Summary “Old Man Khottabych” Lagina
A wonderful fairy story was written by Lazar Lagin. “Old Man Khottabych” tells how a powerful sorcerer from Arab mythology enters the Soviet state and gets acquainted with the realities of the 1930s. About what came of it, you can learn from this article.
Acquaintance with genie
The book begins with the fact that a simple Soviet schoolboy Vladimir Kostylkov, swimming in the lake, finds an ancient pitcher. Curiosity does not allow him to take the find to the nearest police station. He tries to look inside and. falls into a fairy tale. After all, extraordinary miracles begin to happen in his life from this moment on. It turns out that in this jug for several millennia the ancient genie named Gassan Abdurakhman ibn Hottab languishes. After liberation, the wizard swears his savior in eternal devotion and loyalty. This is how Lagin begins his work. “Old Man Khottabych,” the summary of which is set forth in this article, is a tale of the adventures of
Geography exam
The temporary gulf between the Pioneer Volka and the ancient Eastern genie was so enormous that the characters of the fairy tale all the time get into ridiculous situations. With a burning desire to help the boy, Hottabych goes with him to the exam and amazes the Soviet teachers with the depth of knowledge in the field of the subject. Teachers are surprised to learn that in India the main representatives of fauna are ants the size of a dog. In addition, our planet is a flat disk, and the horizon is a face where the dome of the heavens touches the ground. All this information Volk ibn Alesha was forced to speak to the teachers, because he was under the influence of the charms of Hottabych. The first miracle of the oriental sorcerer ended in a devastating failure of the boy in the exam. The upset pioneer never dared to tell the genie about it. This test exposes his heroes Lagin.
A walk to the movies
Further events turn into an even greater catastrophe for Volka. He is going to go to the cinema, but misses the afternoon session.
Other adventures
Wolka and Zhenya are trying their best to train the genie to the realities of Soviet life. Accustomed to the ancient Eastern way, Hottabych constantly falls into a mess: it makes a stir near the street kiosk, then performs miracles at the stadium, then surprises everyone in the circus. However, on account of the sorcerer there are also noble deeds. He sharply besieges the mercantile and inhuman foreigner, sends rascally lads to the police officers and even creates fair justice in Italy. At the end of the story, readers are witnessing the touching reunion of Hottabych with his brother Omar. This genie turns out to be the complete opposite of a formidable but very fair and kind Hassan Abdurahman. For the greed and malice of the sorcerer, Hottabych eventually turns “amiable” Omar into a moon companion. Lahin constantly surprises his readers. “
The Ideas of Communism
Undiscovered communist propaganda filled the tale “Old Man Khottabych.” Lagin Lazar Iosifovich struggled to convey to his young readers the idea of the correct and just organization of the Soviet state. Surprisingly, but the story has not lost a special atmosphere of magic, humor and good. Two main characters – the typical Soviet pioneer Vladimir Kostylkov and the ancient genre Gassan Abdurahman ibn Khottab – it is incredibly difficult to understand each other. The sorcerer believes that a rich man must necessarily be happy. But the principled Volka refuses with indignation the luxurious gifts of the genie: a wristwatch of gold, a magnificent palace and caravans laden with jewels. This puts Hottabych in perplexity. But over time, he begins to imbue with the ideas of communism.
Unfamiliar realities
Very funny in the story, situations in which the wizard encounters the twentieth-century realities that he did not understand are played out. For example, he takes the metro and the locomotive for the devilish incarnations of the terrible king of the Djirgins, and the ordinary phone makes Holatbycz a great surprise. The idea of universal equality in general seems to the inhabitant of the slave state a complete savagery. But this does not prevent him from justice to punish a greedy foreigner – Mr. Vandendalles – and a cruel Italian inspector. Very kind, sympathetic and childishly curious made the ancient Middle-Eastern genie Lagin. “Old Khottabych” – a book that true love of life and curiosity does not depend on age and can be peculiar even to very old people.
Main characters
Charming Khottabych at the very beginning of the story may seem an unpleasant old man, but during the reading he involuntarily evokes sympathy. In a fairy tale, a funny genie seems to be a more real and living character than a somewhat idealized and correct pioneer of Wolka. Yes, a wizard is often wrong, sometimes behaving very oddly, but his eccentricities cause a smile, and not irritation. This is what Lagin wanted. “Old Man Khottabych,” whose main characters have fallen in love with many readers, tells of good people who can penetrate human values regardless of their origin and upbringing. And those who can not do this are immediately punished by enterprising Hottabych.
Conclusion
After reading this book, only good feelings remain. An interesting and instructive story was invented by Lagin. “Old Man Khottabych”, reviews of which are always positive, has a pleasant pastime in the company of a funny genie and a principled schoolboy from the Soviet era. Adults claim that this work is of special value to them. For them, it is a kind of magic ticket to a carefree childhood, allowing again for a short time to believe in miracles. Children “Old Man Hottabych” also like it. Therefore, it is strongly advised to study this book in the original. Pleasant reading!
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