The presentation of “The Time of the Flies” by Narine Kroyan took place on the Morning Show of Armenia TV. The general partner of “The Time of the Flies” is the “Renaissance” Foundation. The novel is about the 44-day war. The main character, Sona, having no news from her son and husband who went to war, goes to the front.
Armen Amirkhanyan, the editor of “The Time of the Flies“, noticed that there are generally two approaches: discussing the war after the war or refraining from it. “One perspective suggests that given the short passage of time, it’s best to refrain from writing about the war. This is due to the post-war trauma experienced by society, which often leads to an identity crisis. However, there’s also a compelling need to discuss it. The war was a significant chapter marked by our collective struggle, sacrifices, and losses—all in pursuit of a just cause. After all, Armenians have resided in the region for over three thousand years.”
According to the book’s editor, the author ingeniously intertwines fiction and facts, creating a narrative that closely resembles a movie script. “The book reads like a gripping war movie, with events unfolding rapidly,” remarked the editor. “Should there be a film adaptation in the future, it holds the promise of being truly captivating.”
For Narine Kroyan, the topic of war holds personal significance, as her son was actively involved in combat operations. Through the protagonist, the author seems to have moved to her son. Poet Marine Petrosyan observed that war literature has been emerging, with numerous books touching on the subject. However, Petrosyan noted that Kroyan’s novel stands out as more comprehensive in its portrayal of the war.
“I am familiar with Narine’s work, and I knew it would be good. However, this novel exceeded my expectations. Written in a realistic style, it vividly portrays the familiar scenes of war, our cities, and our country. Yet, there is a deeper layer to the book: the symbolism of flies, a mythical figure woven throughout the narrative. As I immersed myself in the novel for an entire day, I was struck by the underlying theme of defeat. There is little solace to be found as the narrative unfolds—the boys are dying; the Turk is killing our boy. But the novel does not discourage. Instead, it subtly presents the image of an Armenian woman—a mother—as the embodiment of Mother Armenia.”
Narine Kroyan, the author of the book, says that she is always asked why she does not write about peace. Kroyan says that it is not necessary to call the phenomena by specific names. “This book served as a healing pill for me. War is akin to cancer; upon learning of it, one undergoes several stages—initial disbelief, followed by confrontation, fear, and ultimately, the realization that to emerge victorious, one must confront the enemy. My protagonist fights because victory belongs to those who dare to fight.”
The author of the book also discussed the significance of its title. While parallels can be drawn between her “Time of the Flies” and Sartre’s work, the author asserts that her “flies” are different. For her, they are simply associations that emerged during the writing process, particularly in the context of discussing war.
“While writing, I collected a lot of information, used open sources, and studied various reports of human rights violations. I have watched quite a few vlogs where the participants talk about the war. All of them have united in my novel.”
Narie Kroyan says that with this book, she also wants us to forget the phrase “Victory has many owners, but defeat is ownerless” because this defeat must have an owner.