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My Name Is Revenge: A novella and reflective essay
On 17 December 1980, at 9:47 am, two men shot the Turkish consul-general to Sydney and his bodyguard near the consul’s home in Sydney. The assassins aimed, fired, and vanished.
A literary thriller novella set in 1980s Sydney and drawn from true events, including a series of international terrorist attacks, My Name is Revenge is the story of a young man seeking justice.
A finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award, My Name is Revenge is published by Spineless Wonders.
“Weaves a mostly-forgotten strand of our history into a compelling contemporary crime story." - Emily Maguire
"A heartfelt and gripping story of family, hardship and resilience." - Candice Fox
48 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2018
1 person is currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Kalagian Blunt
10 books180 followers
Ashley Kalagian Blunt
is an author, speaker and podcaster. Her number one bestselling psychological thriller, Dark Mode, was published in Australia/NZ, the UK, South Korea and Germany. It was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, the Ned Kelly Awards and the Danger Awards.
Her latest thrillers are Cold Truth, which was also shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel, and Like, Follow, Die.
She has two earlier books, How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, a thriller novella and collected essays. Her writing appears widely across Australian and international publications.
Ashley is a frequent speaker and panel moderator, and co-hosts James and Ashley Stay at Home, a podcast about writing, creativity and health. She has taught creative writing across Australia. Originally from Canada, she has lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico.
Her latest thrillers are Cold Truth, which was also shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel, and Like, Follow, Die.
She has two earlier books, How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, a thriller novella and collected essays. Her writing appears widely across Australian and international publications.
Ashley is a frequent speaker and panel moderator, and co-hosts James and Ashley Stay at Home, a podcast about writing, creativity and health. She has taught creative writing across Australia. Originally from Canada, she has lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 9, 2023
When the author of one of my favourite books of 2023, Dark Mode, reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in listening to her audiobook My Name is Revenge, I jumped at the chance.
My Name is Revenge is a novella and a collection of essays written by Ashley Kalagian Blunt. You can feel the passion that she has for this subject through her writing. She has been researching and learning about the Armenian Genocide of many years, and it is something close to her heart and he family were caught up in it all.
The short story is based on true events that happened in Sydney in the 1980s about a boy who wants the truth to be told. The essays are just some of the authors findings in her studies. This is part of history that I knew nothing about and it was fascinating to learn about. It made me emotional, angry that these things happened and nobody is talking about them. I am keen to learn more about what happened to this people.
Thanks you so much Ashley for opening my eyes to these horrific events.
My Name is Revenge is a novella and a collection of essays written by Ashley Kalagian Blunt. You can feel the passion that she has for this subject through her writing. She has been researching and learning about the Armenian Genocide of many years, and it is something close to her heart and he family were caught up in it all.
The short story is based on true events that happened in Sydney in the 1980s about a boy who wants the truth to be told. The essays are just some of the authors findings in her studies. This is part of history that I knew nothing about and it was fascinating to learn about. It made me emotional, angry that these things happened and nobody is talking about them. I am keen to learn more about what happened to this people.
Thanks you so much Ashley for opening my eyes to these horrific events.
July 21, 2023
⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
You may of read or heard of Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt, it’s one of my favourite thrillers this year, the author also wrote this novella that combines history with fiction and it was her first book. The audio book has been recently released.
Set in the 1980’s Sydney and inspired by the true events of the bombing of a Turkish Consulate in South Yarra, this novella and paired essays tell us about a forgotten part of history - Armenian genocide and turns it into a crime fiction story.
My Name Is Revenge: A novella and collected essays is a heart wrenching story of justice that has been denied and how the effects pass onto the lives of future generations.
The story explores Vrezh’s perspective, he’s a migrant boy of Armenian origin and an university student living in Sydney and seeking justice. He is unexpectedly thrown into a planned attack of terrorism.
The accompanying essays inform the reader about the Armenian genocide of World War I and historical denial, they also detail how the author is personally connected . Ashley’s grandparents were among the Armenian survivors and she has spent many years researching Armenian history and her family’s past.
I appreciated the opportunity to learn about a part of history that I wasn’t currently aware of. Ashley also highlights the fact that avenging violence with violence is not the answer. This is a comprehensive, moving and compelling book that was brilliantly executed. I enjoyed listening to the audio, the well-researched essays are narrated by Ashley herself.
Publication Date 22 February 2019
Publisher Spineless Wonders Publishing Pty Ltd
Thank you so much Ashley Kalagian Blunt for gifting me an audio copy of this book.
You may of read or heard of Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt, it’s one of my favourite thrillers this year, the author also wrote this novella that combines history with fiction and it was her first book. The audio book has been recently released.
Set in the 1980’s Sydney and inspired by the true events of the bombing of a Turkish Consulate in South Yarra, this novella and paired essays tell us about a forgotten part of history - Armenian genocide and turns it into a crime fiction story.
My Name Is Revenge: A novella and collected essays is a heart wrenching story of justice that has been denied and how the effects pass onto the lives of future generations.
The story explores Vrezh’s perspective, he’s a migrant boy of Armenian origin and an university student living in Sydney and seeking justice. He is unexpectedly thrown into a planned attack of terrorism.
The accompanying essays inform the reader about the Armenian genocide of World War I and historical denial, they also detail how the author is personally connected . Ashley’s grandparents were among the Armenian survivors and she has spent many years researching Armenian history and her family’s past.
I appreciated the opportunity to learn about a part of history that I wasn’t currently aware of. Ashley also highlights the fact that avenging violence with violence is not the answer. This is a comprehensive, moving and compelling book that was brilliantly executed. I enjoyed listening to the audio, the well-researched essays are narrated by Ashley herself.
