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| Category: Fiction:Literary |
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| About the Book | |
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This is a breathtaking story of mental illness leading to the development of an incredible and unique talent. The story is based on contrast: description of cruel, painful, hurtful life conditions contrasts with the hope, beauty & healing power of art, sprouting as an aromatic lotus flower from the filthy stinking slime of life circumstances. The narrator is a mentally retarded person. The bulk of the story takes place at a church where he works for room and board, and at an insane asylum. The world is described through the heightened sensitivity of his mentally ill consciousness. He has a unique talent, he is a story teller. The Priests use him for their own enjoyment; they make him smoke hashish to unleash his brain hallucinations. Doctors are experimenting with him to study disease and to explore his talent. Mentally ill people calm and find hope when listening to his stories. However, what really unlocks his talent are human pain, perversion and the madness of the world. For him, life consists of churches and asylums. Sometimes both. The book is based on the contrast between scenes of brutal naturalism and captivating stories told with a strange sense of humor. There is an interwoven play with basic ideas and concept of psychology, philosophy and religion.
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| Reviews | |
Part of the presentation of the book “Madhouses and Temples” - The first version of the book “The Idiot’s Gospel” – in Bulgarian newspaper “Duma” (27.02.2002): “Yordanka Margaritova is the name of the authoress of “Madhouses and Temples” - unexpected book, a real glimmer in our very confused literary life. Dramas and protests, lurking deep in the soul of modern Bulgarians, find unexpected artistic realization by expressive style of the author. The book is published by “Janet-45”. The action takes place in a madhouse, but it is not hard to guess that this is an allegory. Most of the characters we can meet on the streets, at home, some of them are artists of our time - we can read about them in the press or to hear them on the TV. Virtuoso language of the author manages to unite prosaic detail and poetic metaphor. Private event in the novel suddenly gain public importance. Incredible interpretations of present and past can confuse the reader. Are the healthy people really not crazy? Whether the crazy people have more sense of those who are outside the walls of the asylum? At one point, as if the walls collapse and madness becomes universal. The characters in the novel are competing in insane race. Their minds are fighting each other as in the bell without clapper. The comparison between temple and madness raises a terrifying sense of despondency and predetermination. The story is presented through the eyes of a man with a particular look at the detail and to human life. In his confused brain appear screaming visions and shocking stories. This whole stream of consciousness reminds unorganized rebellious group of people. Until the last page. In fact, the book is infinite -the story can continue in this way indefinitely. The new novel of Yordanka Margaritova is extraordinarily impressive.”
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| About the Author | |
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Yordanka Margaritova is Bulgarian writer. She has publications in various newspapers and magazines, published book and two National Awards for Literature. She has Masters degree in Bulgarian Philology and she is Specialist in Psychology. Her interests include music, dance, yoga, healing therapy with stones, horse riding, Human Design. She studied a variety of medical traditions around the world. |