The Character of Darkness

Like many young authors, Rustam Shafizade seems to share a common problem — the difficulty of finding a good editor. The book appears to have received little, if any, editing or proofreading. As a result, reading it requires a bit of patience; in some places the flow falters, repetitions occur, and minor inconsistencies show through. Yet none of this, I believe, is the author’s fault. Rustam is a writer whose future success I genuinely trust in; I’m sure that in his upcoming works he’ll collaborate with a strong editor and offer readers clean, finely polished texts that we’ll read with pleasure.

Setting aside the editorial and proofreading flaws, I can say that Rustam Shafizade’s stories are truly worth reading. The book opens with a story told in the voice of a character. Here, it is not the author who describes the character, but the character who describes the author—speaking of the imaginary world he has created and the events he encounters within it. Through this voice, the author reflects on aspects of our own reality, shedding light on various problems of our world. In another story, developed through a dialogue between two deceased people, the narrative questions the way the living perceive life and respond to the world around them.

I won’t say too much and spoil your curiosity. Let it suffice to note that a new breath has entered our literature—and an ambitious one at that. I believe Rustam Shafizade will continue to sharpen his pen and delight us with each new work.

I congratulate my young colleague on his new book and wish him steady creative ascent. May he not keep us waiting too long before his next.