Publication Date 22 February 2019
Publisher Spineless Wonders Publishing Pty Ltd
Thank you so much Ashley Kalagian Blunt for gifting me an audio copy of this book.
November 13, 2018
Truth. History. Genocide.
As an authority figure in Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s My Name is Revenge says, we know how “contentious various narratives can be.” These are the words of a principal to a student, young Vrezh, expelled soon after.
Vrezh’s misdeed? He tried to bring to the attention of the school faculty events relating to the Armenian genocide, in which the Ottoman government murdered over one million Armenians.
Full review here:
https://dashamaiorova.wordpress.com/2...
As an authority figure in Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s My Name is Revenge says, we know how “contentious various narratives can be.” These are the words of a principal to a student, young Vrezh, expelled soon after.
Vrezh’s misdeed? He tried to bring to the attention of the school faculty events relating to the Armenian genocide, in which the Ottoman government murdered over one million Armenians.
Full review here:
https://dashamaiorova.wordpress.com/2...
April 24, 2019
I first became aware of Armenia in 1988. I was working for the Australian Red Cross at the time the massive earthquake decimated the population, killing 25 000 and destroying the homes of half a million people. But even then, I was not really cognizant of Armenian history, specifically the genocide of 1915 which resulted in the deaths of one and a half million people, and the creation of hundreds of thousands of stateless refugees. In response to this horrific event (the precursor to the Holocaust of World War Two), a series of international terrorist attacks occurred around the world, including Australia, up until the 1990’s. In December 1980, the Turkish consul-general to Sydney and his bodyguard were assassinated in upmarket Vaucluse. Armenian culture has a rich history and a bloody past littered with conflict and disaster – why then, do we know so little about it?
Author Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s great-grandparents were among those refugees and the author has spent over a decade researching and writing the history of her family and Armenian society, asking questions and looking for answers. When faced with the accepted version of that history, she dug deeper, searching for the truth hidden behind the propaganda. What she found both challenged and confronted her.
Kalagian Blunt’s book is a slim volume containing a novella, a collection of three essays and some arresting black and white photographs. A finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award, and now published through a small press, My Name is Revenge (Spineless Wonders Short Australian Stories 2019) is a fine example of what can be achieved by combining history with fiction, how we can examine the reality of the past through the prism of imagination, and how important it is that the history of all participants is recorded, not only the dominant narrative.
Kalagian Blunt believes she has some ‘essential Armenianness inside me, a few drops of pomegranate juice in my veins’. Her novella is a clever reimagining of the 1980 assassination (the actual killers were never caught) but viewed from the perspective of those committing the crime, through the compassionate lens of desperate people who have suffered oppression for too long. But it is a balanced story, allowing the reader the freedom to sympathise with both sides, and to ponder the real question of how far back the spark of violence is ignited, and how far forward the long arm of revenge can reach.
Her three companion essays speak candidly of her family, her history, her travels through Armenia, and the unsettling emotions she experiences when she discovers that conflict is often two sides of the same coin. She investigates the Armenian genocide in the cultural and historical context of other terrible events in world history and tries to comprehend how displaced and abused communities can recover and even flourish in modern times, despite the horror they have survived.
The story alone is a fine novella, but combined with the well-researched and documented essays, this book is a perfect package of fact and fiction. This is a must-read for students, particularly those interested in the examination of genocide or ethnic cleansing, but is also an informative – but easy to read – book about our communal past and how it influences – still – our present society.
Author Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s great-grandparents were among those refugees and the author has spent over a decade researching and writing the history of her family and Armenian society, asking questions and looking for answers. When faced with the accepted version of that history, she dug deeper, searching for the truth hidden behind the propaganda. What she found both challenged and confronted her.
Kalagian Blunt’s book is a slim volume containing a novella, a collection of three essays and some arresting black and white photographs. A finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award, and now published through a small press, My Name is Revenge (Spineless Wonders Short Australian Stories 2019) is a fine example of what can be achieved by combining history with fiction, how we can examine the reality of the past through the prism of imagination, and how important it is that the history of all participants is recorded, not only the dominant narrative.
Kalagian Blunt believes she has some ‘essential Armenianness inside me, a few drops of pomegranate juice in my veins’. Her novella is a clever reimagining of the 1980 assassination (the actual killers were never caught) but viewed from the perspective of those committing the crime, through the compassionate lens of desperate people who have suffered oppression for too long. But it is a balanced story, allowing the reader the freedom to sympathise with both sides, and to ponder the real question of how far back the spark of violence is ignited, and how far forward the long arm of revenge can reach.
Her three companion essays speak candidly of her family, her history, her travels through Armenia, and the unsettling emotions she experiences when she discovers that conflict is often two sides of the same coin. She investigates the Armenian genocide in the cultural and historical context of other terrible events in world history and tries to comprehend how displaced and abused communities can recover and even flourish in modern times, despite the horror they have survived.
The story alone is a fine novella, but combined with the well-researched and documented essays, this book is a perfect package of fact and fiction. This is a must-read for students, particularly those interested in the examination of genocide or ethnic cleansing, but is also an informative – but easy to read – book about our communal past and how it influences – still – our present society.
July 22, 2019
Ashley Kalagian Blunt's collection My Name is Revenge (which includes a novella and essays) began with the gripping title story, which is historical fiction based on true events following the Armenian genocide. Sydney-based Armenian Vrezh has never forgotten the reason he was expelled from school - he tried to raise awareness of the genocide, where more than one million Armenians were murdered. His attempt to show that history has more than one narrative backfired when a Turkish student complained. When an assassination takes place in Sydney, he becomes caught up in the aftermath, leading him on a destructive and deadly path. It's confronting ... and that's good.
