Konkordia Antarova, "Two Lives": book reviews, heroes, summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Reviews of Antarova's "Two Lives" will be of interest to everyone who has come across this book or is going to read it. This is a truly amazing and even unique work that deserves your attention. The author herself defined its genre as a mystical novel. It has everything to captivate the reader: intrigue, an exciting and extraordinary plot, a lot of mysticism, melodramatic relationships, the struggle between good and evil, chases, black magicians and bewitching persecution. But it is not limited to this, otherwise it would not have been so popular for several decades. In this article, we will give reviews of the novel, talk about its characters and, of course, about the author, the mysterious Concordia Evgenievna Antarova.

About the book

In all reviews of "Two Lives" by Antarova, readers note that, in addition to fascinating and exciting elements,there is depth and several subtexts in this work. There is something in the novel that transforms it into a true source of the spiritual wisdom of the East. It contains a detailed presentation of the foundations of esoteric and philosophical knowledge, as well as psychological patterns that are of great importance for the comprehensive spiritual development of each person.

The main character of this novel is a disciple of spiritual mentors from the East. The knowledge that he draws from them is of practical importance for every reader without exception. The book has been known for several decades, although it was first published in Russia relatively recently - in 1993.

During its long history, the novel was appreciated by a large number of readers. Many of them highly appreciated the work, noting that the book managed to light their hearts, for some it became a desktop.

About the author

To understand the features of this work, it is important to tell about its author. Concordia Antarova was born in Warsaw in 1886, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. Her father held a high position in society. He was an employee of the Ministry of Public Education. Mother was distantly related to Sofya Perovskaya, a member of the revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya, who directly supervised the assassination of Russian Emperor Alexander II. Perovskaya was the great-aunt of Concordia. And at the same time, the mother was a cousin of another Narodnaya Volya Arkady Tyrkov, who was for the revolutionaryactivity was sent into exile in Siberia.

Concordia Antarova's father died when she was eleven years old. At the age of 14, when she studied at the gymnasium, she remained an orphan after the death of her mother. At the same time, she managed to continue her studies, and after graduating from the gymnasium, she began to earn money on her own by giving lessons.

In her youth, Concordia, experiencing deep mental anguish due to the loss of her parents, decided to enter a monastery. She studied a lot in the church choir, this singing contributed to the development of her natural gift, which glorified her in the future.

In many ways, her future was determined when Antarova met with the then-famous priest John of Kronstadt. He dissuaded the girl from going to the monastery, convincing her that she was destined to work and work in the world. Girlfriends at the gymnasium decided to support the girl. They collected one hundred rubles, for which Antarova was able to go to study in St. Petersburg.

In 1901, Concordia entered the Bestuzhev Higher Women's Courses, and then studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with the famous Russian opera singer and teacher Ippolit Petrovich Pryanishnikov. She had to combine studies with part-time jobs, since she simply did not have money for life. As a result, Antarova at that time constantly suffered from weakness and malnutrition. Sometimes, she even fainted from hunger and impotence, after which she was sent to the hospital for treatment. During this difficult period of her life, she developed bronchial asthma, which then tormented her throughout her life.

Already at that time, her vocal talent began to show. Antarova performed inPeople's House of St. Petersburg in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's opera "The Blacksmith Vakula" based on Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas". The future writer performed the part of Solokha.

In 1907 she graduated from Pryanishnikov, after which she tried to get a job at the Mariinsky Theater. The audition commission was chaired by the composer and conductor Eduard Frantsevich Napravnik, as well as the director of the imperial theaters, Telyakovsky. In total, 160 applicants participated in the audition, only Antarova was accepted. Her official artistic career began in 1907. She became a soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre.

However, for various reasons, in 1908 she had to leave for Moscow. Until 1936, with a short break in the early 1930s, she was a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre. In parallel, for some time she participated in the Circle of Russian Music Lovers. A major role in her career was played by the director and theater teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky, from whom she studied acting at the Bolshoi Opera Studio. In 1933 she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.

When the Great Patriotic War began, the writer stayed in Moscow. At this time, she just started to create the main work of her life. Her theosophical three-volume novel was called Two Lives. It is worth noting that this was not her first experience in literature. She had previously published Conversations of K. S. Stanislavsky at the Bolshoi Theater Studio in 1918-1922. She was also known as the author of literary recordings of conversations with the leading actor of the Moscow Art Theater. Theater Vasily Ivanovich Kachalov.

Immediately after the war in 1946, she organized Stanislavsky's office at the All-Russian Theater Society. Antarova herself did a lot of teaching at the end of her life.

