OBOC - #50 - Estonia

I have reached a minor milestone. This is the 50th country for me as part of OBOC and this also wraps up the E's. Overall I am happy that I have kept it up - both the reading and the writing although I should pick up my pace if I intend to complete this project before I hit that milestone :)

I picked "The Czar's Madman" by Jaan Kross for Estonia as it was often cited as the most famous novel from Estonia! The novel which is set in the 1880s is about a nobleman Timo Von Bock whose life is analyzed by his brother-in-law Jakob. The novel is written like a journal - Jakob's journal. Timo married Jakob's sister Eeva who is a peasant girl to prove to everyone that all men (and women) are created equal in the eyes of the God and class differences are just artificial. Eeva who is rechristened as Katy proves to be a fine choice indeed as she shows uncommon character, class and intelligence thereby validating Timo's theory. Their life is suddenly interrupted as Timo is arrested for being a traitor and is thrown into prison by Czar Alexander. After 9 years he is "released" from prison but placed under house arrest on the grounds that he is "mad". The reason for his imprisonment is a letter that Timo wrote criticizing the Czar about the way he runs the country. Writing such a letter which is brutally frank can be the act of only a "madman".

Jakob attempts to understand Timo to determine if he is indeed mad. Although together they plot his escape from house arrest many times, Timo refuses to flee. Was he a highly principled nobleman or was he truly mad? This is the question that Jakob (and hence the reader) is left with.


I love historical fiction as I find it is one of the easiest way to get into history! So i was all eager to read this novel, but I didn't get as much pleasure out of it as I have derived from other works of historical fiction. Firstly having no background on Estonia and its relationship with Russia, it was a bit difficult to get into. Secondly, after a point the writing seemed repetitive and drawn out. The Afterword provides some explanation on the historical accuracy of the novel. I should say I loved the character of Eeva though and it was beautifully done by the author! The novel which was written in 1978 is also a metaphor for life under the Soviets. This is Kross's letter to Brezhnev highlighting how poorly the Communist Party was running Soviet Union! History does repeat itself after all!

OBOC - Ethiopia

Back again after a long silence. I do realize that I had slowed down to a crawl this past month as I am approaching my half century (much like some of the cricketers i loathe who play excessive defense as they get closer to their 50), but that's what happens to a hobby - it receives low priority when other things takeover.

Anyway Notes from the Hyena's Belly by Nega Mezlekia was the book I chose from Ethiopia and it is a memoir of a boy who saw his country devastated by war and poverty and his almost miraculous escape to the West. Growing up in Jijiga during the rule of the seemingly immortal Emperor Selassie, Nega had a pretty normal childhood with a loving family - not rich but comfortable enough. His biggest challenges at that time were mastering the Amharic alphabet which consists of 268 characters and Kinae a form of poetry and staying away from the headmaster's "persuader" (whip) and the Hyenas which wander around looking for prey.

His first exposure to inequities is when he meets other school kids from Western Ethiopia where the feudal lords ruled over the landless with an iron hand. To Nega it is a shock that the infallible emperor was hand in glove with these lords and actually worked to cover up the Great Famine of 1973. When the Leftist Junta overthrew the Emperor, Nega's life took a huge turn for the worse as his father who was clerk under the Emperor's Government was summarily executed on account of his "ties" to the old regime. Two parties emerged in this turmoil - the EPRP which wanted power for a civilian government and the Meison which supported the Junta each perpetrating atrocities of their own. Caught between Scyllla and Charybdis, Nega and his friend Wondwossen run away to join the Somali Rebels trying to control the Ogaden desert.

Nega survives the drought and the brutal regimen under the Rebels but unfortunately his friend does not. With his life going nowhere under the rebels he miraculously escapes and returns to his village to join his Mam an exceptional lady who kept the family together despite the calamities that struck them one after the other. By mere chance he gets to go to a prestigious school in the capital Addis Ababa, but finds the entire experience distasteful. The capital is full of drugs and prostitutes and one always had to be on the look out for both the parties which were still out seeking revenge. He also sees his country's defense budget skyrocket at the expense of everything else especially agriculture. Ethiopia is transformed from being the pride of the horn of Africa into a casualty of cold war strategies as support from USA and the then Soviet Union alternates. Minor tribal incursions reach mammoth proportions when small tyrants, feudal lords find themselves armed to their teeth with support from superpowers.

Finishing up a degree in Agriculture he gets an opportunity to pursue his studies in the Netherlands. For once in his life he decides to put himself first and grabs at the opportunity. Hoping to return to Ethiopia when normalcy returns, he finds that that day has not arrived as he immigrates to Canada where he finds a second home away from home.


The Red terror under the Junta is said to have claimed nearly 200,000 lives. So it is a miracle how Nega managed to survive, succeed and share his story with the rest of the world! This memoir is valuable not just for the political history of Ethiopia, but also for the cultural traditions which have been beautifully described by Nega. Rich with folklore from his childhood, and descriptions of the nomadic lifestyle, the landscape, the different tribal cultures, which all form the background of his harrowing experiences this book is worth reading for understanding Ethiopia beyond the headlines.