 25 short yet description chapters of The Story Smuggler he writes about trips to Germany, Iceland and England. And he writes about his urge to write—poetry, fiction, diary entries— from a very early age. But there is a underlying feeling that he can never really recover the simple pleasures and freedoms that were denied to him throughout his formative years.
This volume was translated from the Bulgarian by Kristina Kovacheva and Dan Gunn. The illustrations, which are also quite intriguing, are done by the Bulgarian graphic artist Theodore Ushev.
This is the first selection I have read from the Cahiers Series and I am was so impressed with the quality of writing and art work in this slim book that I ordered six more publications from the series. I would love to know what other Cahiers that readers have enjoyed. I would like to make my way through the entire series if all of the volumes are all as well-written as this one.
June 22, 2025
Господінов занадто одержимий темою ностальгії та старості
June 28, 2025
Se acabó, ya no hay más libros de Gospodinov en lenguas que pueda comprender. Aguardaremos expectantes...
Este opúsculo es Gospodinov quintaesenciado. Una especie de poética, a la vez que biografía lírica y fragmentaria. Fantástico.
Este opúsculo es Gospodinov quintaesenciado. Una especie de poética, a la vez que biografía lírica y fragmentaria. Fantástico.
August 10, 2025
Чудова передмова до "Часосховища" або й окремий есей.
Ніякого совкодроча нема, хто боявся)
Нотатки на полях, думки, які хочеться розбирати на цитати одразу ❤️
Ніякого совкодроча нема, хто боявся)
Нотатки на полях, думки, які хочеться розбирати на цитати одразу ❤️
June 29, 2025
Це прекрасно. Аж підшкірно дотично, бо всі ми родом з дитинства. І не хочеться виринати з цієї збірки нотаток в реальність, де я раптом доросла, де бабусі вже давно немає, а в мене на руках слабенькі батьки, а я на них дивлюся все ще, як тоді.
Але я все ще те, досі в секунду попаданцем через рядки пірнаю туди. Туди, де всі молоді, де бабуся тягне до мене руку, де нічого не було (як і Бога, бо звідки йому тут взятися, коли в цій країні нічого немає), але було все, а я — мала. Але ба, тебе вже давно нема, і моє дитинство ти з собою забрала…
Ох, хороша збірка. Хоррроша.
Але я все ще те, досі в секунду попаданцем через рядки пірнаю туди. Туди, де всі молоді, де бабуся тягне до мене руку, де нічого не було (як і Бога, бо звідки йому тут взятися, коли в цій країні нічого немає), але було все, а я — мала. Але ба, тебе вже давно нема, і моє дитинство ти з собою забрала…
Ох, хороша збірка. Хоррроша.
February 21, 2019
The title grabbed me. The book is wonderful. The need to smuggle stories is so important, and the idea gets me right in the heart.
July 1, 2025
90 сторінок (з великими відступами та чистими сторінками)
60 хвилин читання
15 стікерів з блискітками (для VIP книжок)
2 книги, згадані автором і відкладені на подальше прочитання (оповідання Селінджера та Пруст, який ітак вже з'їв всі мадленки, поки чекав на мене)
1 людина в непідробному захваті 💙
⭐️ 10/10
Ґеорґі Ґосподінов офішл один з моїх найулюбленіших сучасників ❤️🔥
60 хвилин читання
15 стікерів з блискітками (для VIP книжок)
2 книги, згадані автором і відкладені на подальше прочитання (оповідання Селінджера та Пруст, який ітак вже з'їв всі мадленки, поки чекав на мене)
1 людина в непідробному захваті 💙
⭐️ 10/10
Ґеорґі Ґосподінов офішл один з моїх найулюбленіших сучасників ❤️🔥
Read
September 12, 2023almost started crying multiple times reading this book. he captures slavic childhoods and lives with such melancholy and trueness that it brings me to tears to feel so understood.
'with my palm, i gather up the breadcrumbs from the wooden table'
'with my palm, i gather up the breadcrumbs from the wooden table'
June 8, 2025
Читається на одному диханні.
Стислі речення, глибока суть. Нелінійність.