In 1959 she died in Moscow at the age of 72. Her grave is at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Censored

Antarova's main work, the book "Two Lives", was not published in the Soviet Union, as it paid great attention to religious issues. The writer and opera singer herself, because of her passion for religion, was under the close supervision of power structures.

In her work, in a fictional form popular for the mass reader, she sought to maximize the concept of Theosophy. In particular, her special attention was paid to the Ascended Masters, as well as the Hindu deity Sanat Kumara, who was considered a sage, one of the children of Brahma, and in Buddhism was close to the Buddha himself.

For many years, this manuscript was kept by a friend of the writer Elena Fedorovna Ter-Arutyunova, who considered Antarova her spiritual mentor. During the Soviet Union, the book was distributed exclusively in samizdat, after the collapse of the USSR it was placed at the disposal of the Latvian Roerich Society. The novel was first published in 1993.

Antarova wrote the book "Two Lives" in Moscow during the war years. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the creation of the work was shrouded in mystery. For example, writeshe succeeded in a multi-volume novel in a surprisingly short time. Her followers see the reason for this in the fact that Antarova did not write her book "Two Lives", but literally wrote it down. In this regard, her work is compared with the works of the Russian religious philosopher Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, who found only some materials for her works, and wrote down most of them, obeying the voices of her spiritual teachers, who dictated the text to her. Hearing them or seeing a ready-made text in the astral light, thanks to the gift of clairvoyance, and then simply transferring it to paper.

What is the book about?

Interestingly, the book is neither a methodological guide nor a work of art, occupying a certain average position. Talking about the summary of "Two Lives", it should be noted that this is a novel about manners and travel, mainly in India. The writer managed to describe this country in such detail and accurately that even orientalists were amazed, while Antarova herself had never been there.

A significant place in this work is given to the magic of music, which Concordia knew firsthand, having devoted most of her life to the stages of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters.

The most attentive readers of the book "Two Lives" claim that after some time this music begins to sound inside you, filling a person with an amazing and sublime mood. Moreover, many who tried to read this novel tell about this effect.

It is worth noting that "Twolife "of Concordia Evgenievna Antarova is a fascinating reading. The main character named Levushka is in the center of the story. He recalls the adventures he experienced long ago and his distant youth. Throughout the work, he meets the so-called great Teachers. The author claims that their souls have completed their spiritual evolution on Earth, but decided to stay to help people in their spiritual growth. These great souls become the main characters of the novel.

It is worth noting that the novel "Two Lives" is an extremely voluminous work that cannot be mastered in one evening. There are three parts in total, with the latter divided into two books. Each of these parts has 500 or even a thousand pages. Connoisseurs advise reading it for a long time and little by little, as they drink a wonderful life-giving elixir. Small sips when sad or tired. The book by K. E. Antarova "Two Lives" goes well in the evenings with high-quality classical music after a busy and exhausting working day. They say that the soul of the person who reads it is filled with goodness and joy literally with every line.

Prototype of the main character

Antarova's followers claim that the writer and opera singer was able to communicate with the souls of dead people. The author herself claimed that the text of the book was dictated to her by Leo Tolstoy. He is the prototype of the hero in "Two Lives" by Antarova. Even the name of the character, Levushka, refers to this.

Readers who were imbued with the ideas of the writer claim that indeed while readingworks, there is a conviction that we have another novel by a famous Russian classic. Particularly impressive are the colorful and incredibly lively landscapes, the elegant and original style of presentation, the scale of the work, which in its scope immediately resembles the epic "War and Peace".

This occult novel has become very popular among people who are actively interested in the ideas of the teachings of living ethics and theosophy.

Contents

Volume 1 of "Two Lives" by Antarova opens with the memories of the protagonist Levushka about his youth and the wanderings he embarked on in his youth. He describes in detail his friends and acquaintances, among them Ali (he visits him at the dacha), Lord Benedict. A separate chapter is devoted to his transformation into a dervish.

Going on a trip, he visits Sevastopol, then sails on a steamer to Constantinople.

In the 2nd volume of "Two Lives" by Antarova, Levushka goes to London, visits the family of Count T. Separate chapters are devoted to the letters of Lord Benedict, which are addressed to Jenny.

In part 3 of "Two Lives" by Concordia Antarova, Levushka returns to Ali's estate, spends time in the Community, where he visits a dwarf and receives gifts from an Arab. Of great interest are the first experiences of the professor's new life. From the community, they set off on a journey through the desert, where they soon meet an oasis on their way. They spend the night by the fire.

On the path of Levushka, the Lord meets, who influences all his further spiritualdevelopment. It is interesting that the writer even started the fourth volume of her large-scale novel, but her work was cut off at its very first chapter. Why this happened is unknown. There are several versions of why this happened, but there is no reliable information.

