About Mikhail Bokov’s novel “Grandfather” – the first novel about the black diggers of Russia
Friends, I welcome you to my blog! If you noticed, I now have a new section on my blog — «Digger’s Library»! In this section I plan to add books that in one way or another relate to our search topic and interests. Useful encyclopedias, books, novels — whatever comes along. I myself love to read from early childhood, which is what I teach my children, because as an unknown author said: «Those who read books will always control those who watch TV.» ; And it’s true, friends!
So, about Mikhail Bokov’s novel «Grandfather».
It’s interesting that the idea for this column has been floating around in my head for years, but it was difficult to start with something. Either laziness, or a banal lack of time and eternal haste prevented me from taking photographs of several useful and interesting books for every digger, but as Mikhail writes in the book — what fate has in mind will happen. Of course, I won’t immediately agree with this, but something true is already taking place — namely the novel «Grandfather» became the first book in the new section of my blog. Funny coincidence or accident, isn’t it?
I won’t spoil it, friends, but I’ll tell you the main points. The book is about us, about search engines. Black, white, green, whatever. There is no single encyclopedia of «Russian life», but this book opens one of the pages of a possible encyclopedia about life in Russia and the post-Soviet space, because that war — The Great Patriotic War, it found almost every family of the once multinational Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. And quite a lot of guys went into the forests to look for the missing soldiers, some went to maraud, some out of curiosity. And although it is written on the cover that it’s about «black diggers», it is more to attract and loudly say for those who know about search engines only by hearsay, from the Internet or a television program where they spout various nonsense. Such people are also described in the novel.
I will not specifically write names and actions, what happened there, so as not to unravel the main mystery of the novel, but I will say that it is easy and interesting to read. It grabs you, even if not from the first page, but then you get drawn in. Sometimes you think that the plot is twisted in an interesting way and what will be the outcome and ending? I’ll tell you in advance — the plot breaks down and everything turns upside down, that is, the book is unpredictable. Very often when you read, you already guess in advance what will happen next, but with the novel «Grandfather» it doesn’t work.
A novel about those who go into the forest. Goes far and for a long time. Everyone has their own motives and they are revealed in the novel. Many consequences of various, not the purest motives are also revealed. The karma of life is present everywhere — You did something nasty, and then they did something nasty to you. Don’t do bad things and you will be happy. And whoever does nasty things to you will be punished later by life. Revenge is good, but within the limits of the law — whether vital, or state, or the law of conscience.
Our ancestors were stronger than us, this is well revealed at the end of the book. We are spoiled creatures of the modern world, and being a search engine has a chance to touch our original life. Find something in yourself that you would never discover in the city, sitting at work or in the office. Go into nature, closer to the villages, to our ancestral place, to where we all came from long ago. It is there that a person shows and reveals his true face, his true self. And it manifests itself in hard search work, in relationships with comrades, with other diggers, with found fighters.
Nature is strong and it gives a second wind to the now extinct spirit of the Russian people. The main character of this novel goes through himself, through his fears, problems, troubles and troubles in life. Everything can be overcome when there are true friends nearby, but you have to be worthy of friends. It is among nature that the hero discovers and finds himself anew.
There is a lot of mysticism and otherworldliness in the book. This line between the real world and mysticism is very vague, but the whole world lives around us. In the city, among concrete and asphalt, this world is not visible, it is hidden, but in the forest and in nature this world walks next to us, we feel its presence. We’ve never interacted with a stove in an abandoned village house? But it can tell a lot of interesting things. Why are you laughing? You go, live, see for yourself and believe me.
This book is also about our separation from reality. We do not live as we should, we do not value true values and things, but we chase the illusory and unattainable, unnecessary and unnatural to our nature. I hope that you will read this novel, because it makes an impression even on seasoned seekers.
Analysis of the Goblin and the author of the novel:
No worries, friends!
And who read — Share your impressions of reading in the comments, but please — no spoilers! There are still many who haven’t read it or held it in their hands.
