# Georgi Gospodinov’s stories unsettle memory, time and reality

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-man-with-many-names-by-georgi-gospodinov-review-playful-and-profound-tales-from-bulgaria/
- Published: 2026-11-11T09:00:34+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T10:32:56+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/nov/11/the-man-with-many-names-by-georgi-gospodinov-review-playful-and-profound-tales-from-bulgaria
- Topics: Culture

## Key points

- Gospodinov’s new collection gathers 40 inventive stories.
- The tales explore memory, love, time and storytelling.
- Angela Rodel’s translation preserves their warmth and playfulness.

## Summary

Georgi Gospodinov’s collection *The Man With Many Names* brings together playful, imaginative stories that explore memory, time, language and the pull between fantasy and reality. The review argues that storytelling is central to Gospodinov’s work because it can unsettle the sense that life follows a fixed course.

The 40 stories range from post-Communist realism to fables, including “Blind Vaysha”, about a girl who sees the past and future, and “Peonies and Forget-Me-Nots”, about two strangers who invent a shared life. Angela Rodel’s translation is praised for preserving the author’s concise, warm style; the collection also reflects influences including Borges, while developing its own distinctive logic.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.