I know so little about the Armenian genocide, despite having some long-time Armenian friends. It's not something we ever discussed. Reading Ashley's tightly written narrative, and the following essays, opened my eyes to pages of history I was blind to. What I experienced was a compassionate but balanced re-imagining of real-life events in Sydney, and an education (or at least the beginning of one).
Ashley's writing is taut and assured - there's an enviable economy of words that says so much. At the end, I was left to ponder questions of my own (why don't we learn about this?) as well as those raised indirectly throughout this short collection.
If you're interested in history, add this to your reading list.
I know so little about the Armenian genocide, despite having some long-time Armenian friends. It's not something we ever discussed. Reading Ashley's tightly written narrative, and the following essays, opened my eyes to pages of history I was blind to. What I experienced was a compassionate but balanced re-imagining of real-life events in Sydney, and an education (or at least the beginning of one).
Ashley's writing is taut and assured - there's an enviable economy of words that says so much. At the end, I was left to ponder questions of my own (why don't we learn about this?) as well as those raised indirectly throughout this short collection.
If you're interested in history, add this to your reading list.
July 13, 2023
Eye opening, phenomenal and so well researched. Great read for anyone looking to open their eyes
August 17, 2019
Finished: 17.08.2019
Genre: novella
Rating: A
#TBR list 2019
Conclusion:
Impressed...this young author
writes like a seasoned pro!
My Thoughts
Genre: novella
Rating: A
#TBR list 2019
Conclusion:
Impressed...this young author
writes like a seasoned pro!
My Thoughts
July 2, 2019
A brilliant, evocatively written novella that tackles thorny ethical issues against a background of tragedy and injustice. The accompanying essays neatly contextualise aspects of the Armenian Genocide, which might be unfamiliar territory for many readers. Recommended for history buffs and others.
July 15, 2023
If you have had the pleasure of reading Dark Mode and loved the true crime element of the story - Ashley’s first book “My Name is Revenge” will definitely be of interest to you.
The first section of the book details a true crime reenactment of the murder of a Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard that occurred in Sydney in the 1980’s. This story, currently an unsolved crime, merges fact and fiction to tell the story of the Armenian genocide at the end of WW1 and the repercussions of the silencing of this atrocity.
The second part of the book is a detailed study of the tragedy of the Armenian genocide and the how and why this atrocity, which in many ways is comparable to the holocaust, has been largely ignored by history. It is truly staggering that a major historical event such as this has been ignored for so long. I had an elementary knowledge of the Armenian genocide, so I really enjoyed the deep dive history lesson. It is evident that the close family connection to this genocide has sparked a passion in Ashley to share this important piece of history. Whether you are a history buff or not, a major historical event like this should be common knowledge. If the attempted erasure of their people isn’t awful enough, the continued secrecy surrounding these atrocities adds insult to injury. The Armenian people deserve to have their story told. At only 3 hours, it is a quick but informative listen and I urge everyone to give this audiobook a listen.
Thank you so much to Ashley Kalagian Blunt for gifting me access to this audiobook and for sharing this important story with the world.
The first section of the book details a true crime reenactment of the murder of a Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard that occurred in Sydney in the 1980’s. This story, currently an unsolved crime, merges fact and fiction to tell the story of the Armenian genocide at the end of WW1 and the repercussions of the silencing of this atrocity.
The second part of the book is a detailed study of the tragedy of the Armenian genocide and the how and why this atrocity, which in many ways is comparable to the holocaust, has been largely ignored by history. It is truly staggering that a major historical event such as this has been ignored for so long. I had an elementary knowledge of the Armenian genocide, so I really enjoyed the deep dive history lesson. It is evident that the close family connection to this genocide has sparked a passion in Ashley to share this important piece of history. Whether you are a history buff or not, a major historical event like this should be common knowledge. If the attempted erasure of their people isn’t awful enough, the continued secrecy surrounding these atrocities adds insult to injury. The Armenian people deserve to have their story told. At only 3 hours, it is a quick but informative listen and I urge everyone to give this audiobook a listen.
Thank you so much to Ashley Kalagian Blunt for gifting me access to this audiobook and for sharing this important story with the world.
June 25, 2024
Over four decades ago, in December 1980, the then Turkish Consul-General to Australia and his bodyguard were assassinated in a residential suburb in Sydney’s east. The attack was an act of revenge for the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire during World War 1.
Shortly after the attack, responsibility was claimed by the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide, but despite extensive investigations by police, no one has ever been charged. To date, the assassins have not been identified.
Told in two parts, My Name is Revenge is a fictionalised account of the assassination. The first part, the novella, tells the story of a young Armenian student, Vrezh and his family and the consequences that led to their migration to Australia. The novella begins with the attack then circles back to events which leads onto repercussions on the family.
Vrezh means revenge in Armenian, hence the chilling and very apt title. Post genocide, many families chose this name for their children as a legacy of the period in history that resulted in the deaths of over a million Armenians during 1915-1917.
The novella is a fast-paced historical crime thriller. It is also a dark and emotional read going into a deep exploration of a thirst for revenge coupled with a sense of hope and a palpable loss of identity. One memorable scene in the novella was when Vrezh receives a fail grade in one of his classes at school for not being able to submit an assignment to create a family tree. What he doesn’t mention to his teacher is that he lacks knowledge of his family as a result of their forced migration post genocide. He is unable to create a tree without knowledge of its roots.
The second part is a set of essays, stark and bold and honest. The years of research that the author has conducted to bring this into existence shows well and truly within each sentence and paragraph.
I was moved, angered, shocked and stunned reading both the novella and the essays. A definite eye-opener and one that everyone needs to be aware of.
Shortly after the attack, responsibility was claimed by the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide, but despite extensive investigations by police, no one has ever been charged. To date, the assassins have not been identified.
