Page 8

[Alexandr Korol]

Volume 1

A first-person novel
Brief analysis

“Alternative History” Volume One. I deliberately do not open my book, do not open my notes, and do not help myself remember what it is about and what its essence is. I do not use any hints but instead want to recall in the moment — what is the essence of the first volume of the novel “Alternative History”? The first thing that comes to mind is that it is about “the voice.” It feels as if the entire plot of the book revolves around the fact that I, the main character, hear some kind of voice and do not understand what this voice is, and it leads me. And this otherworldly presence occurs throughout life: sometimes you hear a voice, sometimes messengers speak to you, sometimes you encounter people who seem to understand who you are but do not tell you who you are. And it is also unclear — who are they, then? And perhaps the main essence of the first volume of “Alternative History” lies precisely in this.
And now, pay attention to my angle, my perspective, the way I am looking at this. Because if someone were to ask you what the first volume of “Alternative History” is about, some of you might say that it is a book about some Masonic mysteries of St. Petersburg; others might say that it is a book about some peculiar boy. Well, yes, in one sense, it is about a boy, but the real idea — if you look at it more deeply and do not focus on personalities — what is the idea of the book? Why was it given to humanity? After all, you understand the purpose of any creative endeavor — what is its essence? Why do people engage in creativity at all? They may think they do it for themselves, and each person gains some kind of benefit from it — whether psychological, physical, or any other kind. But why does God need it? Why does something like creativity even exist, and what is its meaning? And if we observe from the outside, we can see that creative people primarily create something for a large audience, that they provide some kind of nourishment for the soul or the mind. Perhaps they transmit some kind of information — you could call it from the “cosmos,” from nature, from God — it is not entirely clear how to define it properly. And if such a book is being written, then is its purpose really to focus on personalities, to delve into who this boy is? Or perhaps the real question is: could you be in the place of this boy?