12 Short Stories: a key to the Georgian mentality by Archil Khantadze: book review

Released in 2009, Khantadze has compiled and translated a collection of Georgian short stories, in chronological order, commencing with a tale of a public hanging, written in 1879.

Many of the stories are of the daily lives of Georgians when they were citizens of the Soviet Union and had no passport of their own during the Russification of Georgia – “the policy of the Russian Empire aimed at the abolition of cultural and administrative authority of non-Russian minorities within the empire.” The stories continue after the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991 to the present. Themes include stoning, donkey theft, death in the mountains, poetry, revenge, collective violence, the construction of new buildings in Tbilisi, a wedding and a funeral. My favourite is “Build it fast, cheaply and …” by Nodar Dumbadze (1928-1984).

Before each story, Khantadze briefly introduces the Georgian writers and includes two female authors. One is Ekaterine Gabashvili (1851-1938) who is introduced as “one of the first Georgian feminists and women’s rights activists. Her story, “Magdana’s Donkey” was filmed in 1955 and won prizes at the international film festivals at Cannes and Edinburgh in 1958.

All stories are simply and elegantly told: from stark and austere to satirical; from moralistic to comical; and from sentimental to emotionally honest. It's a fascinating compilation of stories - well told and interesting to read.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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