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Book: "Bai Ganyo"

Author.

Score (1 to 6): 6

Bulgarian literature at school was not at all interesting to me in the past, but the thing that managed to hold my interest then was Aleko Konstantinov's "Bai Ganyo". All the journeys and experiences of our hero were very funny, as ridiculous as they were ( and I didn't even understand them like that then) they made me laugh out loud, which for a kid is probably quite important to keep his interest in a book sometimes.

Well this wonderful edition of the book took me back to those years and made me want to get it and read it now. Despite the autumn chill outside, this is a book that will warm you from the inside. Yes, it is an extremely exaggerated portrayal of Bai Ganyo, but there is also so much truth in his demeanor and words. Funny, partly philosophical, quite caricaturing stories about a Bulgarian and his clashes with the world and people, at home and abroad. A book needed in every home for a clear view of Bulgarian national psychology. In many places I have seen Aleko Konstantinov describe the book as "an incredible account of a modern Bulgarian". The grim reality of the Post-Revolutionary Era downplays typical national values and creates the image of the new. A newly liberated Bulgarian. The protagonist evokes in me a truly good-natured laugh. I sense a subtle irony, Bai Ganjo's miserliness and thick-headed simplicity have not turned into a terrible lust for power and rather amuses the reader. Ever since he was a child, Aleko has listened to the hilarious stories of his father's friends. As merchants, they traveled around Europe and had wonderful stories with various people, which the author may have later inspired in his book "Bai Gagno".

We can talk a lot about the character, about the message he carries. And before this becomes a piece of reasoning, I want to advise you if you haven't touched on these stories to do so. This is a story, and to some extent a description of the typical Bulgarian, a man who must always be on the take. Have fun with this book, on rainy autumn days, snuggle up on the couch and show your best smile, because "Bai Ganyo" can show you it's just as good as going to a stand-up comedy.