Author Archives: lidiyakirilova1990

Валери Петров – СТИХОВЕ

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Boris Aprilov's avatarborisaprilov

СБОГУВАНЕ С МОРЕТО

Сбогом, мое море, сбогом, мое море!
Още топло е, още е лято,
но от час там над нас се върти, без да спре,
вече първото щърково ято.

То се сбира, разрежда се, дълго се вий
на различни въздушни етажи.
Сбогом мое море! Дойде време и ний
да събираме вече багажи.

А пък колко обичам те:нейде встрани,
не летовищно- диво и степно,
мое синьо море от детинските дни
до задъхване великолепно:

със чаршафа опънат, с дома от камъш,
със заритите в пясъка котви,
със варела ръждясал, със младия мъж,
който риба на спиртника готви,

и с момичето русо, което лежи
или иде във весела блуза
и вода във кесийка от найлон държи
като жива, прозрачна медуза.

Сбогом, мое море! Не е весел тоз час.
Даже просто ми иде да плача.
Този мъж не съм аз, този мъж не съм аз-
аз съм само зад тях минувача!

Боже мой…

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Who is Jon Snow’s mother?

Posted on by under Books Movies, Game of Thrones

This is the eternal question in Game of Thrones- who “in 7 hells” is Jon Snow’s mother? 

I haven’t blogged about Game of Thrones in a while. The reason is season 4 was ongoing recently and as I got quite a significant number of people complaining about me spoiling the episodes for them, I decided I can wait a little bit before I start spoiling again. But hey, if you haven’t read the books, this isn’t the post you should be reading right now. I’ve warned you!

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Prince Rhaegar crowning Lyanna Stark as Queen of Love and Beauty at the tourney in Harrenhal

So let’s go back to the question concerning Jon Snow’s parentage. There have been many theories, but I’m quite sure you all have heard the most popular one. Yes, Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. There are many hints in the books suggesting this is the right answer. Ned Stark, who we all know as an extremely honourable man, goes to war leaving his young wife at home. After the war he finds his kidnapped sister Lyanna, dying in a bed of blood, whispering “Promise me, Ned…” Then he goes home to his wife (who in the meantime has given birth to their first son Robb) with a child in hands, claiming this is his bastard son. The mother of the boy remains unknown. Among all the Stark children, Arya is the only one who looks like the Starks, the rest have the Tully features. Arya was also said to resemble Lyanna. And guess what? Jon loves Arya the most and is closest to her and the two of them are described to look alike. Therefore, Lyanna should definitely be Jon’s mother; that’s why Ned kept the secret because King Robert, blinded by hatred and seeking revenge, was chasing the last Targaryens in an attempt to kill them. Brilliant logic! However, in Game of Thrones logic doesn’t work most of the time.

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Jon Snow and Ghost

In my humble opinion, the above theory would be the perfect evolvement of Jon’s story. The only problem with it is it’s very popular now. Everyone expects this to be the answer and we all know George R. R. Martin hates it when his readers are not surprised/shocked. That’s why I tend to believe the Lyanna & Rhaegar story will take another direction and the truth about Jon’s parentage will come when no one’s expecting it. Maybe the key is somewhere else. From the Stark children, Jon and Bran are the only wargs (Arya as well kind of, but this is not confirmed). Bran is named after Ned’s late brother Brandon who was also betrothed to Catelyn whom she loved dearly. Following this logic, Brandon could be Jon’s father, but if so, why would Ned hide it? And who is his mother?

No matter who Jon Snow’s parents are, I’m sure this will be a massive surprise. Even if these are Lyanna and Rhaegar, this still will be revealed in a surprising way. This is why I love Game of Thrones- you always expect the unexpected.

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L. V. K.

Logic vs Intuition: What does Einstein’s Riddle teach us and can his formula prove the existence of God?

Posted on by under Inspiring People

“The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as of all serious endeavour in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind. To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is a something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness. In this sense I am religious. To me, it suffices to wonder at these secrets and to attempt humbly to grasp with my mind a mere image of the lofty structure of all there is.”