Все заплутано, але наче все й зрозуміло.
Дуже коротка. А з іншого боку, все сказано, тож нащо більше.
Зміст не перекажеш ніяк, бо багато важать форма і акценти.
Стислі речення, глибока суть. Нелінійність.
Все заплутано, але наче все й зрозуміло.
Дуже коротка. А з іншого боку, все сказано, тож нащо більше.
Зміст не перекажеш ніяк, бо багато важать форма і акценти.
June 30, 2025
Gospodinov is an author who defies definition. This very short book is described as a memoir. And indeed it does start off describing Gospodinov's early years wanting to be a writer. But anyone expecting a standard chronological autobiography will be surprised.
Gospodinov uses this musing on his early years to launch into reflections on the stories we carry with us, the stories we secretly - sometimes illicitly - end up bringing from one world to another, Bulgarian melancholy, longing, hopes and fears, and, inevitably, time and memory.
Even in translation, Gospodinov puts words together in a way that brings tears to the reader's eyes. If I were to quote every passage I found beautiful, I would end up reading you the whole book.
The International Booker Prize brought Gospodinov to the world's attention and I fervently hope he is here to stay.
Gospodinov uses this musing on his early years to launch into reflections on the stories we carry with us, the stories we secretly - sometimes illicitly - end up bringing from one world to another, Bulgarian melancholy, longing, hopes and fears, and, inevitably, time and memory.
Even in translation, Gospodinov puts words together in a way that brings tears to the reader's eyes. If I were to quote every passage I found beautiful, I would end up reading you the whole book.
The International Booker Prize brought Gospodinov to the world's attention and I fervently hope he is here to stay.
Read
January 28, 2025there are fragments of memories i would revisit and read.
January 11, 2025
Very short and enjoyable read I received as a secret Santa present. It pointed me in the direction of interesting Wikipedia pages and helped pad my reading stats at the start of the year.
Read
August 20, 2025A beautiful but very tiny memoir about the author & his childhood with its moments of brilliance
June 23, 2025
«Контрабандист історій» – моя перша книжкова покупка на першому Книжковому Арсеналі! Ще гортаючи книжку, я прочитала фрагмент на задній обкладинці і одразу ж подумала, що якби Ґосподінова запросили до кураторської команди, то назва фестивалю могла бути – «Усе між нами контрабанда» :)
У цих надкоротких мемуарах Ґосподінов нишпорить закапелками пам’яті та пригадує своє дитинство за часів соціалізму. Не ідеалізуючи контекст, він пише про романтичні вчинки людей – свої мрії скуштувати тістечко з кремовою трояндою чи колекції незначних дрібничок із західного світу, привезених далекобійниками, які зберігали вдома.
Ґосподінов оповідає історії не тільки як контрабандист спогадів з власних дитячих років, але як покупець, вимінявши історію у болгарського емігранта за три банки пива, як крадій, промовляючи від імені батька чи діда, чи як слухач.
У тексті також важливою є тема болгарської самобутності, неперекладності. До неї автор зараховує поняття «тьга» (смуток за тим, що втратив, хоч ніколи його й не мав) та поколіннєву традицію «кидання пупа» (цікаво, чи існувала подібна практика в інших країнах соціалістичного табору).
Хороше, хоча ну дуже коротке чтиво!
Хтось займається контрабандою цигарок і алкоголю, хтось – зброї, а наш товар невидимий і тому небезпечніший. Сканери його не помічають. Ми носимо прихований надлишковий багаж історій, своїх і чужих. Письменники, перекладачі й контрабандисти насправді роблять одне й те саме – перекладають, тобто переносять, переміщують бажане, цінне, відсутнє, пригнічене, заборонене.
У цих надкоротких мемуарах Ґосподінов нишпорить закапелками пам’яті та пригадує своє дитинство за часів соціалізму. Не ідеалізуючи контекст, він пише про романтичні вчинки людей – свої мрії скуштувати тістечко з кремовою трояндою чи колекції незначних дрібничок із західного світу, привезених далекобійниками, які зберігали вдома.
