The summer TV season culminated in the finale of the domestic blockbuster ‘The Librarian’. Did the adaptation of Mikhail Elizarov's award-winning book succeed?

Historical Background

‘The Librarian’ is a screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mikhail Elizarov, winner of the Russian Booker Prize.

According to the plot, Alexei Vyazintsev (Nikita Efremov) learns that his father was killed under mysterious circumstances. Alexei goes to Shironino, his father's hometown, to sell his apartment, but instead finds himself drawn into a series of dangerous events.

Local residents believe that the books of the long-forgotten Soviet writer Gromov possess magical properties. Each of these books grants a specific effect: Fury, Patience, Power, Joy, Strength, or Memory. The secret world of Gromov's readers is divided into Libraries, which hunt for books across the country and are ready to kill competitors for their power.

Vyazintsev must become part of one of the Libraries, uncover the secrets of his own family, and embark on a quest for the rarest of the magical books — the Book of Meaning.

The Cast

One of the main components of the series ‘The Librarian’ is the cast. It is pleasant to watch the serious performances of actors we have recently become accustomed to seeing in comedic projects. Margarita Tikhonovna Selivanova (Evgenia Dmitrieva) makes you fall in love with her from the first minute. If, as they say, cool guys don't look back at explosions, then Margarita, besides that, can also set things on fire herself and add fuel to the fire. A cool librarian, what can I say. She is sometimes compared to Sarah Paulson, and the role itself to the image of Lara Winters. But our Selivanova is not as simple as she seems from the first episodes.

It is also pleasant to watch the work of Mikhail Trukhin as the main ruler and negative character, albeit dressed in a cassock. But the most memorable role is that of Vladimir Seleznev from the third episode. Vladimir does not often grace the screen with his appearances, but you will not forget this rogue.

Add to this Andrei Merzlikin, Elena Morozova, Igor Zolotovitsky, and
Karen Badalov, and you get a full-fledged book acting fund that reflects the entire spectrum of emotions. By the way, the most attentive viewers can also spot the author himself, Mikhail Elizarov, in the frame.

Librarian by Force or Destiny?

‘The Librarian’ is built on clear fantasy canons. We have a chosen one who enters a new world for him. In the first episodes, he studies it, and the viewer, like the character, does not quite understand what is happening, who all these people are, and why they are gathered here.

After going through a series of trials and understanding the principle of 'life' in this world, the hero begins his adventures. And, of course, in the finale, the main thing happens – finding the MacGuffin, in our case the Book of Meaning. And, of course, our hero is no longer the same as he was in the first episode. He is not lured by the Hollywood Olympus; he has gone through the initiation circle and is now awaited by the role of a true librarian, that is, a keeper of knowledge.

Thanks to the classic narrative form, the viewer can better enjoy the atmosphere, local traditions, and supporting characters. Personally, I, the author of the article, had the impression that I was watching not so much a film adaptation of a novel, but a playthrough of a computer game. Each episode is a new level, gaining skills, revealing characters. We travel through the world, studying books, their features, acquiring skills, but sometimes we also make mistakes and start over.

The characters are revealed because each is a representative of one or another 'subculture'. Here you will meet brothel workers, mercenaries, thieves, age-based libraries, or those assembled along national lines. Does this remind you of the guilds in Assassin's Creed?

It is pleasant to realize that the screenwriters did not, for example, include a satisfaction (a special way of settling scores between reading rooms – a battle to the death) in every episode. There are only three satisfaction scenes, and only one is full-fledged. The episodes themselves are shot with quality and professionalism, and at times even impress with visual and technical solutions.

The title ‘The Librarian’ obliges the creators to immerse viewers in the vast and complex world of librarianship (trust me, as a certified librarian by education, this world is enormous). And you know, the series has created a wonderful image of a librarian, especially in the debut episodes. Yes, there were classic strictness, a calculating mind, and some clichés in terms of wardrobe and behavior. But the moral side of the librarian is shown excellently – books and knowledge above all, and if necessary, you can also take up arms (:

In the end, ‘The Librarian’ is a very spirited fantasy that you even want to rewatch. Upon a second viewing, the development of the central character becomes even more noticeable. Of course, some may be put off by the scenes of violence, but by going through this bloody path together with Alexei, you can come to know the true meaning of both the books and the series itself.

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