The popularity of the novel

Among fans of esoteric teachings, the novel is very popular. The phraseological units used in it became especially well known, which, like pearls, are scattered throughout the story telling about the adventures of Levushka and his many patrons.

Notably, in its plot and form, this novel resembles a classic work of fiction, a standard adventure novel in a somewhat old-fashioned style that would have been relevant at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is worth noting that all the events that take place in it belong to the nineteenth century. At the same time, behind the external fascinating form, in reality, there is a detailed presentation of the foundations of esoteric and philosophical knowledge, which was brought into the world by the Roerich family and Helena Blavatsky. Moreover, the heroes of the novel themselves became the prototypes of the so-called spiritual Teachers of the East. This is the Mahatma and his many followers and disciples.

Great teachers

Mahatma Moriah can be recognized in the human, but with this majestic image of Ali Mohammed. In the image of Sir Ut-Uomi, according to the researchers of Antarova's work, his closest and most faithful companion is described - the teacher KutHumi. In general, there are many characters in the novel in which one can recognize real people who had a significant impact on the worldview of the writer herself and people of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Illofillion is strongly associated with the teacher Illarion, apparently, the Florentine was a prototype of the Venetian, one of the Great Teachers bears such a spiritual name.

As the story progresses, the reader encounters prototypes of other bright and famous representatives of the White Brotherhood, who were especially well known in the West, and among them there are many creative and talented representatives from all over the world.

It is interesting that the main character in the novel is called not only Levushka, but also Lev Nikolaevich and Count T., which clearly indicates the figure of a classic of Russian literature. Moreover, many facts from the biography of Levushka from Antarova's novel coincide with the events that actually took place in Tolstoy's life. Those who do not even believe that Concordia wrote her book under the dictation of the count, still consider the choice of him as the main character not accidental. Tolstoy was known for appreciating Eastern wisdom throughout his life. The reflection of this can be found in his works: the story "Karma", the collection "Circle of Reading", the collection of aphorisms "The Way of Life".

Narrative features

In "Two Lives" Kora Antarova managed, talking about the life and adventures of the main characters, to skillfully weave a detailed and even detailed description of the process of moral and spiritualpsychological self-improvement. As the author herself believed, this path is to be passed by a person who wants to move towards accelerated spiritual self-realization, embodying in life the teaching taught by Mahatoma.

The story itself is very dynamic. Heroes constantly find themselves in exciting situations, escape from the chase, but at the same time the author manages to talk about the basics of the ethics of Eastern esotericism and philosophy. In particular, Antarova pays special attention to the existence of a different plane of existence, the multidimensionality of the universe, as well as the ability of each person to arbitrarily separate consciousness from their physical body, perceiving what is currently happening in different parts of the world.

The writer and opera singer believed in the existence of light forces on Earth, which included the teachers of the White Brotherhood, as well as adherents of black magic. In her work, there are many references to reincarnations and the laws of karma in all their diversity. The book becomes a real storehouse of valuable information, thanks to the brilliant wise aphorisms set out on its pages in the form of instructions from teachers.

All this goes hand in hand with a description of the psychological difficulties that the disciples had to face, as well as mistakes in spiritual knowledge, which often led to real dramas in their lives.

The novel, outwardly similar to a fascinating fairy tale, contains psychological examples of how the practical principles of Eastern spiritual practices are refracted in everyday and everyday reality. Quotes from "Two Lives" by Antarova are stillcaptivate with their depth and precision. Here are just a few:

Save yourself and thousands around you will be saved.

Loy alty to an idea, like loy alty to love, will always lead to victory.

Don't give in to doubt and hesitation. Don't frustrate your work with denial or discouragement. Cheerfully, easily, cheerfully, be ready for any test and bring joy to everything around you. You have gone down the road of labor and struggle - affirm, always affirm, and do not deny. Never think: "I will not achieve", but think: "I will reach". Don't tell yourself I can't, but smile at the childishness of the word and say I can.

The author also believed that everything is available to a person if he is not afraid, does not cry, but starts his business easily and boldly. And I noticed more than once that not those who have a lot of money win, but those who easily start their work.

Readers' Impressions

About the book "Two Lives" by Antarova, the reviews are mostly positive. For some, this work opened previously unknown aspects of life, made them take a different look at the world around them.

In it, readers discovered the most important information regarding the development of a person, his personal growth, both physically and spiritually. Others admitted that they were able to learn about life by reading this book, while they noted that it would be difficult for spiritually poor people to perceive it.

At the same time, there are also negative reviews about Antarova's "Two Lives". In them, readers admit that they could not understand the full depth of the story and the main idea of the author. They were attracteda fascinating start, but they failed to get through the philosophical jungle.