Impressions From The Books Read-№3-Bogomil Rainov "There is nothing better than bad weather". Continuation of review-Media collection "Driving Idea"

A significant role in the narrative is played by the dreams and visions of Emil Boyev, which, as in life, inform and the hero and the reader, what thoughts, images and faces wander in the subconscious of the brave intelligence officer, torment his conscience, do not give him peace, but, nevertheless, cannot penetrate his stream of consciousness when it is actively working and is therefore capable of pushing away heavy thoughts, sad pictures, painful memories.

Most often, his dreams and imagination depict meetings with the leaders of his reconnaissance mission, during which Boyev, as a rule, is forced to either justify or defend his methods of work. At the end of the novel, at such a meeting, he is already discussed as having died at the hands of the villains from the Zodiac, that is, the CIA, while performing a dangerous task in the very lair of the enemies.

It is noteworthy that during imaginary conversations Boyev hears not so much praise as criticism. Considering the fact that in these mental meetings he criticizes himself through the lips of his intelligence superiors, we can conclude that the main character is constantly dissatisfied with himself. This critical view of his actions dominates his entire stream of consciousness.

The entire book, consisting of Combat’s analysis of his own actions, is written in a rather self-critical and joyless tone, which looks somewhat unusual, since socialist propaganda demanded that its heroes be presented as knights without fear or reproach, and most often defeating enemies and overcoming difficulties, rather than suffering defeat and getting into trouble.

"Okay," the general finally says, as if interrupting some of his thoughts. "And how do you evaluate your work?" "The assessment is clear," I answer. "The assessment is very bad." However, I jumped into action at the moment when the operation was in danger of failure, and I could only do what I did." This is Boyev’s typical train of thought, and he will be faithful to it until the very end of the novel, right up to that rather difficult to perceive imaginary scene in the boss’s office, in which Boyev will no longer be there, but even after his conditional heroic death, the leaders will not focus on his indisputable successes and the goals he achieved, but on his mistakes, miscalculations, misconceptions.

"Again I see a meeting in the general's office, this time without me, because I no longer have the physical ability to attend any meetings. The general is silent, immersed in his thoughts, but this is very reminiscent of that moment of silence, although no one uttered the corresponding phrase, “Yeah,” the general finally sighs, from which it follows: no matter what, work doesn’t wait. “It’s time to get down to business.” “He was a smart guy, although a visionary,” my boss says, as if to himself. “An excellent practitioner,” the colonel clarifies, so as not to say how I sometimes underestimated the analysis and analysis of the operation. “An excellent practitioner, just like that.” Angels, and just like Angels... He doesn’t finish speaking, but the end of the phrase is clear to everyone.”

And in this spirit: “The case with Boyev is somewhat different,” the general repeats. - Boyev fell just before the finale. The ending could have been good, but Boyev fell, and the situation became more complicated: however, we now have enough data, and we can continue the operation without delay. This is Boyev’s merit - before taking risks, he took care of the inheritance." I’m not sure that the general will say exactly that, and in general this is all a figment of my imagination, but the fact that I took care of the inheritance is a fact, and to whoever stands up to replace me, you won’t have to rack your brains over a lot of mysteries - he will immediately start carrying out the operation, but not like me, but in his own way, so that the finish is victorious.”

Boyev’s relationships with women form a separate line in the story. At the beginning of the novel, this is Anna Ferrari, the mistress of Carlo Morandi, an employee of the Venetian branch of the Zodiac company. The author spends quite a lot of time describing the fleeting romance with Anna. At the end of the story, this is Edith, the secretary of Boyev, acting under the name Maurice Rolland, who is actually an employee of the GDR intelligence service Doris Holt.

Emil often makes fun of his friends, and these ridicule somewhat lighten the generally gloomy and gloomy tone of the story. However, if in the case of Anna Ferrari the office romance develops strictly according to plan, revolves mainly around the money spent on her and focuses on attempts to find out everything that Boyev needs to know about Morandi’s activities, then the same office romance with Edith turns into something for Emil much more.

This woman evokes in him a lot of tender feelings, which flare up especially strongly in the heart of the Bulgarian knight of cloak and dagger on a rainy street during a passionate kiss, the need for which was dictated by considerations of conspiracy, and at the moment of parting with Edith, or rather already revealed scout Doris, at the station at the very end of the book.

It becomes clear that the cold-blooded intelligence officer, who carefully plans the most complex secret operations and fearlessly takes desperate risks, hides deep inside a sensitive and vulnerable nature, prone to sentimental experiences , nostalgia, memories of past happiness, regrets about the impossibility of returning it. Through these pictures, the author tells the reader that Boyev is a simple, ordinary person, and not an emotionless robot who is deprived of the ability to feel, suffer, dream, worry.

It must be admitted that the author treated Boyev very cruelly, depriving him of a family environment not only in adulthood, but also from childhood. From the long digression in the ninth - penultimate - chapter, the reader learns in detail how difficult Boyev’s fate was from a young age.

He grew up in a foundling home, but this was not enough for his treacherous fate. Having honestly earned money at a freight station by reloading watermelons, young Emil then came face to face with the rogue extortionists who beat and robbed him. These misadventures already at the dawn of life taught the future intelligence officer to act both decisively and thoughtfully.

"Strike first! This is not bad, but only if you are dealing with a coward or if one of your blows is enough. Otherwise, you are taking a risk. Sometimes you have to look for another way out. In a word , know how not only to strike, but also to avoid the blow. And yet, when a fight is inevitable, it is better to strike first. That’s what I do.”

It would seem that Emil, who has had plenty of hard times on his life’s path, should be given a chance to find happiness at least at the very end of the novel, but for some reason the author emphasizes here attention to the fact that Boyev is breaking up with Edith forever. But if in the book she simply leaves by train, leaving him alone on the platform, thereby at least theoretically giving a chance for a new meeting between a spy and a spy from the allied countries of the socialist camp who are not indifferent to each other, then in the script for the film Rainov treated with Emil is absolutely ruthless.

Edith, standing on the step of a moving carriage, is shot in cold blood from a machine gun by Rovolt, the regular executioner of the Zodiac, who at the very beginning of the book crushed Emil's comrade-in-arms Lyubo Angelov in a Buick. The Bulgarian actors portrayed this moment of a truly final separation masterfully, and the dynamic spy detective story turns into a bright and powerful drama.

Wounded Edith, losing consciousness, still holds on to the handrail of the departing carriage, and Emil, who saw the scene of the execution, and who used to carry a pistol, does not try to take revenge on Rowolt , who has already taken his second friend from him, but only runs after the departing carriage, catching the last moments of Edith-Doris’s life, as if trying to take away from cruel fate at least a few more seconds of happiness, for which his life turned out to be so mercilessly stingy.

One can only guess why the author-screenwriter Bogomil Rainov aggravated the ending of an already dark story with the death of Doris. The most likely answer would be the assumption that the need for this was dictated by the tradition of realism, which, judging by the entire outline of the novel, then clearly dominated the writer’s genre palette.

Trying to convey the darkness and horror of everyday life as fully as possible, Rainov, who did not even think of ending Doris’s life in the novel, did not spare her in the script for the film. Thus, he really brought the viewer closer to the harsh realities of spy life, and therefore the film, based on his script, plunges even deeper into the dramatic everyday life of an intelligence officer than his book. Drivingidea.ru LogoArrow