I'm finding it amusing instead :) I'm loving that book, the style is so wonderful, even if really hard at times. One of the best books ever, even if I'm only at 1/3 of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Evergreenleaf
Printable View
I'm finding it amusing instead :) I'm loving that book, the style is so wonderful, even if really hard at times. One of the best books ever, even if I'm only at 1/3 of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Evergreenleaf
There's one thing about many storys written by russians: many of them are full of french quotes. And if you can't speak french you'll have to check them up in the end
of the books, if there is such thing as a index of french quotes used in the book at all.
I've read Evgeny Onegin, and I did enjoy it. The ending is pretty good, even if it isn't all that happy. I don't know if I like the translation I have, but since I don't read Russian, I'll have to content myself with what I have. The film is okay as well, although I do think you ought to read the poem as well.
Andrei Volos' "Hurramabad" was indeed an interesting book. I guess it qualifies as Russian literature, since it's written by an ethnic Russian from Tajikistan and deals with the whole issue of national/ethnic/cultural identity in a multi-cultural society that was once kept together by an iron fist, and what happens when that fist is removed... covers the whole 20th century, from the Russians who move there when the Soviet Union is in its infancy, to their children who make their home there, to their grandchildren who suddenly find themselves to be outsiders and forced to return to a "mother country" they've never even been to... all told in classic hyper-realistic prose where you can almost smell what's happening, short-story-like installments that interweave over time... very nice. Recommended.
Am new on this forum,stumble on the discussion of Russian literature,so I thought I should say one or two things on it.I'm presently reading Brother Kamarazov by Dostoyevsky.Am having a hard time at it,it doesnt just compare with the feelings I had when I was reading Crime and Punishment,or War and Peace by Tostoi.
Am also reading some Chekhov short stories online.
I've heard Anna Karenina is so fantastic,it should be my next target.
Ok, I'm originally from Russia and I've graduated from Russian high school, so I've read a lot of Russian authors:
Pushkin- it will be difficult to read and fully appreciate hime not in Russian. He is famous not only because of his poems and stories, but as more or less the founder of the modern Russian language. I'd recommend "Captain's daughter", "Povesti Belkina", "Queen of Spades".
Dostoevsky- "Crime and Punishment", "Idiot", "Brothers Karamazov" and "Possessed(Devils)" are all masterpieces(especially the first three). "Brothers Karamazovs" can be a bit difficult because of bunch of Orthodox stuff put into it, but there are parts that I consider among the best I've ever read - like Ivan's story about Chtist and Great Inquisitor.
Tolstoy- to my great shame I haven't read "Anna Karenina", but I enjoyed "war and Peace"(though the ending about the role of individuals in history was tough), "Resurrection", short stories like "Death of Ivan Iliich", "hadgi murat", "after ball", etc.
Other interesting Russian authors of 19th century are Lermontov, Gogol(especially "Dead souls" and "Overcoat"), Chekhov(plays amd short stories), Turgenev(especially "Fathers and sons"), Saltikov-Schedrin and Griboyedov.
Among 20th century writers my favorite is probably Bulgakov. To appreciate "Master and Margarita" you have to know a lot about Soviet life during 30ths and even then the translation is far from perfect(I've read it both in russian and english). But "M&M" is not the only Bulgakov's great book- "Heart of a dog" and "White guard" are among my favorites.
Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago", sholohov "Quiet Don", Grossman "Life and Destiny", Ribakov "Children of Arbat" and "Heavy sand", Voynovich's "Adventures of soldgier Chonkin", Strugazkiy's brothers "It's difficult to be a God" are books among 20th century russian literature that I'd especially recommend to try.
Sorry for the long message
I adored "Devils". Possibly even more than Crime & Punishment (I haven't read the other two yet). It's part of the reason why I decided to study Russian..Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
Hello! Would you be so kind, accept me for yours Forum.