Ґосподінов оповідає історії не тільки як контрабандист спогадів з власних дитячих років, але як покупець, вимінявши історію у болгарського емігранта за три банки пива, як крадій, промовляючи від імені батька чи діда, чи як слухач.
У тексті також важливою є тема болгарської самобутності, неперекладності. До неї автор зараховує поняття «тьга» (смуток за тим, що втратив, хоч ніколи його й не мав) та поколіннєву традицію «кидання пупа» (цікаво, чи існувала подібна практика в інших країнах соціалістичного табору).
Хороше, хоча ну дуже коротке чтиво!
October 15, 2025
"Дитинство не живе в місцях нашого дитинства" — одна коротка цитата з крихітної книжки Георгі Господінова. Але, повірте, там хочеться записати щонайменше кожне останнє речення кожного абзацу.
Я дуже вдячна Юлії, яка своїм балканським марафоном вмотивувала мене спробувати щось із цих авторів. І, якщо чесно, я обрала саме Господінова — поки що найвідоміше для мене прізвище (завдяки «Часосховищу», яке тепер у списку до обов’язкового прочитання).
А цю книжку взяла як найтоншу з представлених у книгарні.
Боялась, що це буде не те читання, яке підходить для транспорту. Що вона виявиться надто складною — думала, аби тільки пробитися крізь ці аж 90 сторінок.
Але все навпаки: читання виявилось легким, мелодійним і напрочуд змістовним.
Я стаю ворчливою Алею — мене дратує розпіарене «чтиво», про яке кричать з усіх прасок.
Читайте Господінова, шановні! Не 400 сторінок якогось «дешевого» лайна, а невелику книжку, яка подарує вам емоції, спогади, знайомі відчуття.
Не женіться за трендами — наповнюйте свій час змістом.
«Контрабандист історій» тепер займає почесне місце не лише на моїй полиці, а й у серці ❤️
Я дуже вдячна Юлії, яка своїм балканським марафоном вмотивувала мене спробувати щось із цих авторів. І, якщо чесно, я обрала саме Господінова — поки що найвідоміше для мене прізвище (завдяки «Часосховищу», яке тепер у списку до обов’язкового прочитання).
А цю книжку взяла як найтоншу з представлених у книгарні.
Боялась, що це буде не те читання, яке підходить для транспорту. Що вона виявиться надто складною — думала, аби тільки пробитися крізь ці аж 90 сторінок.
Але все навпаки: читання виявилось легким, мелодійним і напрочуд змістовним.
Я стаю ворчливою Алею — мене дратує розпіарене «чтиво», про яке кричать з усіх прасок.
Читайте Господінова, шановні! Не 400 сторінок якогось «дешевого» лайна, а невелику книжку, яка подарує вам емоції, спогади, знайомі відчуття.
Не женіться за трендами — наповнюйте свій час змістом.
«Контрабандист історій» тепер займає почесне місце не лише на моїй полиці, а й у серці ❤️
August 10, 2025
“Why is it that places thousands of miles from my childhood village home send me back, opening the sluice-gates of the past? Well, we are emigrants from the homeland of our childhoods.”
This short and powerful book is all about the importance of stories, so anyone who loves to read can appreciate this book and it's message.
Set in Bulgaria during the Cold War, it follows a man (the narrator/the author himself) who secretly shares and collects stories that are banned or forgotten.
I loved this book and have already passed it onto two others! At just 70 pages and with a fast-paced episodic structure, it’s easy to read and I highly recommend it for insight into Bulgaria’s recent past.
Through simple but emotional writing, Gospodinov shows how stories can help people survive hard times and hold on to their identity.
This short and powerful book is all about the importance of stories, so anyone who loves to read can appreciate this book and it's message.
Set in Bulgaria during the Cold War, it follows a man (the narrator/the author himself) who secretly shares and collects stories that are banned or forgotten.
I loved this book and have already passed it onto two others! At just 70 pages and with a fast-paced episodic structure, it’s easy to read and I highly recommend it for insight into Bulgaria’s recent past.
Through simple but emotional writing, Gospodinov shows how stories can help people survive hard times and hold on to their identity.
