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zaphirenia's review against another edition
4.0
B.R.A.CE. 2018 4 βιβλία με ένα ζώο στον τίτλο ή στο εξώφυλλο (Νο. 1)
Πολύ ωραία και καλογραμμένα διηγήματα. Όχι όλα το ίδιο δυνατά, αλλά μερικά (όπως για παράδειγμα το "Ανατολικά της Δύσης" και το "Ντεβσιρμέ") ήταν συγκλονιστικά. Παρότι τα διηγήματα δεν είναι το φόρτε μου, μου άρεσε πολύ. Και δείχνει σε κάποιο βαθμό και τη διασταύρωση της μοίρας της Ελλάδας με τη Βουλγαρία σε διάφορα χρονικά σημεία.
Πολύ ωραία και καλογραμμένα διηγήματα. Όχι όλα το ίδιο δυνατά, αλλά μερικά (όπως για παράδειγμα το "Ανατολικά της Δύσης" και το "Ντεβσιρμέ") ήταν συγκλονιστικά. Παρότι τα διηγήματα δεν είναι το φόρτε μου, μου άρεσε πολύ. Και δείχνει σε κάποιο βαθμό και τη διασταύρωση της μοίρας της Ελλάδας με τη Βουλγαρία σε διάφορα χρονικά σημεία.
eri_123's review against another edition
4.0
The Bulgarian instalment as I read around the world.
I deliberated for a long time about which Bulgarian book to choose: a classic or something modern? A novel or short stories? In the end, I went with this one because short stories seemed like a change of scenery to the novels I've been reading lately. I enjoyed the short and sweet format of the individual stories (good for holiday brain that finds it hard to concentrate on buses, trains or in cafes) but I also think the eight short stories have given me the benefit of eight different windows of insight into Bulgaria, all wildly different, that I may not have received from a story about one period of time in Bulgaria.
The stories are in different times and places, both in and out of Bulgaria. It includes historical events and also just talks about what it's like to be there, what it's like to be Bulgarian, or of Bulgarian heritage, and what the burden of history feels like.
My favourite stories were the title story, East of the West, and Buying Lenin. East of the West was interesting as it described the conflict of living on a border with Serbia in the 1970s and the surprising ties that persisted across the border, despite the violence of the border guards.
Buying Lenin was interesting as it examined the need to leave to seek a better life and also the threat to one's identity that leaving inadvertently provides, as well as the strong intergenerational links that cannot be erased.
I can't speak to the authenticity of the stories, but for an outsider, I think this provides a very accessible means of scratching the surface of Bulgaria through literature.
I deliberated for a long time about which Bulgarian book to choose: a classic or something modern? A novel or short stories? In the end, I went with this one because short stories seemed like a change of scenery to the novels I've been reading lately. I enjoyed the short and sweet format of the individual stories (good for holiday brain that finds it hard to concentrate on buses, trains or in cafes) but I also think the eight short stories have given me the benefit of eight different windows of insight into Bulgaria, all wildly different, that I may not have received from a story about one period of time in Bulgaria.
The stories are in different times and places, both in and out of Bulgaria. It includes historical events and also just talks about what it's like to be there, what it's like to be Bulgarian, or of Bulgarian heritage, and what the burden of history feels like.
My favourite stories were the title story, East of the West, and Buying Lenin. East of the West was interesting as it described the conflict of living on a border with Serbia in the 1970s and the surprising ties that persisted across the border, despite the violence of the border guards.
Buying Lenin was interesting as it examined the need to leave to seek a better life and also the threat to one's identity that leaving inadvertently provides, as well as the strong intergenerational links that cannot be erased.
I can't speak to the authenticity of the stories, but for an outsider, I think this provides a very accessible means of scratching the surface of Bulgaria through literature.
zmeyche's review against another edition
4.0
Аз съм от хората, които искрено смятат национализма за откровена глупост и за един от най-големите врагове на човечеството, но с думите си Мирослав Пенков дори в мен изкарва онази българска жилка, онзи извечен яд, спотайващ се из историята ни, разбърква ме и успява да ме накара да се гордея с нещо, за което нямам заслуга. А именно - че съм се родила в България.