Dear, read Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita". You shall unforgettable pleasure!
I think, that russian literature is thrilling, fascination, exquisite in all planet "Earth"...
I will with delight listen Your opinion.
Little bit of novel I attached.
You needed to look on the thread which was exactly under yours...
Or click here:
http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=14658
Welcome to the forum anyway! I'll soon be in your country for a while, that's funny...
So do you speak mainly Russian or Ukrainian? :)
Yes welcome Zatishya. I too hope you enjoy our forum. We do discuss Russian literature here, but probably not enough. Hopefully you can start a topic.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZATISHYA
"Devils" is a great book, but I enjoyed it a bit less than the other three. Koa, do u know that it wasn't studied in USSR?
I'm not surprised, it's not exactly pro-socialism. I wonder, were all his other books encouraged in the USSR, or was he controversial?Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
I wish someone would pay me to just read Dostoyevsky. Every time I read something of his I want to re-read all the others as well.
The other three were studied if I'm not mistaken. I guess "Brothers Karamazov" a bit less than "Crime and Punishment" and "Idiot". And there are popular Soviet movies based on the books.Quote:
Originally Posted by beer good
In "Idiot" one of the topics is that it's very sad that a man like Prince Myishkin(have no idea how to spell it, read the book in Russian) is considered an idiot. For soviet propaganda it's very convenient to portray the bourgeois society as the one that doesn't understand and accept REAL people
Ukraine speak usually on Russian. On Ukrainian speak, probably, only patriots.Quote:
Originally Posted by Koa
Code:Welcome to the forum anyway! I'll soon be in your country for a while, that's funny...
Thank You! I was reading Forum long time, but write decided only today.Code:Yes welcome Zatishya. I too hope you enjoy our forum.
Hi Zatishya!
I also enjoy "Master and Margarita" and other Bulgakov's books.
I want to ask: at school have you mostly studied Russian authors or the emphasis was on the Ukrainian literature?
About the language: from what I know it depends on what part of Ukraine you are from. In Eastern Ukraine almost everybody speaks Russian, but in Western(like Lvov) most people speak Ukrainian. I have a friend from Dnepropetrovsk- she speaks Russian with me, but Ukrainian with her boyfriend who is from Western Ukraine
I think the whole work of Dostoevsky wasn't well considered, even if maybe not all of his books were banned...
Yeah, I've been asking around for ages and especially now, and I always get that kind of answer :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
Welcome, Zatishya! :wave:
It's funny, my boyfriend was just telling me today about "Master and Margarita" and how much he liked it. He used it as an example of the work of two famously good translators, but now I forget their names. Oh, well. :D Anyway, he has the book, so I should ask to borrow it from him. :nod:
Welcome to the Forum, Zatisha! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ZATISHYA
I read Master and Margarita last year and I can easily say that it is one of the best books I have ever read.
Another discussion thread on it: http://www.online-literature.com/for...ster+margarita
ПРИВЕТ, КАК ДЕЛА?
Я ОЧЕНЬ РАДА ТЕБЯ УВИДЕТ
or something like that at any rate :)
hi Zatishya, welcome to the forum
Ladies and gentlemen, thank You very much for greeting! ;-)
My favourite words of novel is "Manuscripts don't burn." ... but what, this words proudly sounding on Russian lang.. You should hear!
Yes, in school emphasis was on the Ukrainian literature, but in our literature too much struggle for independence of Ukraine. But Russian literature another thing...Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
*emphasis ours*Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris239
Finally we meet someone here who has read Strugatskis!
Personally, we prefer the Maksim Kammerer trilogy, especially "Waves put out the Wind", since they are not so bleakly pessimistic, but "Hard to be God" is definitely a very good work too.
I like a lot of Strugatskiys' books. "Monday starts on Saturday" is very good, "A doomed city" is one of the best antiutopias I've read. "Hard to be God" is just my favorite. Unfortunately the old soviet movie was horrible.
