THE SOCIETY OF THE END AND THE BEGINNING
The Society Of The End And The Beginning was long listed for IliaUni Prize as the best contemporary novel in 2014. The plot of the novel unfolds a story of Alexander Devdariany, who is a famous pianist and narrates about music and noise. the protagonist of the novel can be ragarded the music itself while the antagonist is the noise, that cannot stand the harmony. Music, insaneness, alienation, noise and rage, some Shakespearean symbols and mythological allusions are intersected within the novel. The main plot of the book except Alexander Devdariany has another narrator - the actual author himself, who appears between the chapters, referring his narration as “Before Chapter One”, or “Between Chapter One and Chapter Two” and etc. Due to that kind of narration, the reader can perceive the whole picture of the novel in an unusual rhythm: while Alexander Devdariany tells an absolutely realistic story of the first decade of the 21st century, the author’s narration, given between chapters, depicts certain three days, when he is in coma. Yes, the protagonist is in coma, he evokes on the fourth day and starts to tell the story of being in coma. But just before all the advantures take start, the main character receives a letter from an unknown person and there is only one sentence, written in the letter: “The Society Of the End and the Beginning”.
EXTRACT
Tsanslated into English by Tsisana Gabunia
THE SOCIETY OF THE END AND THE BEGINNING
Before Chapter One
”Everything is over”. He heard a man’s voice. They were saying to him: “Your new life has started. Do you know where you are? Who are you?”
“How did the concert go?” Alexander muttered softly. “I am alive, thank God... How long have I been here? I have such a feeling as if I were talking to God about my life. I was talking with every passer-by. I am Alexander Devdariany, a pianist. I was telling my story.”
Chapter one
When I feel inspiration I am always glad in the same way, though I like looking at the inspired faces. On old frescoes you can see such faces, some great, thoughtful silence is attached to their look and they gaze beyond the space. It seems to you that the fresco is worn not by time but by the prayer...
My story is the story of inspiration and delight and I’ll tell it as laconically as possible, though I would not like to omit anything and I’d like to reveal to you the adventure, which is full of inspiration. The adventure, which keeps going on now as well and it is never meant to have an end. And it always makes me ask one question – if I find the truth will it be the one that I am looking for?
I am a musician, a pianist... And I never enjoy reading the books, where music is described by the musicians themselves. Such books deprive people from imagination, they don’t leave them a chance of feeling music by themselves. True, I consider putting music into words to be one of the brilliant expressions of inspiration, which is followed by delight, but the books, written by musicians about music, better be far away from me! Though I’ll have to speak about me and music, I ask you to understand me. I’ll speak only about my own feelings. I don’t need music, which is closed for the universe. I need the universe, which is open for music.
It’s easy to play music, but it is not the principal thing. The principal thing is to understand why you are playing it. And as far as I know, nobody writes about it, nobody speaks about it, as nobody knows it.
And if anybody has something to say, he is always silent, Music speaks for him.
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