"Sparks" [Gaidzer] is Raffi's longest novel, a multi-branched narrative divided into two volumes and running over seven hundred pages. After "Jalaleddin" and "The Fool," it was Raffi's final and most ambitious novel to address the grave implications of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 for the future of Armenia. It was published in the troubling aftermath of the Treaty of Berlin (1878) which, in its final settlement of that war, had shunted Armenian aspirations and sacrifices aside and raised the specter of what became known for decades to follow as the "Armenian Question." The heroes Raffi brought to life in its pages sparked intense controversy in Armenian circles of the day and influenced the ensuing struggle for national liberation. Following its publication, Raffi was branded a "nihilist," his home was invaded by state police, all his manuscripts were taken, and he was subjected to house arrest. It was against this background that the novel was greeted with popular acclaim on its first appearance in Tiflis in 1883.
