My Reaction To. . .
Vita Nostra
When I first began to read
this story, I must admit, I had difficulty adjusting to its style and some of
the phraseology used. But, remembering this is a translation from another
language, (Russian), I persisted. And I’m glad I did, for what started off as a
dissonant, tongue-tripping slog smoothed out into a magic carpet ride of an
intellectual adventure.
Vita Nostra – Latin for Our Life – tells the story of Sasha
Samokhina, a teenage girl living at home with her mother, who stands at a
crossroads. She must soon decide her future. Does she go off to university as
everyone expects to become a tiny cog in part of the big machine that is
society, or should she strive for something better?
It’s as she ponders that
conundrum that she meets the mysterious Farit Kozhennikov. A man who knows more
than he’s letting on, and someone who seems able to compel her to carry out
ridiculous tasks as a way of measuring her character.
Whatever that special
something is, Sasha has it, and she is offered the opportunity of attending an
obscure place of learning nobody seems to have heard of: The Institute of
Special Technology.
Sasha accepts that placement
against her mother’s wishes, and discovers to her cost how different the
institute is.
I’m never one to give away
the plot, so all I’ll say is . . .
What follows is a deeply
intimate and skilful exposition that deals with – dependent upon your viewpoint
and character – some of the major hurdles/stepping stones in life: the nature
of reality; the influence of philosophy; the true magic of mysticism; the power
of faith – and how all these factors combined can lead to a metamorphosis of
self beyond our wildest dreams.
Far from tripping over my
hypothetical tongue, I ended up skating through a thought provoking – if disquieting
– tale, one that should appeal to the chrysalis in all of us.
Criminals UK
If you’re in desperate need
of a breath of televisual fresh air, I’d recommend Criminal UK. This is the
first of four anthologies from different countries throughout Europe set almost
entirely within a police interview room.
And that’s it!
The crimes in question have
already been committed, so there’s no bloodthirsty violence, madcap escape
attempts or high-speed pursuits. Neither do you get huge budgets, explosive
sets, continent-hopping or intricate action scenes to play with.
Everything takes place within
that interview room – or the observation lounge on the other side of a two-way
mirror – and the intricacies you do
see revolve around the mental agility of the police team dedicated to seeing
justice done.
In some respects, Criminal UK
reminded me of a stage play, as it’s the skills of the actors that immerses you
in the psychology of the procedures involved in obtaining a confession – or in
some cases – revealing the truth of what actually took place.
Superb stuff. And compelling
too, as its quality TV like this that highlights the power of the human
narrative. If you do it right, you don’t need high-octane special effects and state-of-the-art
weapons. The minds of a detective and a desperate suspect will do. Each lining
up their pieces on the chessboard of the interview; each one hoping their
strategy is the one that prevails.
Try it. I guarantee it will
leave a lasting impression.