Ehm... shouldn't this have been "emphasis ours"? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Taliesin
Drat!
We will now edit the post and say that this had never happened.
This never happened!
*forgets it ever happened*
Hey,
Have you ever read the Russian book with the peom called the poem of the grand inquisiter? I haven't read the book but I've read the exerpt from it on the web just recently where it says that a man kisses his brother Ivan sitently on the lips. I think this is a beautiful greeting if it can be done betwen men as nothing more than that, especially if the men are flesh and blood brothers. Does anyone know if men in the Russian Orthadox church greet like that in Russia? If so, is anyone here from Russia and do you go to that church and do that?
I just finished reading "The Possessed" yesterday, I enjoyed it as much as "The Idiot" but not as much as "Crime and Punishment". One you didn't mention is "Notes From the Underground" which is probably my favourite of Dostoevsky's books.Quote:
Originally Posted by Koa
Hey,
Does anyone know aout the book called the Karamazov brothers?" I want to meet a man who has a brother he kisses on hte lips as a greeting like the nice man that does the kissing in that Russian literature book.
It's Brothers Karamazov from Fyodor Dostoevsky, and no, they don't do that regulary in Orthodox church. Why are you so interested about that???Quote:
Originally Posted by zwag
Hello!! First post!! My favourite Russian work at present would have to be the Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (hence the screen name :nod: ) I think it's a brilliant work of satire and it defies the conventions of its time. I also love ANYTHING by Pushkin, specifically Evgeny Onegin and The Queen of Spades.
I am looking for a good wartime romance novel. I particularly love reading about the Russian wars. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Well, there's always War and Peace by Tolstoy which takes place during the war of 1812. Then you could go with Quiet Flows the Don by Sholohkov which features, amoung other things, the romance of Gregor and Aksinia along with the Russian Revolution and the Civil War that followed. Quiet Flows the Don is written from the Cossacks point of view and for the most part, they fought with the Whites, if you want to look at that struggle from the Red point of view, you could go with the Fedin Trilogy, Early Joy, No Ordinary Summer and The Bonfire which is also called, The Conflagration. There's also Doctor Zhivago by Pasternak...again about the Revolution and the time afterwards. Those are the books that first spring to mind but I'm sure I'll come up with more after a bit. :)
I find it unfortunate that it took me so long to get into Russian literature. The first novel I ever picked up from a Russian author was Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler a couple of months ago. I'm hooked. The book just knocked the breath out of me, it was so different than the American and English literature I was reading at the time. I can't wait to dive deeper into Russian lit. Wish I knew the language!
I love Russian literature and I'm fortunate that I don't have to look for any translations. The originals are always better. I love the poetry of Zvetaeva and Akhmatova, and the prose by so many authors I cant even think of!
You can try "How the steel was tempered" by Ostrovski...It features the The Great Patritioc war...If you are willing to shun the radiance of the "socialistic idealism" you may well detect the merits of the work, despite the colourful images of the now discredited communism.
I have quite a fondness for Russian literature. My review of Summer in Baden-Baden by Leonid Tsypkin can be found here:
http://www.online-literature.com/for...&postcount=327
"I find it unfortunate that it took me so long to get into Russian literature. The first novel I ever picked up from a Russian author was Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler a couple of months ago."
Great book indeed.
But Koestler was not Russian - He was of Hungarian-Jewish origin, and from the early 1940s he lived in England.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/koestler.htm
I'd also recommend "Life and Destiny" by Vassily Grossman
If anyone is interested in psychology and philosophy, you might want to read Valery Sinelnikov's works...He has his PhD and he's still practising. The books are truelly interesting because of his extraordinary views and interesting stories from his own practise.
Russian Lit has got to be the best i've ever read. It doesn't compare to English lit, although I enjoy it very much, and I also agree, it's ashame I can't read russian because I bet the books are much more interesting. (O_O)y