A Book of Falsehoods: Between Three Plagues Volume 3

Balthasar Russowi romaan #4

by Jaan Kross

The third part in an epic historical trilogy - The Estonian answer to Wolf Hall - by the nation's greatest modern writer

1578. A ship from Rostock arrives in Tallinn loaded with printed copies of Balthasar Russow's Chronicle - the culmination of our hero's life's work. But though it is an instant success, as it was in Rostock and numerous German cities, not everyone is happy to see it published. A group of local gentry denounce it to the town council as "a book of heinous falsehoods", and lobby for Balthasar to relieved as pastor of Holy Ghost Church.

But all is not lost. Balthasar may call on a powerful ally - if he is willing to pay the price.

In this final volume, fierce storms, along with famine, war and plague, continue to be loosed upon Livonia. Balthasar's personal life, too, is fraught with turbulence and loss, much of it stemming from his own jealousy and suspicion.

Genres: Historical Fiction

516 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Jaan Kross (1920 – 2007) was an Estonian writer. He has been tipped for the Nobel Prize for Literature on several occasions for his novels, but did in fact start his literary career as a poet and translator of poetry. On his return from the labour camps and internal exile in Russia, where he spent the years 1946-1954 as a political prisoner, Kross renewed Estonian poetry, giving it new directions.

Kross began writing prose in the latter half of the 1960s, first with a film scenario "A Livonian Chronicle" (Liivimaa kroonika) which dealt with the life of the author Balthasar Russow (1536-1600) and which also became the subject of his first masterpiece "Between Three Plagues" (Kolme katku vahel, 1970), a suit of four novels. From that time onwards Kross moved by stage nearer to our present time in history, describing figures from Estonian history, first in short stories and novellæ, later in novels, also in writings where he has drawn upon his own experiences. The heroes of his novels tend to be of Estonian or Baltic German origin and cultured people, though on the margins of society and are usually faced with a moral dilemma of some sort.

Reviews

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kui Sinu kogemus Balthasar Russowiga jääb "Tujurikkuja" sketši juurde ("Ma mõtlesin, et ma olen nüüd Balthasarile kaussi pannud!"), siis lisab Jaan Krossi "Kolme katku vahel" sellele mitme meetri paksuse intellektuaalse kihi peale. Hea küll, palju kirja pandut on kirjaniku väljamõeldis, kuid tegevus toimub päriselt ajaloos aset leidnud sündmuste taustal.

Samuti tekitab Kross oma miljöö, tegelaste, tunnete ja ajastu kirjeldustega kohalolekutunde, mis viib lugeja pimedasse keskaega, kus Musta Katku kõrval ohustas inimelu turvatunde puudumine ja kõige olulisemana sisemine dilemma oma elu valikute üle.

Mulle meeldib raamatuid lugeda pilguga, mis otsib ridade vahelt seoseid kaasajaga. Neid on selles teoses palju. Kadakasakslus ei pärine mitte üle-eelmisest, eelmisest või sellest sajandist, vaid oli omane ka keskajale. Põhimõte "Kes maksab, see tellib muusika" kehtib samuti juba pikemat aega - kui Russowi kroonikakirjutamise propagandaks pööramise soovi võib selle põhimõtte näiteks pidada.

Samamoodi ajatud on inimsuhted. Inimene võib ju sotsiaalne olend olla, kuid introvertne loomus, mis paljudele hingedele külge kinnitatud on, ei lase sellel sotsiaalsusel avalduda. Minu lemmiktegelane oli Märten, kes olemuselt jättis väga introvertse mulje, sest töö vajab tegemist ja elu elamist. Kui aga oli vaja öelda või teha, olid tagajärjed väga konkreetsed.

Kokkuvõttes nautisin teose kihilisust väga. Väide, et romaani tuhande lehekülje kirjutamiseks kulus sama palju päevi tundub keelekasutust vaadates usutavana. Loodaks, et paljud teoses kasutatud hunnitud sõnad leiavad kasutust ka minu sõnavaras, ilma et need mõjuksid kunnatuna.