Told in two parts, My Name is Revenge is a fictionalised account of the assassination. The first part, the novella, tells the story of a young Armenian student, Vrezh and his family and the consequences that led to their migration to Australia. The novella begins with the attack then circles back to events which leads onto repercussions on the family.
Vrezh means revenge in Armenian, hence the chilling and very apt title. Post genocide, many families chose this name for their children as a legacy of the period in history that resulted in the deaths of over a million Armenians during 1915-1917.
The novella is a fast-paced historical crime thriller. It is also a dark and emotional read going into a deep exploration of a thirst for revenge coupled with a sense of hope and a palpable loss of identity. One memorable scene in the novella was when Vrezh receives a fail grade in one of his classes at school for not being able to submit an assignment to create a family tree. What he doesn’t mention to his teacher is that he lacks knowledge of his family as a result of their forced migration post genocide. He is unable to create a tree without knowledge of its roots.
The second part is a set of essays, stark and bold and honest. The years of research that the author has conducted to bring this into existence shows well and truly within each sentence and paragraph.
I was moved, angered, shocked and stunned reading both the novella and the essays. A definite eye-opener and one that everyone needs to be aware of.
December 31, 2018
t’s not that I hadn’t kept up with the inaugural Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award: it’s just that two of the three finalists were short story collections and I prefer novels. But a chance ‘like’ on one of my tweets, led me to a novella among the finalists, and although IMHO the novella turned out to be more of a short story at only 48 pages, I wasn’t disappointed, because it’s very good indeed. And as a bonus, there’s also a very thoughtful essay about historical denial, pragmatic politics, political radicalisation and the dilemma of truth-telling about the past without fostering resentment and vengeance.
Set in Sydney in 1980, My Name is Revenge is the story of a young man of Armenian origin. Named as a reminder of the Armenian genocide in 1915, and intensely resentful of his school’s insistent denial of authenticated history, Vrezh idolises his older brother Armen and naively becomes involved in planning an act of terrorism. The story is a good example of historical fiction being used for serious purposes. I have previously referenced this essay about the value of historical fiction as an activist’s tool by Zulu author Fred Khumalo: he thinks that bringing untold stories alive in well-researched fiction can have political weight, revealing a history otherwise unknown and featuring voices otherwise silenced. My Name is Revenge is a perfect example: the international silence around the Armenian Genocide is a story that should be known by a wider audience, (and certainly by school teachers!) and the sensitive portrayal of risks associated with adolescent resentment about the denial is something we all need to understand. Writing this story as historical fiction gives it a potent immediacy and trust me, it’s compelling reading.
As the author explains in the Reflective Essay that follows the novella, the plot is based on true events...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/12/31/m...
Set in Sydney in 1980, My Name is Revenge is the story of a young man of Armenian origin. Named as a reminder of the Armenian genocide in 1915, and intensely resentful of his school’s insistent denial of authenticated history, Vrezh idolises his older brother Armen and naively becomes involved in planning an act of terrorism. The story is a good example of historical fiction being used for serious purposes. I have previously referenced this essay about the value of historical fiction as an activist’s tool by Zulu author Fred Khumalo: he thinks that bringing untold stories alive in well-researched fiction can have political weight, revealing a history otherwise unknown and featuring voices otherwise silenced. My Name is Revenge is a perfect example: the international silence around the Armenian Genocide is a story that should be known by a wider audience, (and certainly by school teachers!) and the sensitive portrayal of risks associated with adolescent resentment about the denial is something we all need to understand. Writing this story as historical fiction gives it a potent immediacy and trust me, it’s compelling reading.
As the author explains in the Reflective Essay that follows the novella, the plot is based on true events...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/12/31/m...
July 11, 2023
.....📚 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📚.....
My Name Is Revenge: A novella and collected essays by Ashley Kalagian Blunt was such a surprising and educating read for me. I was so excited when Ashley Kalagian Blunt reached out and asked if I'd be interested in listening to her audiobook, and of course I said yes. I had no idea what it would be about and was in for a history lesson wrapped in a compelling and gripping novella.
The novella draws on an almost forgotten part of Australian history, when on 17th December 1980, a Turkish consul-general to Sydney, along with his bodyguard, are shot dead near the consul's home. The story links the terrorist attacks across the globe with the Armenian genocide that occurred towards the end of World War 1 at the hands of the Turkish/Ottoman Empire. The novella is intelligently woven between the fictional Armenian brothers seeking revenge for historical atrocities with the history of the Armenian people and the denial of the massacres that took place.
Following the novella, the author Ashley Kalagian Blunt explains to the reader her own links to this part of history and what has driven her passion to research and raise awareness of this terrible part of our history that seems to have been so easily forgotten. At one point, she states her hope is to educate people to ensure the atrocities inflicted on the Armenian people are not forgotten. I can honestly say that I was unaware of this part of the world's history or the role that Australia played at the time. I thank Ashley Kalagian Blunt for exposing me to the history of Armenia and the genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and it's an area I will be looking into further now. I can't recommend it strongly enough!
Thank you to @akalagianblunt for gifting me access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
My Name Is Revenge: A novella and collected essays by Ashley Kalagian Blunt was such a surprising and educating read for me. I was so excited when Ashley Kalagian Blunt reached out and asked if I'd be interested in listening to her audiobook, and of course I said yes. I had no idea what it would be about and was in for a history lesson wrapped in a compelling and gripping novella.
The novella draws on an almost forgotten part of Australian history, when on 17th December 1980, a Turkish consul-general to Sydney, along with his bodyguard, are shot dead near the consul's home. The story links the terrorist attacks across the globe with the Armenian genocide that occurred towards the end of World War 1 at the hands of the Turkish/Ottoman Empire. The novella is intelligently woven between the fictional Armenian brothers seeking revenge for historical atrocities with the history of the Armenian people and the denial of the massacres that took place.
