Crimson Sails (ePub)

The simple story has two protagonists: Assol and Gray. The dreamer Assol, a poor girl in the fishing village of Kaperna, doesn't fit among her dull, hardworking neighbors, and they wouldn't forgive her for that. Suspecting that her inner world is much more beautiful than theirs, they react in a thoroughly human way: they mock and scorn her. But her dreams are her refuge. One of them is about a prince, coming to her on a magnificent ship with scarlet sails. A ridiculous dream, isn't it? Gray is an heir to a considerable fortune. He lives with his parents in a castle, with a score of tutors and servants, but he dreams too--of becoming a sailor and roaming the seas. His mom and dad don't understand him, so he runs away from home and makes his dream come true. Later, after a chance encounter in Kaperna, he, already a captain of his own ship, makes Assol's dream come true as well. Never before, a big ship came to this shore, and this ship carried the same scarlet sails the name of which had represented an insult for so long. Now those sails blazed. Innocent like a fact, they clearly and irrevocably denied all the laws of nature and common sense.(translated from Russian by me) The plotline is lyrical and romantic--a fairy tale about the power of dreams. The heroes are more archetypes than breathing people, but the writer's voice is marvelous, expressive and emotional. His words are so evocative they touch your soul. You could almost see every scene, breathe the salty air, hear the gulls scream. Every detail is like a tiny butterfly infused with radiance. I noticed that the reviews are sharply divided. Some readers wouldn't accept this little story; it's too simplistic, too symbolic for them. 1.What can I say about this book? It's terrific! Well written, innocent enough for kids but romantic enough for adults, short enough that you don't have to invest much time, but long enough for an evening or two. and I just love how characters act. He and she just believe in each other... though they've never met. What an incredible love story. 2.This book by Alexander Grin is a fairy tale. A beautiful, old fashioned, tender, emotional and soft fairy tale. One that is for adults that never lost their innocence, one that is for dreamers and believers. I feel enchanted by this book, i feel lost to this amazing dream, i feel like a child that have been told the most fascinating story by my mother as i go to bed at night. For the love of God Grin, I am in awe.