Einstein

Einstein- the man who proved the existence of God. Yes, he did, and what he proved was not the existence of a religious figure, but of a Universal Force which is beyond human comprehension. How did he do it? His tiny formula is the key- E=mc². 

If every physical system has a property called energy (E) and a property called mass (M), and if these two properties are always present in a constant proportion to one another, there is your answer. Our Planet Earth is a small part of a solar system, which is a small part of a galaxy, which is a small part of a Universe, containing billions of galaxies like ours. So if we multiply the mass of all this by the speed of light per square, we find out the amount of the Universal energy in joules (J). And if God is energy…

YYFor me (and not only), Einstein is one of the most influential people of all times. He was a spiritual man in a scientific kind of way. The key to his success was his ability to combine logic and intuition. As he once said: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant.” We all have both logic and intuition within us, but they are both locked and we need to develop the ability to use them. However, the problem with most people is they use either one or the other. Those relying on logic deny intuition and those relying on intuition deny logic. And the true magic happens when we find the balance between them both. Like Yin & Yang.

This is why Einstein was a genius because he found this balance. Last century, he created a riddle and said 98% of the world’s population would not be able to solve it. I personally don’t believe this is true and I’m not actually sure he even said it. But what I know is this is a unique exercise for your logic and intuition to work together. If you use just one or the other, you’ll never come to the right answer. Try to solve Einstein’s riddle here or from the picture below and if you’d like to share your thoughts, feel free to do so by writing a comment below. So who has the fish?

L. V. K.

Riddle_E

Everything comes to us that belongs to us, if we create the capacity to receive it

Posted on by under Knowledge is Power

This wise thought was quoted by Rebindranath Tagore, a Bengali polymath who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial…

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I love quotes of wisdom because they make me think, they make me seek and they make me understand. Very often when something bad happens to us, we ask ‘why’. We ask why me, why now, why this way and then we cry, we blame, we curse and cry again. Every one of us has lived through a crisis in their life and if you haven’t yet, you will soon. But very often it is not that important what happens to you, but how you react to it. Every misfortune is a test in this big school called life and how you accept it shows how much you’ve learned. Sometimes we want something so much, it hurts before we receive it. And suddenly it comes to us, but if we haven’t created the capacity to hold it, we lose it. And then it hurts even more. What we need to do then is let go and be at peace with ourselves, because this way we create the capacity to receive something better. Three things we should do to be happy and be in peace- learn from the past, accept the present and do not fear the future. This way we’ll create inner peace and peace=happiness.

I was really inspired by a quote I read today: “When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars.” Misfortunes that happen to us are beyond our control, but our reactions to these are. If we learn to accept and continue, we’ll know peace and scars will turn into lessons, which will make us stronger and wiser.

L. V. K.

 

“The Last Lions”- a heartbreaking story of mother’s love

Posted on by under Books Movies

The Last Lions is a marvelous film, fantastically made and narrated with an intriguing and dramatic story, in which the brutality of life is shown to its highest extent. This documentary changed my perception about our role (as humans) in this world and made me really want to make a difference. All my life I have loved animals, but after watching The Last Lions, I started looking at them from another perspective. “When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul…”

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Mother’s love is the strongest and purest feelings of all; to love someone unconditionally, to love them more than you love yourself. However, there is nothing more painful for a mother than losing her child. Even if the mother is a lioness and the child is a cub. Animals are capable of having strong feelings like love and sadness and we need to respect them in order to understand them.

The Last Lions is a National Geographic documentary. It is a real life story showing the beauty and at the same time the cruelty of mother Nature.