Following the novella, the author Ashley Kalagian Blunt explains to the reader her own links to this part of history and what has driven her passion to research and raise awareness of this terrible part of our history that seems to have been so easily forgotten. At one point, she states her hope is to educate people to ensure the atrocities inflicted on the Armenian people are not forgotten. I can honestly say that I was unaware of this part of the world's history or the role that Australia played at the time. I thank Ashley Kalagian Blunt for exposing me to the history of Armenia and the genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and it's an area I will be looking into further now. I can't recommend it strongly enough!
Thank you to @akalagianblunt for gifting me access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this novella. The descriptive and figurative language brought to life every scene so clearly. This is historical fiction based on the events following the Armenian genocide. It takes place in Sydney 1980 and centres on one young man’s story about his desire to fight for justice for what Armenia went through so many decades ago… Ultimately his desire is to fight for his country, his family. How far will he go?
This novella wrestles with generational
trauma, crime, ethics, psychological distress and relational alliances.
Ashley then explores more of the impacts of the Armenian genocide in her essays after the novella. She ties in stories of her own family with references to other literature.
She brings Armenian migrants to centre stage and highlights how so much has been lost- lives, livelihoods, memories, even answers. She does this against a calming backdrop of family, celebrations and aromas of cooking. She is highlighting a people fighting to preserve and protect their culture, heritage and traditions despite so much persecution and displacement.
I really appreciated learning more about this genocide, as well as exploring what genocide is in general.
One of the ideas that Ashley’s highlights in a number of ways is that the denial of genocide is actually a form of continuing the genocide itself. Her exploration of how this particular genocide has been almost erased from history is fascinating.
I would recommend this novella and essays as a great and accessible way to begin exploring and understanding this part in our world’s history.
Thank you to Ashley Kalagian Blunt and Spineless Wonders Publishing for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This novella wrestles with generational
trauma, crime, ethics, psychological distress and relational alliances.
Ashley then explores more of the impacts of the Armenian genocide in her essays after the novella. She ties in stories of her own family with references to other literature.
She brings Armenian migrants to centre stage and highlights how so much has been lost- lives, livelihoods, memories, even answers. She does this against a calming backdrop of family, celebrations and aromas of cooking. She is highlighting a people fighting to preserve and protect their culture, heritage and traditions despite so much persecution and displacement.
I really appreciated learning more about this genocide, as well as exploring what genocide is in general.
One of the ideas that Ashley’s highlights in a number of ways is that the denial of genocide is actually a form of continuing the genocide itself. Her exploration of how this particular genocide has been almost erased from history is fascinating.
I would recommend this novella and essays as a great and accessible way to begin exploring and understanding this part in our world’s history.
Thank you to Ashley Kalagian Blunt and Spineless Wonders Publishing for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 18, 2023
My Name is Revenge.
Ok, first up, I did not even know Spotify allowed you to listen to audiobooks. So when the author let me know that her first novella was on there, I jumped right on to it! 📚
Dark Mode made such an impact on me, so naturally, anything Ashleigh writes (or has written) is going to be gold! And this one didn’t disappoint.
This focuses on such an important piece of history - but is often ignored or not spoken about. The Armenian Genocide. The passion that is conveyed through this can be felt, and makes you wonder why it’s not spoken about more.
The audiobook is based on true events that happened back in the 1980’s… where Vrezh, our main character, is trying to talk about what is happening but is punished for speaking the truth. I’m sure something that many faced at the time. When a Turkish consulate is assassinated, Vrezh is caught up in the fiasco. We watch the events unfold surrounding him and those around him.
The atrocities that occurred at the hands of the Ottoman Empire is upsetting, disgusting and inhumane.
Ashleigh also reads through some of her essays at the end and again, makes you realise just how horrible these events were. My eyes have certainly been opened because this isn’t often spoken about. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed until recently.
Ashleigh also has this special knack for taking fiction and weaving it in with real events. It’s one thing I’ve come to love about her work!
This is one for many to listen to. For me, the narrator wasn’t my ideal voice choice however, the message conveyed is what’s important here. A part of our history that we should all know about.
Thank you AKB for gifting this audiobook to me, and allowing me to listen and understand a little better!
Ok, first up, I did not even know Spotify allowed you to listen to audiobooks. So when the author let me know that her first novella was on there, I jumped right on to it! 📚
Dark Mode made such an impact on me, so naturally, anything Ashleigh writes (or has written) is going to be gold! And this one didn’t disappoint.
This focuses on such an important piece of history - but is often ignored or not spoken about. The Armenian Genocide. The passion that is conveyed through this can be felt, and makes you wonder why it’s not spoken about more.
The audiobook is based on true events that happened back in the 1980’s… where Vrezh, our main character, is trying to talk about what is happening but is punished for speaking the truth. I’m sure something that many faced at the time. When a Turkish consulate is assassinated, Vrezh is caught up in the fiasco. We watch the events unfold surrounding him and those around him.
The atrocities that occurred at the hands of the Ottoman Empire is upsetting, disgusting and inhumane.
Ashleigh also reads through some of her essays at the end and again, makes you realise just how horrible these events were. My eyes have certainly been opened because this isn’t often spoken about. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed until recently.
Ashleigh also has this special knack for taking fiction and weaving it in with real events. It’s one thing I’ve come to love about her work!
This is one for many to listen to. For me, the narrator wasn’t my ideal voice choice however, the message conveyed is what’s important here. A part of our history that we should all know about.
Thank you AKB for gifting this audiobook to me, and allowing me to listen and understand a little better!
