Alive. Understanding Ukrainian Literature

It seems we know everything about classics like Mykola Gogol, Vasyl Stefanyk, Olena Teliha, Ivan Bahrianyi, Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, and Mykola Khvyliovy. But what if we looked at their works and lives with a fresh perspective, filtering their experiences through our own?
Oleksandr and Pavlo Mykhed, a son and father — a writer and a literary scholar — invite you on a fascinating journey through two centuries of Ukrainian literature. They ask unusual but important questions:
What were the classics' relationships with their parents like?
Did they consciously choose the Ukrainian language?
What were they like as teenagers?
Was popular mass literature an influence on them?
What problems did they face in their twenties?
What difficult life choices did they face in their thirties, as yet another wave of terror swept over Ukrainian lands?
Are there forgotten and little-known masterpieces outside the usual canon that are particularly relevant today?
This book isn't just a story about the lives of the classics; it's a deep conversation about generations of Ukrainians who have repeatedly faced terrible trials. It allows us to rediscover Ukrainian literature, understand its connection to history, and feel the living pulse of the past in the present.