Normally, I’m trying to avoid documentaries about animals because most of them are very sad. Life, especially wildlife, is merciless and only the strong ones survive, while the weak are doomed. I love animals and can’t accept cruelty against them in any form, even if it is a law of nature. However, the other day I was switching the channels and suddenly my attention was caught by Nat Geo Wild, broadcasting a documentary about a lone lioness trying to save her little cubs from a rival pride. The story of Ma di Tau (“Mother of lions”) was so touching that I decided to see it all. I have to confess the narrative was brilliant (need to give credit here to the fantastic Jeremy Irons) and if I didn’t know the story was about lions, I would have thought the protagonists were humans. The film-makers Dereck and Beverly Joubert have researched the habits and the way of  life of the lions in Botswana for 30 years, so they have shown the feelings and thoughts of Ma di Tau in so realistic way that the viewer just can’t remain indifferent to her story.

Ma di Tau and her cubs

Ma di Tau and her cubs

The lioness and her cubs went through many dangers in order to escape from the rival pride. They reached an island with a herd of buffaloes where the mother was trying to catch one of them, in an attempt to feed her children. It was incredible to watch her caring for her babies in such a gentle way, showing what a real mother shoud be. However, one night she went hunting and left the little ones on their own. When she came back the next day they have disappeared so she followed their tracks. I was very worried that the cubs have been killed by the buffaloes because Ma di Tau kept close to the herd. Fortunately, following the tracks, she found one of them. Thank God!- I thought. But her happiness (mine as well) lasted for a moment. The female cub was alive but it’s back was broken by the buffaloes! The poor little thing could use only it’s front legs as the hind ones were completely damaged. The mother spent the day with the baby caring for her but at the end, she realised the cub could not survive. So she took the hardest decision- to leave her child. The next scene was heartbreaking- the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! Ma di Tau was leaving and the cub was crawling in a desperate attempt to follow her, but she never turned around. I cursed myself for deciding to watch this film. I was completely ruined by that scene and I know I will never forget it!

Ma di Tau

Ma di Tau with her little cub

I was secretly hoping (as I bet many of you, who’ve watched the film, have been too) that the people from the crew might have helped the poor creature. I have searched and searched for information and finally found a statement by Dereck Joubert, where he was explaining they haven’t saved the cub and why. And unfortunately, I have to agree (to an extent) that was the right decision. Sometimes we make difficult choices that break our hearts, but we know deep inside they are right. We cannot intervene in natural selection and we cannot make wildlife less cruel. I believe leaving her child was one of the hardest decisions Ma di Tau has ever made; as the narrative says, we don’t know about animals’ feelings but what breaks every mother’s heart is losing her child. Fortunately, the lioness found her other cub, which was fine, and joined the rival pride, becoming their new matriarch.

The aim of this documentary is not just showing the life of a single lioness, but addressing the issue of extinction of the lion population in Africa. For just 50 years time, their number has fallen from 450,000 to just 20,000 due to human activity! The film-makers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who dedicated their life to the cause of saving the lion population in Africa from extinction, donated all their profits from the film so all the money went for saving the big cats. Moreover, they managed to convince National Geographic to do the same, which is actually the first time NG has ever done this.

If I have to leave my feelings aside and give a professional point of view, I have to admit the whole film is done at a very high professional level. Telling the story of a single lion family, creates a relationship between the viewers and the main character and makes them feel sympathy for her. Showing the heartbreaking scene with the abandoned, hurt cub is cruel but makes the audience take to heart the problem (that was the effect on me)- the drastic reduction of lions’ population in Africa. This emotionally sad moment is the most powerful one in the whole film and it makes the viewers remember it and focus on supporting the cause of saving the lion population from extinction.

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I hope the death of this little hero won’t be in vain and it will make people think about the lions in Africa and the sad faith that awaits them if we, humans, don’t defend them from ourselves.

“One day we will know that all animals have a soul. Hopefully, this knowledge does not come when it is too late.” Anthony Douglas Williams

L. V. K.

March, 1- the Bulgarian ancient tradition

Posted on by under Knowledge is Power

Since today is 1st March, I think it is necessary to dedicate a post to this special day in the Bulgarian ancient culture. On 1st March, Bulgarians celebrate “Baba Marta” (meaning Grandma March), which is a welcoming custom of the upcoming spring. The tradition includes exchanging of “martenitsi” (plural) in the first days of March (especially on 1st).