July 22, 2023
A few weeks ago Ashley asked if I would like a copy of the audiobook of My Name is Revenge. As I had devoured and loved Dark Mode, I gladly accepted. My Name is Revenge could not be further from Dark Mode in content, but is inherently scarier due to its nature.
🎧 The Novella - based on true events this novella is gripping and eye opening. It is the story of Vrej, a young Armenian man living with his family in Sydney during a time of revenge killings of Turkish diplomats around the world, including in Australia. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide victims and survivors are after justice. Vrej wonders if his brother was involved and indicates his wish to join any further revenge acts.
🎧 The Essays - the three essays voiced by Ashley are frightening. Not only does mankind have a history of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the atrocities perpetrated against the Armenians living in their native Anatolia by the Turkish Army have been essentially wiped from history, purely because the Armenian Genocide is not recognised by any Turkish government. For well over one hundred years the killing of over 1 million Armenians has been denied. I was shocked that I had never heard of this. It certainly wasn't/isn't taught in schools. There are only 32 countries that recognise the Armenian Genocide. Australia is not one of them.
There is a saying that 'you cannot change history'. That is very true, we cannot. But we must acknowledge and recognise all parts of history no matter how horrific. If we don't then how can we learn and be better humans?
Ashley, I am heartbroken for your ancestors and I cannot thank you enough for making me aware of this part of history, your history.
🎧 The Novella - based on true events this novella is gripping and eye opening. It is the story of Vrej, a young Armenian man living with his family in Sydney during a time of revenge killings of Turkish diplomats around the world, including in Australia. Descendants of the Armenian Genocide victims and survivors are after justice. Vrej wonders if his brother was involved and indicates his wish to join any further revenge acts.
🎧 The Essays - the three essays voiced by Ashley are frightening. Not only does mankind have a history of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the atrocities perpetrated against the Armenians living in their native Anatolia by the Turkish Army have been essentially wiped from history, purely because the Armenian Genocide is not recognised by any Turkish government. For well over one hundred years the killing of over 1 million Armenians has been denied. I was shocked that I had never heard of this. It certainly wasn't/isn't taught in schools. There are only 32 countries that recognise the Armenian Genocide. Australia is not one of them.
There is a saying that 'you cannot change history'. That is very true, we cannot. But we must acknowledge and recognise all parts of history no matter how horrific. If we don't then how can we learn and be better humans?
Ashley, I am heartbroken for your ancestors and I cannot thank you enough for making me aware of this part of history, your history.
August 2, 2023
This is a fascinating novella based on an historical event. The Armenian genocide and the resulting conflicts with Turkey, the transgressors, are at the centre of an imaginative tale about two brothers who are involved in a plot to conduct a bombing in Canberra. The examination of revenge vs justice is thought-provoking. It reminded me that one country's act of war is another country's idea of terrorism. Perspective affects the terminology, which then affects public opinion. It's a very interesting exploration and an impressive exercise in empathetic writing.
The essays which follow the novella are enlightening and informative. I didn't know anything about the Armenian genocide and was particularly interested in the concept of "settler genocide" in AU and my home country of the US. That is a term that resonates and will hopefully lead to more awareness around the effects of colonialism and the importance of acknowledging history. The author articulates an opinion I hold but have never worded properly: "Perhaps a culture, once shattered, remains so."
Thank you to the author for sending me the audiobook for review. The narrator did a wonderful job with the different voices.
The essays which follow the novella are enlightening and informative. I didn't know anything about the Armenian genocide and was particularly interested in the concept of "settler genocide" in AU and my home country of the US. That is a term that resonates and will hopefully lead to more awareness around the effects of colonialism and the importance of acknowledging history. The author articulates an opinion I hold but have never worded properly: "Perhaps a culture, once shattered, remains so."
Thank you to the author for sending me the audiobook for review. The narrator did a wonderful job with the different voices.
June 8, 2020
The interesting tale of two brothers of Armenian heritage becoming involved in events that could lead to sadness for their family.
The Armenian genocide during the last days of the Ottoman Empire remains unacknowledged by Turkey. The Diaspora od those who manages to escape, an Austrian writer wrote a novel (very large) called The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, which he tried to use to warn about the coming Jewish Holocaust. The story starts with the shooting of a Turkish counsel and ends in a sad way, but raises the issue of the Turkish genocide of the Armenians.
Following this are essays and some photo montages.
It is admirable what Ashley has tried to do, I am not sure she has done it that well.
The Armenian genocide during the last days of the Ottoman Empire remains unacknowledged by Turkey. The Diaspora od those who manages to escape, an Austrian writer wrote a novel (very large) called The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, which he tried to use to warn about the coming Jewish Holocaust. The story starts with the shooting of a Turkish counsel and ends in a sad way, but raises the issue of the Turkish genocide of the Armenians.
Following this are essays and some photo montages.
It is admirable what Ashley has tried to do, I am not sure she has done it that well.
January 15, 2019
The Armenian Genocide on 24 April 2015 is little known outside Armenian communities around the world, although we should question why that is, given the significant event that occurred the following day. In this novella, Kalagian Blunt imagines a revenge plot against the perpetrators of the genocide in a captivating, white-knuckle and breath-holding story about two Armenian brothers living in Sydney, Australia. This superbly told tale asks more questions than it answers and the author's note at the end of the story attempts to fill in those gaps. My only sadness is that this wasn't a full length novel.
March 18, 2024
Fantastically interesting subject matter. I didn't even know that there was an Armenian genocide during WWI. Much less that it is still contentious to this day. I can't say what it was exactly that I didn't like so much about the story. Honestly, I wish it had been a longer story, where I could've gotten to know the characters better. I understood their motivation and desire in the context of the story, but I didn't really get a chance with connect with them. So, it felt rather superficial and when the story finished it was all rather meh. However, the essays were fascinating. Even though they were a little repetitive, still well worth a listen.