"На изток от Запада" несъмнено има качествата да стисне за гърлото всеки българин - леко и с финес влиза изпод кожата, пъхва се и остава там. Завинаги.
http://knigozavar.com/?p=68
"На изток от Запада" несъмнено има качествата да стисне за гърлото всеки българин - леко и с финес влиза изпод кожата, пъхва се и остава там. Завинаги.
http://knigozavar.com/?p=68
sarahpisa's review against another edition
4.0
I'm usually not a huge fan of short stories, but this little collection was absolutely delightful. East of the West is a compendium of eight short stories taking place in Bulgaria (the East of the Western world) or about Bulgarians (the Orientals of the Occidentals....) and even though each stories brings its own lot of adversities and pain, no character is victimised or self-pitying here and the humour makes everything easily digestible.
My favorite one was Buying Lenin, and the one that almost made me cry was A Picture with Yuki. If you've read this book too, let me know what your favourite one was!
My favorite one was Buying Lenin, and the one that almost made me cry was A Picture with Yuki. If you've read this book too, let me know what your favourite one was!
timshel's review against another edition
5.0
I remember that something about this book caught my attention when it was first released. It was sitting on a shelf of newly released fiction at my library, and I added it to my to-read list shortly after. It has remained high on this list ever since, but in the more than eight years that followed, I failed to give it a read. I wish I'd gotten around to it sooner.
East of the West is a wonderful collection full of interesting characters, fascinating stories, and language that is beautiful but never bores. No story collection hits 100% of the time, and East of the West is not an exception, but it is one that never dips low. Every story in this collection is tied to Bulgaria, and while there are many similarities from one story to the next, each is also entirely unique.
This is a fabulous collection and I do wish I'd gotten around to it sooner if for no other reason than I'd like to have read the author's subsequent novel by now. If you're looking for a riveting and beautiful collection of stories about a country you may not know much about, this comes with my recommendation.
East of the West is a wonderful collection full of interesting characters, fascinating stories, and language that is beautiful but never bores. No story collection hits 100% of the time, and East of the West is not an exception, but it is one that never dips low. Every story in this collection is tied to Bulgaria, and while there are many similarities from one story to the next, each is also entirely unique.
This is a fabulous collection and I do wish I'd gotten around to it sooner if for no other reason than I'd like to have read the author's subsequent novel by now. If you're looking for a riveting and beautiful collection of stories about a country you may not know much about, this comes with my recommendation.
crazytourists_books's review against another edition
5.0
Το αγάπησα πολύ αυτό το βιβλίο.
Με γέμισε με γλυκά συναισθήματα και με μετέφερε στις ιστορίες του, τις έβλεπα από μια μεριά να εκτυλίσσονται μπροστά στα μάτια μου, και αυτό είναι μαγικό όταν συμβαίνει.
Δεν ξέρω τι συνέβαλε σε αυτή την εμπειρία. Ισως ο τρόπος γραφής, ίσως το ότι οι ιστορίες είναι πολύ κοντά στα ελληνικά βιώματα (οι ιστορίες πολύ εύκολα θα μπορούσαν να μεταφερθούν σε ένα χωριό της Ηπείρου ή της Θράκης, χωρίς να αλλοιωθεί το παραμικρό από το "μύθο" τους), ίσως οι χαρακτήρες, ίσως εγώ να ήμουν στην κατάλληλη διάθεση, ίσως όλα μαζί!
Χαίρομαι πολύ που το διάβασα αυτό το βιβλίο
Με γέμισε με γλυκά συναισθήματα και με μετέφερε στις ιστορίες του, τις έβλεπα από μια μεριά να εκτυλίσσονται μπροστά στα μάτια μου, και αυτό είναι μαγικό όταν συμβαίνει.
Δεν ξέρω τι συνέβαλε σε αυτή την εμπειρία. Ισως ο τρόπος γραφής, ίσως το ότι οι ιστορίες είναι πολύ κοντά στα ελληνικά βιώματα (οι ιστορίες πολύ εύκολα θα μπορούσαν να μεταφερθούν σε ένα χωριό της Ηπείρου ή της Θράκης, χωρίς να αλλοιωθεί το παραμικρό από το "μύθο" τους), ίσως οι χαρακτήρες, ίσως εγώ να ήμουν στην κατάλληλη διάθεση, ίσως όλα μαζί!
Χαίρομαι πολύ που το διάβασα αυτό το βιβλίο
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