Traditional Bulgarian Martenitza

Traditional Bulgarian Martenitza

The martenitsa (singular) is the symbol of Baba Marta and is always in red and white. It could be in the shape of a bracelet (red and white thread twisted together), a brooch (the typical one represents two dolls of a boy and a girl made of red and white yarn, called Pizho and Penda) or a necklet. The white colour symbolises purity and prosperity and the red symbolises blood, passion and life in general (red and white are also two of the three colours on the Bulgarian flag- White, Green, Red). The two together are heralds of the spring and are believed to bring health to the one wearing them. That is why people exchange martenitsi with their family, friends and those they feel close to. The martenitsa should be worn until one sees a stork or a swallow and then should tie it on a blossom tree.

You should put your martenitsa on a blossom tree

Since I was a child, Baba Marta has been one of my favourite traditions as I was waking with a martenitsa on my hand in the morning on 1st March. I was told that during the night Baba Marta came and tied martenitsa on my hand so that I am rosy and cheerful throughout the year. According to the belief, Baba Marta is an old woman who is very good and hardworking, but also short-tempered. This is why Bulgarians relate the changeable weather in March to her rapid mood swings. When it’s sunny and warm, Baba Marta is happy when it’s cold and unpleasant, Baba Marta is angry. Because of this, the month of March is also referred to as a ‘female month’. According to my observations though, Baba Marta is always happy on 1st March as it is always sunny and warm, just like today.

Baba Marta

Baba Marta

The origin of the “martenitsa” tradition dates back to 681AD during the time of the Bulgarian Khan Asparuh. The Khan’s sister, Huba, had a prophetic dream related to the pagan god Tangra so she decided to send a falcon to her brother with a sprig of dill (traditionally used in the sacrificial pyre for Tangra) and a white thread tied to its leg. However, the falcon was hit by an arrow, which didn’t kill it but soaked part of the thread with blood, giving it a red and white colour. Despite the wound, the brave falcon reached the Khan who tied the thread to his hand. It is believed since then Bulgarians started wearing red and white threads, twisted together. During her 1300 years of existence, Bulgaria has shared lands with other countries, which is why some of them also hold on to the tradition (e.g. Greece, Romania, Macedonia etc.).

Traditions are very important for nations’ survival. Nowadays, when globalisation is sweeping the world, it is traditions that help us to remember who we are. As Henry James says: “It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition.” And our history is more than 1300 years old…

L. V. K.

The Apostle of Freedom

Posted on by under Inspiring People

He came to this world to lead us to fight. Hanged he was, but never died…

During its 1300 years of existence, Bulgaria has born many worthy sons, but for me (and I believe for most of the Bulgarian nation) the greatest among them is undoubtedly Vasil Levski- The Apostle of Freedom, the holy person who gave his life for Mother Bulgaria. 18th February 2014 marks 141 years of his hanging in Sofia in 1873. Murdered for the crime of dreaming and fighting for an independent, sacred and holy republic with ethnic and religious equality.

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Vasil Levski

In 1396 The Bulgarian Empire was enslaved and became part of the Ottoman Empire and its people contemptuously called “rayah” (a non-Muslim subject of the Ottoman Empire) were treated as second-hand. They were living in fear of the Turks as professing the Orthodox Christianity, the Bulgarian folk (as well as the rest of the enslaved Balkan nations- Serbs, Greeks etc.) were considered infidels.  Normally, the Turks weren’t forcing the Bulgarians to change their religion; however, there were huge exceptions like the forceful islamisation of the Rhodopes (the topic will be covered in a later post).

This is just small part of the injustices, Levski was fighting against. I don’t blame the Ottoman Turks for the 500 years of slavery; I don’t hate them either. This is how the world was functioning back then- one is the enslaver the other is the enslaved; people were enslaving people all over the world. Nowadays, we should all forgive and forget and live together in peace and harmony no matter of religion or ethnicity. And these are the ideals Levski was fighting for.

