Živly Johna Boyna IE
The Elements by John Boyne
This year, the Martinus Literary Tent will once again welcome both local and international literary stars. Among them will be the Irish novelist John Boyne, author of the bestselling book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Suffering, tyranny, and the deep pain caused by abuse – difficult themes to read about, but ones that are socially important. Author John Boyne has been known for tackling such subjects ever since The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and continues to do so in his latest tetralogy, The Elements. Together with Andrea Makýšová Volárová, he will take us through both his earlier and more recent works.
Irish author John Boyne is best known to Slovak readers for his novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which was also adapted into a successful film. Several of his other children’s books have been published in Slovak, including The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, Noah Barleywater Runs Away, The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket, and The Heart’s Invisible Furies.
His latest project, currently being published in Slovak by Slovart, is a four-part series in which each book is named after one of the elements. Although the stories aren’t directly connected, some characters reappear across the books, which are united by difficult themes. Boyne writes about suffering, tyranny, and especially the deep emotional pain caused by abuse.
The first book in the series, Water, has been translated into Slovak by Otto Havrila. This element is prominent in the story itself – it features a swimming instructor, is set on an island, and the crashing of the waves is reflected in the behaviour and emotions of the characters. The second book, Earth, tells a gritty tale of a young man whose life takes a drastically unexpected turn. The series will soon be completed with the publication of Fire and Air.
John Boyne’s Elements will be brought to Pohoda by literarnyklub.sk.
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