Narine Abgaryan

Narine Abgaryan (1971) is an Armenian author writing in Russian. Two of her works have been published in Estonian. Three Apples Fell From the Sky (2015) is an insight into the life of an Armenian mountain village, which, despite being located in the middle of nowhere, feels the full force of all upheavals of the world. The story begins on a rather sombre note, describing the misery of Anatolia, who is about to turn 60 – feeling she is bleeding to death, she prepares to die. However, the structure of the novel surprises – a story that initially crushed the reader against the ground gradually begins to lift them up. The trials and dark courses of events that befall the ageing village take on comical traits, naturalistic storytelling is giving way to an increasing amount of magic, a supernatural light. The novel is underpinned by the idea that where there are at least two people, something can develop between them, something that unites them, and becomes something more than a sum of their parts. By the way, it is also one of the few novels that feature a peacock as a central character. The autobiographical Manunya (2012) is a humorous look at the childhood of the author and her friend Manunya, their ruses and family life. The work is suitable for both children as well as adults. Narine Abgaryan talks to translator Ilona Martson.