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Vasil Levski in the First Bulgarian Legion

Born 18 July 1837 as Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, Levski lived an extraordinary life, even though a short one. As a young boy, he was sent as a servant to his uncle who was a monk in the Hilаndar Monastery. Later, after attending a clerical training course, Levski became a monk himself. However, his rebellious heart couldn’t find peace, feeling that his mission in life was much greater. So he left the monastery and went to Belgrade, Serbia to become a volunteer in the First Bulgarian Legion (a military detachment formed by Bulgarian volunteers and revolutionary workers seeking the overthrow of Ottoman rule). During his time in Serbia he earned his nickname Levski (meaning Leonine) due to his agility and courage; according to the legend, he made a leonine leap during training.

Vasil Levski as standard-bearer

Vasil Levski as standard-bearer

Levski was very much involved in the work of the Legion; he was appointed standard-bearer of a revolutionary detachment led by Panayot Hitov, intending to invade Bulgaria and organise anti-Ottoman resistance. After skirmishings, the revolutionaries were forced to flee back to Serbia. Later on, drawing his conclusions, Levski realised the ineffectiveness of the external organisations of the Bulgarian emigrants and the need for an internal organisation. He undertook two major tours across the Bulgarian lands acting as an ambassador for the idea of freedom and independence, trying to win compatriots to his mission. This is how he established the Internal Revolutionary Organisation (IRO), which mission was to prepare for a coordinated uprising.

The Apostle believed that Bulgaria should win its freedom alone, not counting on the help of external forces. I think he had two reasons for that: 1) Bulgaria would not be dependent on anyone else but its own people and would not allow external influence on its reforming as a country; and 2) Winning their freedom alone would mean people were ready to live as free nation and rule the country applying a completely new political system. Levski believed in freedom beyond its concept for that time- he dreamed of a democratic republic with no more kings and sultans to rule upon people. He had very modern and futuristic political views; Levski didn’t want to expel the Turkish population from the Bulgarian lands, he just wanted to gain freedom and independence for Bulgaria and get rid of the sultan and the old norms.

To achieve his goals, Levski created a thick network inside the Bulgarian lands and established revolutionary committees in key towns and cities. He was a very important figure, a leader with inspirational personality and was considered very dangerous by the Ottoman Empire, therefore, he was hunted. However, Levski proved to be elusive by using different names, constantly changing his appearance, not staying too long at the same place. Unfortunately, after a mission of IRO, many of its participants were arrested and made full confessions. It is believed Levski was betrayed by someone who was close to him, and soon the Turkish police caught him.

The capture of Levski by the Turkish police

The capture of Levski by the Turkish police

He was taken to the city of Tarnovo for interrogation and after that to Sofia for the trial. On the way, he was guarded by just a few zaptiehs (Turkish police officers) so it would have been very easy for his compatriots to save him. However, there was not even a single attempt for that from anyone. This remains one of the biggest sins of the Bulgarians, which I believe we are still repaying until nowadays. On the trial, Levski confirmed his identity and insisted he was acting on his own. Despite the painful interrogation, he refused to reveal any of his accomplices or details related to his organisation, taking the entire burden on himself. Levski was sentenced to death and was hanged on 18th February 1873 in Sofia. The place he was buried remains one of the biggest mysteries in the Bulgarian history.

Vasil Levski remains one of the brightest heroes and truest sons Bulgaria has had. He should serve as an example to the future generations and inspire people not only in Bulgaria but all over the world to fight for freedom!

L. V. K.

Don’t Judge Me. I Was Born to be Real, Not Perfect

Posted on by under Books Movies, Game of Thrones

Maybe the heading of this post does not give you a clue what it is going to discuss but wait, I promise, it’ll be interesting. So Game of Thrones lovers, should we start? Oh wait! Did I just say Game of Thrones? Yes, I did. This is the first of a series of posts, discussing and analysing some of the main characters of the books/TV show. And guess what? The first one is dedicated to my absolute favourite Ser Jaime Lannister or in other words, The Kingslayer. Now that I know after the 3rd season, his fan club has risen dramatically, I thought it would be a good idea to start with him. I have to admit Ser Jaime and the unexpected change of his storyline in Season 3, is the reason I started reading the books and became so obsessed with Game of Thrones.

