Waking Dreams OnPalm Sunday’s Eve

Vitalii Levun

In the novel Waking Dreams OnPalm Sunday’s Eve, reality is intertwined withbizarre visions and memories of the main character of Uliana. Thirty-threedreams, tapestried with proverbs, sayings, mythological images, flavoured with local words, they guide the reader through the personalfamily story closely related to the tragic lifecircumstances of Ukrainians in the twentieth century. It’s a baroque mix of grotesque and drama where death isbordering on Eros, mysticism oninevitable reality, faith in fate on an alternative version of the course of events. At the beginning of the novel, Mykola Ivanovych, alodger, comes into the house of the widowed Uliana and constantly locks himself inhis hut and carries outhis bizarre experiments there. Will he manage to finish what he came for? Where did Volodko, from theold familyphotos, vanish? And what is this baby suddenly appeared in Uliana’s yard, as like as two peas similarin appearance to her long-dead son?