January 23, 2020
One-night stand book, with a deep thinking to last for a long time
It is an easy read. It keeps you interested and very thoughtful all through the story. It definitely makes you question yourself who is the good guy and who is the bad guy (not only for this story). This book will definitely be quoted by me when someone portraits a black&white opinion about a human conflict.
The historical part at the end is very welcome. It could use some objective articles with the contrary point of view in this section.
Enjoy
It is an easy read. It keeps you interested and very thoughtful all through the story. It definitely makes you question yourself who is the good guy and who is the bad guy (not only for this story). This book will definitely be quoted by me when someone portraits a black&white opinion about a human conflict.
The historical part at the end is very welcome. It could use some objective articles with the contrary point of view in this section.
Enjoy
June 20, 2023
This is a compelling and important book. I love that there are two parts, a novella with two brothers at odds with each other about the method of getting retribution for the atrocities perpetrated on the Armenian people. And an accompanying essay with Ashley Kalagian Blunt's discoveries about a part of her family history she was completely unaware of, as is most of the world. The events of the Armenian Genocide should be part of world history instruction.
November 10, 2024
I really liked this novella's short dive into the ARF's inner workings in Australia, but the ending was confusing, and I was left wondering if the author was criticizing or for the movement that put Armenia on the map. I listened to the part before the hospital multiple times and was left confused as to what exactly happened each time. I loved Vrej until that point. Until his character fractured, and I had no idea who he was supposed to be now...
December 6, 2018
A real act of terrorism in Sydney in the 1980s inspired Ashley Kalagian Blunt to write My Name is Revenge (a finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award). Full review at Newtown Review of Books
August 11, 2020
April 24 1915, the start of the Armenian genocide Ashley Kalagian Blunt's MY NAME IS REVENGE- a must read “Maybe I should have written a gentle story... But the scratch, scratch, scratch of the Justice Commandos, their twisted logic - we will resolve violence with more violence- wouldn’t leave me alone.” Finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award
April 18, 2019
Spectacular! Ashley has woven a compelling story that makes you grapple with your ideas about right and wrong. It's set within a rich and complex historical narrative without weighing down the prose with exposition. All in all, her writing is superb.
July 15, 2023
I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this book, and while I had never heard of the 1980s Assassination I was aware of the Armenian genocide. I appreciated the premise of violence breeds violence and that some histories are told whereas others are left to be told as a sideline.
July 14, 2022
A well crafted novella that had me guessing to the end. The essays were informative and very interesting.
September 13, 2019
Great story, really interesting collection of essays that helped me learn about this lesser known piece of history . Interesting reflection on society and made me think a lot!
Read
July 3, 2022This review was first published on the Underground Writers website and can also be read on the reviewer's website here: https://oddfeather.co/2019/08/11/revi...
Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s work My Name is Revenge is a novella just over fifty pages in length followed by three essays: Writing Violence, Arousing Curiosity; The Crime of Crimes; and Life After Genocide. The novella is the story of Vrezh (literally meaning ‘revenge’ in Armenian), a student living with his family in Sydney in the 1980s. The story opens with the assassination of a Turkish diplomat in Sydney, a true crime that has never been solved, and the rest of the novella follows the actions Vrezh takes after the assassination. Vrezh and his family – his older brother Armen, mother and father, and paternal grandfather Arshag – came to Sydney as refugees when Vrezh was a child, and throughout the story there are stark reminders of the conflict that displaced them. A common occurrence through the story is of Vrezh and his mother taking turns to sleep on the old sofa outside Arshag’s room, who often wakes in the night screaming that the Turks are coming to get him. As he ages Arshag finds it difficult to distinguish his present life with the night his village was invaded by Turkish soldiers, forcing everyone with whips to walk into the desert and killing anyone who fell behind, including his mother and younger brother. This is the history of violence and displacement that Vrezh wishes to avenge when he starts helping his older brother on a mysterious mission out in the bush. His conviction begins to unravel when he is confronted with the seriousness of their work, and the thought that bystanders might get hurt, not just the object of their anger.
Blunt weaves a narrative in fifty pages that captures everything from the generational trauma of genocide and displacement, to the oppressive heat of the NSW bush, to the indifference of the Australians that the family encounter in their everyday lives, many of whom have no way of understanding what Vrezh’s family has been through. The story itself is an excellent piece of writing, and the essays that follow take further the issues and history that Blunt explores in the novella. For example, in The Crimes of Crimes Blunt details her research into genocide generally and the Armenian genocide specifically. Its comparative anonymity when compared to the Jewish Holocaust is remarkable. However, ‘the most direct link between the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust was drawn by Adolf Hitler himself. In 1939, days before the invasion of Poland, the Nazi leader said in a speech to an assembly of his generals: “Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”’ (page 97).
Most Australians today have not heard of the Armenian genocide, and this is partly through the efforts of the Turkish government that formed after WWI actively suppressing its history and their involvement, often described as the final stage of genocide. This event, however, is intricately linked to Australian history. The Armenian genocide began on the 24th of April, 1915. It is not a coincidence that this is the day before Anzac day; the Ottoman government knew that British forces (i.e. the Anzacs) would soon be invading them. So they put into action their plan to exterminate the Armenian population that they saw as the cause of their crumbling empire. During the Gallipoli offensive many Anzac POWs were held in confiscated Armenian churches while Armenians were being forced out of their homes nearby. Some Armenians were rescued by Anzac diggers, and their stories are in war diaries and documents at the Australian War Memorial. They are now collected in a book published in 2016 by Vicken Babkenian, Australia, Armenia and the Great War. This is the research that Blunt has spent years collecting, analysing and processing, and it is remarkable that such a short work can capture so much history, trauma and injustice.