Nikolai Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister

Nikolai Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister

I like bad characters, like Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights for example. The good thing about the bad characters is that they are controversial and thus more interesting. You always expect them to be mean and do bad stuff throughout the story, but in the process of getting to know them, you realise they are not as negative as you think they are. Actually, they are broken souls, desperately crying for help. And The Kingslayer is one such example.

“There are no men like me. Only me.”

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This is one of Ser Jaime’s most popular quotes in the books/show. At a first glance, it looks very arrogant of him to say so, but there is much deeper meaning in these words. When you think about it, it applies to absolutely every one of us- there is no one like me, only me- therefore everyone is unique. However, even though Jaime says there are no men like him,  he says nothing about women. And I think for him there is only one woman like him and this is his twin sister and lover Cersei Lannister. He associates himself with her, he feels half-man without her. Actually, she is the person that makes Jaime what he is- she is the drama in his life and she is the motivation behind every decision he makes. In my opinion, he loves her truly and deeply; moreover, he has devoted his life to be close to her. But she does not love him back in the same way. As Cersei says, “Love no one, but your children.”

Jaime with his twin sister Cersei and his brother Tyrion

Jaime with his twin sister Cersei and his brother Tyrion

Jaime’s affection for his twin sister is in the core of his tragedy. He gave up his life for her- refused to marry, refused to have children, refused to inherit Casterly Rock- gave up everything just to be close to her and help her fulfil her ambitions. Cersei dreamt to be queen, to be powerful, to have everyone kneel before her. And Jaime dreamt of Cersei. The moment he loses his sword hand is the breaking point in his storyline because losing his hand opens his eyes- he sees what he is for his father (the heir of Casterly Rock) and he sees what he is for his sister (a weapon for her ambitions). Only Tyrion remains to him, that’s why he helps him escape from the dungeons. But even Tyrion betrays Jaime by admitting (lying) that he has killed his son Joffrey and by murdering their father Lord Tywin. Interestingly enough the only person Jaime can trust now is Brienne of Tarth.

In my opinion, Brienne is the person who changed Jaime. Because she is so honourable and so loyal that he cannot help but admire her. Even though in the beginning he was mocking her, like everyone else, for the fact she is ugly and that she is a woman trying to be a man, after he got to know her better, he found in her the qualities he has given up long ago. He, the oathbreaker, who was sworn to protect his king but killed him instead; he, who would be remembered by all as The Kingslayer. Whether it was right or wrong of Jaime to kill the Mad King, I will discuss in another post. So my point is the breaking point in Jaime’s storyline is not only losing his hand but meeting Brienne as well. She is everything Cersei is not, but I think Jaime finally realised (because he keeps comparing Cersei and Brienne a lot) that sometimes rich souls hide behind poor coats.

How is this wonderful character’s storyline going to continue… well we just cannot wait to see!

L.V.K.

Which Would Be Worse- To Live As a Monster or Die As a Good Man?

Posted on by under Books Movies

Most of you will recognise this line immediately; yes, this post is about Shutter Island. 

shutter-island-bHave you ever seen Shutter Island? If you haven’t I highly recommend it. It is one of those movies that make you feel strained from the beginning until the end and even after. It plays with the mind and makes it reveal its complexity even more. The story Martin Scorsese tells is very intricate and grim, but at the same time gripping and touching. The cast is also very well chosen – Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer. DiCaprio has proven his talent within the years. He’s not the sweet, blonde boy we all know from Titanic. He transformed into a serious actor- one of the best Hollywood has ever had. This man made some really high-quality movies in the past few years: The Blood Diamond, The Aviator, Inception, The Great Gatsby etc.

But let’s go back to Shutter Island. There are movies that are a must and it is one of them. I would describe it as a psychological thriller with drama elements but mixed in so incredibly good way that the end product is brilliant. Of course, there are many critics that would not agree with me like The Guardian for example, whose review on the movie uses phrases such as “old-fashioned melodrama” and “shaggy dog tale”. Of course, everyone has the right to have an opinion and my personal one is that the movie trains one’s reason and logic and does not leave the viewer indifferent to the story it tells and the way it’s telling it. I have made my personal investigation on people’s reactions while they are watching the movie and straight after its end (which reverses the action at 180 degrees). They were all stunned but deeply impressed. I have a friend, who in the first minutes after the end of the movie, believed her mind was playing games with her.

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Leonardo Dicaprio as Teddy Daniels in “Shutter Island”

We don’t realise the power of our mind. It is so big that it’s out of our control, moreover, it’s in control of us. That is scary but impressive at the same time and proves us we are not as great as we think we are. We are not in full control of our emotions, desires, thoughts, but our mind is. And who is in control of our mind? Well, that question hasn’t been answered yet. But it raises a number of others like, “Is there any particular reason for mentally ill people to get ill?”, and “Do we know what’s in these people’s heads?”, “Do we actually know what’s in our head?” After watching Shutter Island, you start asking yourself all these questions. I praise the power of films of this type because they make you think and analyse yourself and the surrounding world. They raise questions and make you look for the answers.

After all, we are rational creatures and one of the reasons we are living in this world is to fight for the privilege to know the truth…

L. V. K.

A Game of Books: Literature Fiction or Reality

Posted on by under Books Movies, Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice and Fire without a doubt is one of the most popular book series in the recent years. Most probably this success came due to the HBO TV show Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s literary masterpiece. It is true the books had their loyal fans even before the show was released but they were mostly people who are fans of the genre. My point is the books didn’t have a commercial popularity before the coming of the show, which made a total hit out of them among all types of audiences.

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But what is it that thing people love about Game of Thrones (both the books and the show)? Is it the complexity of the characters or the unpredictability of the plot, the fictional world of dragons and direwolfs or the complicated human relationships? The truth is most of the fiction novels resemble fables- they have hidden meaning and are figuratively showing the reality we live in. Game of Thrones (GoT) is no exception. The name itself- “Game of Thrones”, suggests that the story is about intrigues, murder, revenge, vanity but most of all about power- as Cersei Lannister says, “Power is power.”

One very real, even painfully real thing about GoT is no one is safe; anyone could be killed off (especially if he/she is a Stark) no matter if they are a main character or not. Actually, there isn’t just one main character in Game of Thrones but rather a number of storytellers, whose point of view we follow in a series of chapters George R. R. Martin has dedicated to them, so we assume these characters are kind of main. Normally, we are used to the fact that the main character is immortal. No matter what obstacles he/she faces, at the end of the story, everything falls into place and “they lived happily until the end of their days.” But in GoT, as Tyrion Lannister (in the show those words belong to Ramsay Bolton) wisely points, “If you think it has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” It is exactly the same in life. Life is a ruthless fight full of obstacles. There are ups, but there are downs as well and we need to know that from our first day until our last we fight; we fight with others, fight with time, fight with destiny but most of all we fight with ourselves. And that’s the beauty of it all because everything is more beautiful when you know you are doomed.

541935_444603858966915_1059420599_nGeorge R. R. Martin has found a very witty way to show the main features of the characters or of groups of characters by comparing them with animals- the Lion of Lannister, the Three-Headed Dragon of House Targaryen, the Direwolf of House Stark and so on. The way he uses metaphor is very clever because the animals are just sigils of the noble houses in Westeros, but actually, they determine the features of the groups of characters that have them. This reminds me a little bit of the astrology houses and the zodiac signs, which more or less determine the main characteristics of groups of people who happened to be born under those signs.

As the heading of my post suggests, I find many hidden similarities between our world and the magical world of GoT. This is very good because books (and TV shows/movies) are meant not only to entertain us but to educate us as well and teach us some wisdom (oh yes, there is a lot of wisdom in Game of Thrones). For me, the main thing one can draw as a conclusion from reading the GoT books is that there is only one hell and only one heaven- both are the ones we live in now.

L. V. K.