Iulis Tsakalou BOOK CRITIC
The woman, the main character and narrator of the story, takes us on board with her and guides us into her world – in the desert, in St. Petersburg, inside the mind of a gorilla. She introduces us to her peculiar “museum of self”, what has shaped her in such a way that the ultimate value of life is for her exploration.
When the icebreaker reaches the top of the world, the woman makes a mistake that might cost her dearly. Is there anything that can save her?
Thoughts of the heroine, lists of alternative names for snow, philosophical musings on life and death, concern for the environment and man’s contribution to its degeneration, as well as lots of information on ghost ships, the animal kingdom and the Inuit people who live in the Arctic, compose a book that will take readers to unexplored places, but reminding them that magic is hidden in the simplest things, it is enough to close our eyes for a moment and listen to those around us and to ourselves. The author talks to “ET” for her story.
What was the first idea that came to your mind and gave birth to this book?
A few years ago, I read on the Internet regarding the story of the icebreaker Lyubov Orlova that was lost in the North Atlantic. It seemed incredible to me that it had been thrashing unruly on the waves for years. I later discovered that there were many such ghost ships. I spent a lot of time reading regarding lost ships and expeditions and that’s how “Arctic” came regarding.
How did you organize your material and the lives of all your characters in your new writing journey?
I usually don’t have a map when I’m writing – I’m one of those writers who navigates with a compass. I collect materials and things that interest me without knowing if I will use them in the end. In this case, my heroine appeared at one point and said, “I’m very interested in all of this, and I want to take one last big trip.” And so we went to the Arctic.
In your book the search for love is intense. It cuts through all the heroes. Do they find what they are looking for, following all? Could it be that besides material love there is also immaterial love?
Love is what remains when all journeys end.
The Arctic Circle plays a pivotal role in the novel. Do you attach any symbolic meaning to it?
I know what mine is, but it may be different for each reader. Is it a limit you shouldn’t cross? End; A mystical land? I think the reader has to “be” there to understand what it means to him.
What would you say is the deepest theme in your own novel?
“Arctic” touches on many themes. For me the most important of all is the splendor of existence. An Inuit word captures this perfectly: nuannaarpoq, which means “to enjoy being alive to the fullest.”
Is the magic hidden in the simplest things, if we just close our eyes for a moment and listen to those around us and to ourselves?
So. You have to train yourself to see the beauty in the small, the everyday, the trivial. It is an exercise in observing and connecting with the ‘now’.
Are you looking for the same thing, in a different way, from book to book? Couples who redefine their relationship by capturing events, stimuli, thoughts and memories old stories, all tied together in a special and very original narrative way?
It may seem strange to you, but I originally had no intention of writing stories regarding traveling couples. In retrospect I realize that the Arctic is in a way the mirror image of the North Shore. The journey becomes an occasion to reveal something else. The heroes realize something that has eluded them for a long time.
What are the best trips? The ones that open our minds, that make us think differently, that help us get closer to ourselves and the world?
The best trips are the ones that leave us feeling different, possibly better. For a long time, neuroscientists likened the human brain to a computer. But if you put a computer in a cafe in the center of Athens and then take it to the jungle, its files will be the same – which is not the case with us. The best trips clear our cache, change our RAM, upgrade our OS.
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