The Astrologer of Karabagh or the Establishment of the Fortress of Shushi 1752
Book Details
Author(s)
Platon P. Zubov
Publisher
Armenian Cultural Foundation
ISBN / ASIN
0967462150
ISBN-13
9780967462158
Availability
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank
#2,927,563
Marketplace
United States 🇺🇸
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Description
Written in 1834 by Platon P. Zubov (1796-1857), the early 19th-century Russian novelist, The Astrologer of Karabagh is a fascinating historical novel. Shrouded in a passionate love story, it is based on developments in 18th-century Karabagh, which at the time was engulfed in tumult and transformation. This is the first English edition of Zubov s novel. Its only other translation is in Armenian in 1882 by the prominent 19th-century novelist Raffi (1835-88). Platon P. Zubov was born to a prominent family in Russia. His literary career, which began in 1834, spans more than 2 decades and includes 21 major pieces. The author of numerous works, including poetry, songs, quatrains, novels, as well as anthologies, his rich literary legacy includes important source materials, statistical data, charts and tables, biographies of famous military generals, geographical descriptions, anthropological sketches, and observations on the lifestyle and culture of the people of the Caucasus. The Astrologer of Karabagh is perhaps one of his best and yet least known works. The historical novel portrays the historic life-experience of a people. It recounts within its limits how a people have lived and toiled. It highlights its customs, traditions, and manners; its intellectual and moral characteristics. In other words, it personifies the man of times past in its original and primordial shape, which has evolved over time and become unrecognizable for the present generation... These words by Raffi most accurately speak to the significance and role of historical facts in nurturing the mind and enriching the imagination of a novelist. The Astrologer of Karabagh, though a work of fiction, reflects the realities of a stormy period in the Caucasus, where new values and loyalties replaced the old ones and transformed the region forever. It provides food for thought on the power of history in shaping the present.
