What to read in difficult times?


Literature also has therapeutic, sobering, spiritual harmony-restoring properties. All this is especially important in moments of individual and public crises. What to read in difficult times? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss. 

Illustration: does it hinder or help reading?


Illustration and design not only ensure the proper appearance of the book, but also contribute to the understanding of the content, sometimes becoming a unique interpretation. What are the illustrations in our books like, do they hinder or enhance reading? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan and artist and illustrator Ararat Minasyan discuss.

What is missing in Armenian prose?


Comparing our, especially modern, prose with well-known translation examples, readers note various problems. Literary experts, for their part, often say that we have wonderful prose comparable to world literature, but some questions remain. How is our prose comparable to world famous works, what could have been and what is missing for Armenian prose writers to achieve world fame? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan and writer, public speaker Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan discuss.

About one story- Levon Khechoyan, "The Third Son"


The story "The Third Son" by one of the masters of Armenian prose of the period of independence, Levon Khechoyan, is influential and impressive with its shocking plot. On the other hand, as a genre realization, it is one of the best examples of the newest manifestations of Armenian storytelling.  Khechoyan's story "The Third Son" is discussed by literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan. 

Who is the narrator in the Armenian prose?


Writers, especially in modern times, present reality with various artistic tricks and various positions of the viewer and the narrator. Due to the variety of perspectives and narrators, an interesting artistic effect is obtained. In "Parallel Readings", literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan and novelist Grieg debate about the narrator and different perspectives in Armenian prose.

The most interesting first lines of Armenian prose


Titles of literary works are very important, but no less important are the sentences that open a story or novel. They should attract the reader, raise questions and make him continue reading. What are the most memorable first lines of Armenian prose? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan debate.

What is the golden age of Armenian literature?


We know from school textbooks that the golden age of Armenian literature is the 5th century. After the invention of writing, a great translation and literary movement began, as a result of which independent works of Armenian literature were created in parallel with translation works: historiography, philosophy, hymns, conduct-testimonies, commentary, etc. Is this period really the best in terms of significance in the history of Armenian literature and on what principles is it considered such? Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan are debating. 

Between two floods- Independence and Armenian Poetry


The first years of independence were also a period of great changes for Armenian poetry. Today, many years later, a number of questions arise: how did poetry respond to that important historical event both in terms of content and form, why was independence not praised, how did the poets change and where did the readers disappear, were lasting works created? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan and Hasmik Hakobyan are debating these questions.

Around one story: Hrant Matevosyan, "My Steed, my steed"


What distinguishes Hrant Matevosyan's not so well-known short story "My Steed, my steed"?  Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan reveal in "Parallel Readings". 

Who are fairy tales for?


The fairy tale is the most popular and folklore literary genre. Children communicate with the world through fairy tales. We first learn about good and evil, fair and unfair, work and laziness, heroism and treachery and many other fundamental concepts from fairy tales. However, many fairy tales are not just for children, they are even for adults only.  Literary experts Hayk Hambardzumyan, Arkmenik Nikoghosyan and philologist Nvard Vardanyan discuss the questions of the addressee, goals and significance of fairy tales in "Parallel Readings".

The life and tragedy of Gurgen Mahari


Gurgen Mahari's life coincided with the most turbulent and eventful period in the history of our nation. Great Genocide, declaration and fall of the First Republic, Sovietization of Armenia, violence of the 1930s, Dznhal of the 1960s, etc. Maharu was destined to be the contemporary and the witness, the hero and the victim of all these events. The life and tragedy of Gurgen Mahari are discussed by Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan in "Parallel Readings".

Why fantasy?


Why do fantasy novels and films attract people, and not only children and teenagers? Why don't related genres, such as fairy tales, myths, epics, historical novels, etc., have the same success? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan debate in "Parallel Readings".