April 12, 2024
Gospodinov's collection of short stories offers a captivating introduction to his unique perspective and the rich tapestry of Bulgarian culture. Through these stories, he skillfully invites readers into his world, providing insights into his thought process and the intricacies of Bulgarian life. Among the standout tales, the exploration of belly button depositing customs and the nuanced portrayal of 'tuga' - a distinctive Bulgarian sadness, leave a lasting impression. Eager to delve deeper into his literary repertoire, I look forward to exploring more of Gospodinov's works.
July 4, 2024
(4.5)
Depleted by sickness, she was clutching an icon saying, "Strange thing... I want to live to milk the goat tomorrow and drink the milk. Mother used to say it helps with everything."
The goat had died twenty years before and my grandmother had not left her bed in six months. I was holding her by the hands, trying to keep her back a little while longer. Through her, I was holding on to my childhood, knowing that when she left, it would be gone.
Depleted by sickness, she was clutching an icon saying, "Strange thing... I want to live to milk the goat tomorrow and drink the milk. Mother used to say it helps with everything."
The goat had died twenty years before and my grandmother had not left her bed in six months. I was holding her by the hands, trying to keep her back a little while longer. Through her, I was holding on to my childhood, knowing that when she left, it would be gone.
August 13, 2025
Було так прекрасно читати цю книгу і одночасно так боляче.
Хочу залишити тут «Земля вся синя, наче апельсин» собі на згадку.
Читаючи сторінку за сторінкою я поглиблювалась в світ автора і розуміла, наскільки ми близькі: в Болгарії є приказка: «спить, як зарізаний», а в Україні: «спить, як вбитий» і це говорить багато про спільний досвід важких випробувань, пережитих нашими народами упродовж минулого століття.
А на Заході кажуть: «спить, як янгол».
Благодаря Ви за тази книга!
5/5
Хочу залишити тут «Земля вся синя, наче апельсин» собі на згадку.
Читаючи сторінку за сторінкою я поглиблювалась в світ автора і розуміла, наскільки ми близькі: в Болгарії є приказка: «спить, як зарізаний», а в Україні: «спить, як вбитий» і це говорить багато про спільний досвід важких випробувань, пережитих нашими народами упродовж минулого століття.
А на Заході кажуть: «спить, як янгол».
Благодаря Ви за тази книга!
5/5
May 9, 2024
“Some smuggle cigarettes, others alcohol – or weapons. Our contraband, being invisible, is more dangerous. Our contraband is undetectable by scanners. The excess baggage that we conceal is stories, our own and those of others.”
A poignant but beautiful exploration of time, memory and roots through the stories we compose, steal or forge - for ourselves and for others.
A poignant but beautiful exploration of time, memory and roots through the stories we compose, steal or forge - for ourselves and for others.
May 4, 2024
"I write because I am afraid."
"We are all emigrants from the homeland of our childhoods. It may be then, that the natural place to meet ourselves as children, is abroad. And that includes the foreign country of our growing up and aging."
"I tell stories, therefore I am."
"We are all emigrants from the homeland of our childhoods. It may be then, that the natural place to meet ourselves as children, is abroad. And that includes the foreign country of our growing up and aging."
"I tell stories, therefore I am."
August 29, 2024
I found this book by chance in a bookstore in Sofia. I had three days to read all through the few pages and when I left , on the train I felt a sort of melancholic strangeness in my heart but yet I was smiling.
January 26, 2025
..šo stāstu esmu klausījies vairākkārt. tik mazā grāmatiņā mājo ļoti daudz skaistuma. jo sevišķi man patika nenosūtītā vēstule Selindžeram. protams, zinot arī citus autora tekstus, šis saslēdzas kopā ar visu jau esošo un gan jau ar to, kas tikai nākotnē vēl būs.
November 4, 2025
хороша книжка, аби познайомитись з автором (буквально, він пише про дитинство, і трошки більше). питання тільки до видання, до 90 сторінок, а тексту по факту вдвічі менше
'у сон і смерть кожен входить сам, але до їхніх дверей добре бути з кимось.' 💔
'у сон і смерть кожен входить сам, але до їхніх дверей добре бути з кимось.' 💔
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