A WORLD FOR TWO
by
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“I want to describe the flights and landings of this seagull...” the authors confess at the beginning of this novel. This statement is particularly relevant to the genre the present work belongs to as it addresses the authors’ intention to write as if to trace the flight of imagination into an unknown horizon and beyond the strict divisive borders and limits of East and West. Naturally, one finds something of an enigma, not only in the authorial quest but also in the resulting fiction.
In the rapidly changing postcolonial world, the boundaries are blurred by deepening global influences and the notions of escape, departure, travel and arrival become all the more important. The authors, like flying seagulls, leave behind their country of origin in search of the sun and heat of the East. That is how the postcolonial themes, subjects, motifs and symbols constitute their territory. This might have not been possible if they had not left the familiar landscape and the culture in which they were rooted for radically different ones. This novel explores the intricacies of human nature and contemporary life in the distant and unfamiliar East.
This uncommon Bulgarian novel brings a fresh perspective to the socio-cultural issues riddling the Pakistani Muslim society. With a minute precision and a critical insight, the authors strive to paint contemporary Pakistani life by narrating a dramatic and moving tale of individuals suffocated by their forbidden intimacies and haunting secrets. Their story carries in itself the elegance of the fairy tale, nourished by the exoticism of travel writing and the nostalgia and longing proper to a diasporic identity.
Looking from an edge, from a strongly faceted external perspective, the authors see the characters with their concealed faces and grim eyes gazing at the alienating world with groping intensity, whilst trying to find a niche of their own. The authors play the role of the clear sighted observers of the dark and brooding side of the human being. Their characters come to life as creatures of flesh and blood burning with intense desires, capable of intriguing us. And it is not only the characters, it is every object and every place on which they focus that are rendered alive.
A shimmering hope and joy prevails in the midst of this complex saga of interrelationships. Even though the characters are hemmed by cultural obscurantism, traditional beliefs and the feeling of absence and fragmentation, they move on with their lives. Their existence is full of remarkable possibilities. They establish bonds of love and friendship, and re-affirm cross-cultural solidarities. The ardours, passions, drama and suspense of this fiction infiltrate the different characters and their lives. The authors offer us a very interesting perspective on gender and sexual indentities, along with a few original portraits of strong, independent women.
As the title A World for Two suggests, the novel is not just about loves, passions, obsessions and friendships across the boundaries. An entire world in itself, the novel is constructed as a relationship between reader and writers, balanced on a constant play between “you” and “me”, between England and Pakistan, between man and woman. This also is a novel about Karachi, the transcultural metropolis and the capital of Pakistan. One is swayed by the “colourful, bright and sunny” Karachi world. The bustling streets, the exotic charm and the ethos of its inhabitants are all animated by the author’s profound knowledge of Pakistani setting, culture and ideology. The locales are transformed into sensual and emotional symbols, and therefore become so much more potent. These add to the nuanced details and to the pieces of dramatic sequence, setting the compelling, vivid and tender tone of the novel. Once one has unravelled the mysteries of this fiction, one feels the same pangs of loneliness and alienation as the characters, which are somehow related to this Eastern landscape.
At the crossroads of culture, tradition and modernity, this novel introduces a new voice of Bulgarian fiction.
Dr. Bhawana Jain
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About the Book
The novel is not just about the love, passion, obsession, and friendship across the boundaries. As much as anything else, the novel is also about Karachi, the transcultural metropolis and the capital of Pakistan. One gets swayed by the colorful, bright, and sunny Karachi world. The bustling streets, the exotic charm, and the ethos of its inhabitants are all animated by the author’s profound knowledge of Pakistani setting, culture, and ideology. The locales are transformed into sensual and emotional symbols and, therefore, become so much more potent. These add to the nuanced details and to the pieces of dramatic sequence, setting the compelling, vivid, and tender tone of the novel. Once one has unraveled the mysteries of this fiction, one feels the same pangs of loneliness and alienation as the characters, which are somehow related to this Eastern landscape. Make your flight together with the birds over the dark ocean of feelings. Love and hate, live and die with the characters. Leave a novel when you close the last page.
About the Author
Mariana Zakova with his family live in Sofia – the capital of Bulgaria, Europe.
Mariana Zakova is coach leader and principal of the 137th Secondary School in Sofia . She works with its professional team for leadership style in education. Mariana Zakova is MA in Bulgarian language and literature, but she has also specialized in the field of modern management - Organization and management in education – Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridsky”;Solving conflicts at school – University for peace and conflict solving - Granada, Spain; Trained in a program for coach leaders of Veleva-Bialec Coaching – Paris, France
Mariana Zakova’s interests are referred to her native land Bulgaria – unfamiliar or not well known. Beautiful, because it has everything – a sea- with hot summer and golden beaches; mountains – wonderful where to go skiing… not to forget! But this country also has got its history which has been stolen little by little – by someone or other – not to be known. The history of Bulgaria is the main topic of Mariana’s books – The Voltron’s Circle (2009), Led by Furies (2011) and The Trumps (2011),which contains three novels - The Cries of Samodivas, The Singing Pigeons and I Want to Be with You.
They all are united by a common topic – the past of the state Bulgaria, which you don’t know very well. In the way a writer, known in their country, Mariana Zakova departing from the scope the exotic history. Her beautiful story travels not only across countries but also on the continent. The experienced writer begins to live and die with their characters in a breathless, dreamy and at the same time very naturalistic story about life just as it is really.
Thus was conceived the next novel AWORLD FOR TWO is not just about love , passion, obsession and friendship across borders . It has everything that lives today in Karachi, transcultural metropolis and the capital of Pakistan.
They all are united by a common topic – the past of the state Bulgaria, which you don’t know very well. In the way a writer, known in their country, Mariana Zakova departing from the scope the exotic history. Her beautiful story travels not only across countries but also on the continent. The experienced writer begins to live and die with their characters in a breathless, dreamy and at the same time very naturalistic story about life just as it is really.
Thus was conceived the next novel AWORLD FOR TWO is not just about love , passion, obsession and friendship across borders . It has everything that lives today in Karachi, transcultural metropolis and the capital of Pakistan.
Here the novel I WANT TO BE WICH YOU - The time comes to go back to the terrible story of Ottoman rule over the powerful state Bulgaria started in the late 14th century and lasted until the late 18th century. 500 years Bulgarians have maintained their faith as Christians.
And after these 500 years until today Bulgaria is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. Terrible times, strong people, beautiful love alive as they succeeded in survive the spirit and the nation. You must read, to look again next Mariana Zakova,s books