The Taming of Literature
ესეისტიკა
In the late 1970s, I was lecturing at the university. ...
For Akaki Bakradze, the literary text serves as a kind of support, a foundation through which he expresses his own truth, his stance toward a fact or phenomenon. This is a collection of his essays, which serves as a valuable companion and guide for students learning about Georgian identity and culture through literature.
Winning over and preparing society is itself one of the hardest tasks. In such a condition, anyone who fights with both word and deed often sacrifices themself. That is why anyone who wishes to align word and action must be prepared to offer themselves up. This is the necessary condition.
— Akaki Bakradze, A Soul That Speaks Through Deeds
The gift of imitation is a great blessing, but God went too far for Georgians and gave us too little reason and too much imitation. And so we became like monkeys. Wherever we lack our own judgment, courage, resilience, or will, we try to win the game by copying foreigners, hoping to score someone else’s goal.
— Akaki Bakradze, The Unused, or Tragic Freedom
