Adam Hlobus spoke about Karatkevich and why there is no sequel to «The Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle»
The artist and writer recalled Karatkevich's everyday habits, his alcohol addiction and his own struggle with it. He also shared how he received a claim from J.K. Rowling.
Uladzimir Karatkevich
Writer and artist Adam Hlobus tells in the Natatnik podcast that he was lucky enough to live on the same landing with Uladzimir Karatkevich twice. Based on notes the writer began keeping during the classic's lifetime, he published the book «Our Neighbor Karatkevich» almost a year ago.
Hlobus had the keys to the apartment of Karatkevich and his wife Valiantsina Branislavauna. When they left, he would come to water the flowers, and also read «America» magazine or a detective novel in his apartment.
Karatkevich, says Hlobus, had two main friends who «literally carried him on their hands»: photographer Valiantsin Zhdanovich and artist Piotr Drachou.
Hlobus also revealed some of Karatkevich's «eccentricities» that made his image vivid. For example, he spoke about the famous Karatkevich-style coffee: the writer would add two black peppercorns, cut in half, to his cup. Hlobus also recalls in the book how Karatkevich could shout into the phone for the entire stairwell to hear: «Let me die in peace!»
The author explains that he consciously avoided creating an idealized «puppet,» striving to capture the most realistic portrait possible.
«I wanted the literary character to act, breathe, speak, recall, write poetry, smoke, drink coffee, treat others to coffee. And for me, this is the value — the value of reality preserved in my memory,» Hlobus asserts.
Some diary entries and memoirs he kept for 40 years were not included in his book. Thus, dramatic memories of how Karatkevich grieved the death of his wife Valiantsina Branislavauna, who was only 49 years old, remained outside the pages of the publication.
Adam Hlobus holding his new book. Photo by Alena Adamchyk on social media
«When I first wrote that Karatkevich was drinking heavily, I was almost sent to Chernobyl»
The writer agrees with the observation that almost a third of the book consists of stories related to alcohol. Hlobus recalls:
«When I first wrote that Karatkevich was drinking heavily and that we treated him, helped him get out of that situation, I was almost sent to Chernobyl.»
According to him, Uladzimir Karatkevich's sister — Natallia Siamionauna — worked at the military enlistment office and asked for a summons to be issued, which he received at six in the evening. And the next morning at six o'clock, he was supposed to «go to Chernobyl with his belongings.»
«I took a taxi, came to the Writers' Union polyclinic, asked the chief doctor to give me a certificate so I could figure out what happened. And then I went to work to Pavel Yakubovich and said: 'This is the situation.' He called the generals and said: 'Some Kuchkouskaya is after you.' I said: 'Pavel Izotavich, she's after *us* because we wrote in the magazine 'Krynitsa' about Karatkevich's problem.' And Kuchkouskaya is Natallia Siamionauna's surname.»
As Hlobus notes, his sister was one of the three main women in the writer's life, alongside his wife and mother. He also adds that alcoholism was a tragedy for many famous writers, as well as for an entire generation. The author does not hide his own history either: he confessed that he used to drink a bottle of vodka a day but then quit.
«Karatkevich always told me: 'Don't write drunk.' Don't combine that. (…) I drank to have fun. I drank for pleasure,»
the writer says, asserting that drunkenness is «the sin of gluttony, a deadly sin,» «a form of suicide,» and «a manifestation of such extreme egoism, when you feel good, and what's happening around is irrelevant.»
«To get out of drunkenness, you need to love someone other than yourself. (…) The first thing is to give up such terrible self-love. And that's why, for example, for Karatkevich, Sys, many people… they, in my opinion, were never able to give it up. They had no one to live for,» Hlobus believes, adding that writers understood what they were doing.
«This is not just a Belarusian problem; it's a global problem. And if some 'dry law' appeared there… I also believe that this whole process needs to be controlled, that the state should not sell, for example, after six in the evening,» Hlobus expresses his view. «Now, when my grandson's generation stops drinking, I am very happy.»
Uladzimir Karatkevich's novel «The Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle», 1968 edition. Photo: ay.by
What about the continuation of «The Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle» and how Belarusian authors wrote their own Harry Potter
As Hlobus states, Karatkevich did not write a second part of «The Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle». According to him, Uladzimir Karatkevich himself explained why he didn't continue it: «he didn't want to kill the hero.»
In Hlobus's view, Karatkevich created a «serial character» type, similar to Sherlock Holmes or Commissioner Maigret, who must remain immortal and unchanging.
«And I understand him. Sherlock Holmes must live. The rebel hero must live. Everyone must live. (…) And this is how he differs — a serial character from a novel character. You see? We sit down to watch a series because we know that Maigret will always solve the crime, and therefore Maigret will always be the same age.»
The author argues that this is a general literary problem, comparing the situation to Harry Potter:
«No matter how much they explained to this woman (J.K. Rowling. — NN) that, listen, Harry Potter shouldn't grow up. And she says: 'But I want to.' They tell her: 'Listen, if you don't understand, other people will write without you.' — 'Well, let them write.'»
According to the writer, when he and other authors wrote a book (in Russian under the pseudonym Yaroslav Morozov) «Laryn Piotr and the Magic Factory» and eight more sequels about Laryn Piotr, Rowling «sent a claim (…) that it was indecent.»
«The reader needs this. He wants the hero to live. And for Harry Potter to be this ideal boy forever, so he wouldn't grow up and go into the army. (…) Conan Doyle wrote four volumes about Sherlock Holmes, and 24 more were written by other writers. And that's good! If the reader reads it, loves this hero, he wants a continuation,» Hlobus asserts.
The writer does not rule out that the legend of a second volume will continue to exist, and even allows for the possibility of a continuation of «The Ears of Rye» by other authors.
«I'm tired of debunking this intrigue. Every time I answer that there isn't one. And every time I'm asked this question: 'But maybe there is?' Let me just say this time that I haven't seen it. And I won't debunk this intrigue anymore. If people enjoy having such an intrigue — that somewhere, someday it will be found… Or maybe someone will be found somewhere who will write it — even if it's fake, even if it's not in Karatkevich's style, but almost like Karatkevich. Let it be a legend,» says the writer.
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Маргарат Мітчэл, Дэвід Лінч, Брыджэт і Джэром Томсаны ж не пакаралі