Марыянеткі і лялькаводы

In his novel “Марыянеткі і лялькаводы” (Puppets and Masters) Mikhas Yuzhyk lifts the curtain on theater life and leads actors from stage to big city streets. A Minsk theater company’s young actor is struggling to get a role on stage and in real life. While trying to achieve his objectives he is challenged by “everyday laws” that rule the theater, not only day-to-day life. Mikhas Yuzhyk’s modern Belarusian city novel is notable for its simplicity, while his shrewd description of characters and situations reminds readers of situations they repeatedly faced in their lives. The young actor finds himself trapped by passions and unrealized ambitions and becomes a pawn who no longer controls his life but plays a certain role, proving William Shakespear’s often-cited quote, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women are merely players.”