In light of all this, Blunt’s novella is extremely important, and I have found myself referring to it no less than three times since I read it a month ago, in conversations about the world as we know it and how it got to be this way. I would recommend this work to anyone who wants to know more about this history, what happened and how, and to those who want to understand the psychological effects of denying atrocious events and what that can do to a person, a family, a nation. This is something we in Australia have a particular responsibility to learn about and take on board, and reading this work is another valuable way of achieving that understanding.
Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s work My Name is Revenge is a novella just over fifty pages in length followed by three essays: Writing Violence, Arousing Curiosity; The Crime of Crimes; and Life After Genocide. The novella is the story of Vrezh (literally meaning ‘revenge’ in Armenian), a student living with his family in Sydney in the 1980s. The story opens with the assassination of a Turkish diplomat in Sydney, a true crime that has never been solved, and the rest of the novella follows the actions Vrezh takes after the assassination. Vrezh and his family – his older brother Armen, mother and father, and paternal grandfather Arshag – came to Sydney as refugees when Vrezh was a child, and throughout the story there are stark reminders of the conflict that displaced them. A common occurrence through the story is of Vrezh and his mother taking turns to sleep on the old sofa outside Arshag’s room, who often wakes in the night screaming that the Turks are coming to get him. As he ages Arshag finds it difficult to distinguish his present life with the night his village was invaded by Turkish soldiers, forcing everyone with whips to walk into the desert and killing anyone who fell behind, including his mother and younger brother. This is the history of violence and displacement that Vrezh wishes to avenge when he starts helping his older brother on a mysterious mission out in the bush. His conviction begins to unravel when he is confronted with the seriousness of their work, and the thought that bystanders might get hurt, not just the object of their anger.
Blunt weaves a narrative in fifty pages that captures everything from the generational trauma of genocide and displacement, to the oppressive heat of the NSW bush, to the indifference of the Australians that the family encounter in their everyday lives, many of whom have no way of understanding what Vrezh’s family has been through. The story itself is an excellent piece of writing, and the essays that follow take further the issues and history that Blunt explores in the novella. For example, in The Crimes of Crimes Blunt details her research into genocide generally and the Armenian genocide specifically. Its comparative anonymity when compared to the Jewish Holocaust is remarkable. However, ‘the most direct link between the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust was drawn by Adolf Hitler himself. In 1939, days before the invasion of Poland, the Nazi leader said in a speech to an assembly of his generals: “Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”’ (page 97).
Most Australians today have not heard of the Armenian genocide, and this is partly through the efforts of the Turkish government that formed after WWI actively suppressing its history and their involvement, often described as the final stage of genocide. This event, however, is intricately linked to Australian history. The Armenian genocide began on the 24th of April, 1915. It is not a coincidence that this is the day before Anzac day; the Ottoman government knew that British forces (i.e. the Anzacs) would soon be invading them. So they put into action their plan to exterminate the Armenian population that they saw as the cause of their crumbling empire. During the Gallipoli offensive many Anzac POWs were held in confiscated Armenian churches while Armenians were being forced out of their homes nearby. Some Armenians were rescued by Anzac diggers, and their stories are in war diaries and documents at the Australian War Memorial. They are now collected in a book published in 2016 by Vicken Babkenian, Australia, Armenia and the Great War. This is the research that Blunt has spent years collecting, analysing and processing, and it is remarkable that such a short work can capture so much history, trauma and injustice.
In light of all this, Blunt’s novella is extremely important, and I have found myself referring to it no less than three times since I read it a month ago, in conversations about the world as we know it and how it got to be this way. I would recommend this work to anyone who wants to know more about this history, what happened and how, and to those who want to understand the psychological effects of denying atrocious events and what that can do to a person, a family, a nation. This is something we in Australia have a particular responsibility to learn about and take on board, and reading this work is another valuable way of achieving that understanding.
November 3, 2023
✨BOOK REVIEW✨
📚My Name is Revenge: A Novella and Collected Essays - Ashley Kalagian Blunt📚
This novella and collection of essays explore the dark and tragic events of the Armenian genocide, a part of history that I’m ashamed to say I knew very little about, and which definitely deserves more recognition and understanding.
Ashley’s writing is both evocative and informative, taking you on a journey through time. It made me feel so deeply for the people who experienced these atrocities, and for those who continue to suffer from the intergenerational trauma caused as a result of these events.
It is a gripping, thought-provoking, extremely important collection which I wholeheartedly recommend everyone reads. It is quite heavy though so please be kind on your heart.
Thank you so much to the lovely @ashleykalagianblunt for reaching out and sending me this to review 🙏🏻 I will read anything you write.
QOTD: What is a time throughout history that you would like to learn more about?
#lizzieslittlelibrary #mynameisrevenge #ashleykalagianblunt #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #aussiebookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books
📚My Name is Revenge: A Novella and Collected Essays - Ashley Kalagian Blunt📚
This novella and collection of essays explore the dark and tragic events of the Armenian genocide, a part of history that I’m ashamed to say I knew very little about, and which definitely deserves more recognition and understanding.
Ashley’s writing is both evocative and informative, taking you on a journey through time. It made me feel so deeply for the people who experienced these atrocities, and for those who continue to suffer from the intergenerational trauma caused as a result of these events.
It is a gripping, thought-provoking, extremely important collection which I wholeheartedly recommend everyone reads. It is quite heavy though so please be kind on your heart.
Thank you so much to the lovely @ashleykalagianblunt for reaching out and sending me this to review 🙏🏻 I will read anything you write.
QOTD: What is a time throughout history that you would like to learn more about?
#lizzieslittlelibrary #mynameisrevenge #ashleykalagianblunt #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #aussiebookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews