“Names in marble” ( Est. Nimed marmortahvlil , Names on a marble board ) is an Estonian war novel written by Albert Kivikas and published in 1936. The plot focuses on the events of the Estonian War of Liberation [1] [2] .
| Names in marble | |
|---|---|
| est. Nimed marmortahvlil | |
| Genre | war romance |
| Author | Albert Civicas |
| Original language | Estonian |
| Date of writing | 1936 |
| Date of first publication | 1936 |
In 1937, Albert Kivikas received the award of the Estonian Literary Union for this novel. Now the novel “Names in Marble” is one of the most famous works of Estonian literature .
Content
The basis of the novel
The novel is based on events from the life of Albert Kivikas himself during the War of Independence. The two main characters of the book, the brothers Genn and Johan Agasi, personify the two major political trends of that time: nationalism and communism . The novel also reflects the uncertainty of Estonians regarding the future of their country at that time [1] .
Story
The novel is divided into three parts. The main and central heroes are two brothers, Genn and Johan Aghasi.
The first part, which takes place at the beginning of the war, tells about the political situation in Estonia at the end of 1918 and a group of students of the Tarut School of Trade, who subsequently took part in the Estonian War of Independence. At the beginning of the work, Genn Agas doubted his entry into the army , but after the occupation of his native city, he firmly decided to become a soldier. Through the group of students in the first part of the novel, the political and economic situation in Estonia at that time was also shown.
The second part of the novel contains many autobiographical moments, a description of the situation at the front and the combat experience of soldiers [1] .
The third part of the novel depicts the final stage of the war, in particular the Tartu Peace , which recognized the independence of Estonia. The novel ends with a group of students returning home.
The second part was published in the Uus Eesti newspaper in 1935, and the finished three-part novel was published in Tartu in 1936 with the assistance of the Estonian Publishing Cooperative. The first edition of the novel had 539 pages. Although the author’s own experience is not reflected in the novel, he actually portrayed himself in one of the brothers. Albert Kivikas wrote other parts of the continuation of the novel during his emigration to Sweden .
Second Part ( Nimed marmortahvlil II )
The second part, the continuation of the novel, depicts the rear life during the war of independence, and military operations with the participation of a battalion of volunteers are more likely a background for the events of the novel. Genn Agas, in the army, became the staff clerk, whose real passion is literature. According to the author, Genn became a futurist .
You can recognize many literary figures of that time in various images of the novel, in particular, members of the Siuru group.
For the first time, the second part-sequel was published in 1948 in the Swedish city of Wadsten ; it was reprinted twice in Tallinn in 2000 and 2003.
Third Part ( Nimed marmortahvlil III )
The third part, the continuation of the novel, is no longer about war, it depicts the cultural life of the Republic of Estonia at the beginning of its existence. At the center of the story is Genn Agas and the development of his personality. This part also depicts the cultural mood of young people and opinions about the spiritual elite.
The third part, a continuation of the novel, was released in 1951 in Lund ; In 2001, it was reprinted in Tallinn.
Part Four ( Nimed marmortahvlil IV )
In the final part, the continuation of the novel, the same theme dominates as in the third part, but it focuses more on the conflict of worldviews. In the end, this leads to a secret reunion of the brothers.
The fourth part was published in Lund in 1954 with the assistance of the Estonian Publishing Cooperative and was reprinted in Tallinn in 2002.
Stages and adaptations
In 1937, work began on a theatrical version of the novel “Names in Marble”, which was prepared by August Annist, a friend and colleague of Kivikas. The finished work, a drama of 109 pages, divided into three acts, was published in 1939 by the Tarvik publishing house in Tallinn . On February 24, 1939, the premiere of the play based on the novel, directed by Ants Lauter , took place at the Estonia Theater . The main roles in it were played by the actors Teet Koppel , Ants Eskola (platoon commander Käsper) and Hugo Laur (Orderly Tääker). Ants Lauter himself played the captain.
In 1989, the director Ago-Endrik Kerge Staged his own play in the Vanemuine Theater based on the novel, entitled “In corpore ...”, in which Agasa played Rayn Simmul , And Kesper played Andres Dvinyaninov
In 2002, the eponymous film was released in Estonia, the plot of which is based on the novel [3] . The film was directed by Elmo Nyuganen , And the main character of Gene Agas was played by Priit Wiigemast . The film “Names in Marble” has become Estonia’s most expensive feature film and box office leader [4] [5] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Names on a Marble Slab - Albert Kivikas - Book Reviews | Estonian Literature www.estlit.ee. Date of treatment May 20, 2018.
- ↑ Jorg Hackmann, Marko Lehti. Contested and Shared Places of Memory: History and politics in North Eastern Europe . - Routledge, 2013-09-13. - 167 p. - ISBN 9781317989646 .
- ↑ Sergei Grigorjev. archive of the newspaper "Youth of Estonia" . www.moles.ee. Date of treatment May 20, 2018.
- ↑ European Film Promotion | Producers on the Move 2003 | Kristian Taska (English) (Neopr.) ? . www.efp-online.com. Date of treatment May 20, 2018.
- ↑ Drama Smashes Box Office Records, The Baltic Times . Date of treatment September 5, 2009. [1]
Sources
- Nõu, Enn. Albert Kivika muutumised ja muutmised (romaani "Nimed marmortahvlil" 1936., 1942. ja 1947. aasta väljaannete võrdlus). // Kiel ja Kirjandus, 2006 , nr 2, lk 149-151.