I love a lot of Russian works. "The Brothers Karamazov" and "Anna Karinina" are counted amongst my favorites.
Even though I enjoy the works of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin and Helena Roerich, I always feel that I'm missing something. I follow the stories and I "get them", don't get me wrong. But it always feels that things get left out when the works are translated from their original language (not just Russian to English but any languages). The depth and feel of them changes.
“"Begin at the beginning,", the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
~"Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" by Lewis Carroll
I recall it as well. Maybe 'The Kiss'?Originally Posted by testwilliams
Writing indeed tarnishes the image of a book. It distorts its meaning, disparages its beauty and degrades its quality.
Just see even in their translational form Russian literature is far superior to American and British novels and stories.
I read Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and the like but Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy are far better and their fictions are of higher quality and philosophically are far ahead.
“Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature””
“If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation.
I think Blazeofglory is a romanticist.
I read Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and the like but Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy are far better and their fictions are of higher quality and philosophically are far ahead.
Romantic? There are probably other words for one who makes such blanket moronic statements. What Blazes claim comes down to is: "Based upon my reading experience, I like Russian literature the best." There is no attempt at proving how Russian stories are "far superior" to German, French, American, British or Italian writers. There is no attempt to back up the claims that Russian fiction is "far better and of a higher quality" than all the other national literature. Really? And what Russian writer surpasses Shakespeare or Dante or Homer or Firdowsi? And there is no attempt to explain just how Russian fiction is philosophically superior? Again... superior to what? prove to us where Russian literature is so profound in comparison to all other national literature, otherwise all you are doing is spouting hot air.
Beware of the man with just one book. -Ovid
The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.- Mark Twain
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Well, I think we can all be certain Tolstoy would beat them all at Drag racing. After all, Homer could write like a god, but he was a wimp.
Homer might have problems in a street fight, to say nothing of drag racing, considering his blindness. The Elizabethans, on the other hand, were a rather rowdy bunch (remember Marlowe) vs Tolstoy the pampered celibate aristocrat with illusions of becoming a prophet so I think Shakespeare could certainly hold his own ground. My money, however, would go with Dante, who survived any number of rounds of vicious political upheavals. This, after all, is not the portrait of someone to trifle with:
Beware of the man with just one book. -Ovid
The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.- Mark Twain
My Blog: Of Delicious Recoil
http://stlukesguild.tumblr.com/
Wow, badass and great writing skills, and they say great writers are boring.Homer might have problems in a street fight, to say nothing of drag racing, considering his blindness. The Elizabethans, on the other hand, were a rather rowdy bunch (remember Marlowe) vs Tolstoy the pampered celibate aristocrat with illusions of becoming a prophet so I think Shakespeare could certainly hold his own ground. My money, however, would go with Dante, who survived any number of rounds of vicious political upheavals. This, after all, is not the portrait of someone to trifle with:
He looks really scary
Russian literature is really insuperable and it has a wonderful variety and so many forms. Tollway for example is a matchless writer in war and peace, Anna Karena, Resurrection. Chekhov has so many masterpieces. Dostoevsky's novels transports us into our inner selves and Gogol' sarcasm is superb and beyond compare. The rest of the world must learn from the Russian tradition. I always take Russian as writers my guiding stars. They are my fountainheads of inspirations.
“Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature””
“If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation.
There we go I fixed your statement
I do think you undervalue Tolstoy, in his youth he was a military officer serving in the caucasus and participating in several battles, the most significant of which was the siege of Sevastopol which was a dam harsh fight.Homer might have problems in a street fight, to say nothing of drag racing, considering his blindness. The Elizabethans, on the other hand, were a rather rowdy bunch (remember Marlowe) vs Tolstoy the pampered celibate aristocrat with illusions of becoming a prophet so I think Shakespeare could certainly hold his own ground. My money, however, would go with Dante, who survived any number of rounds of vicious political upheavals. This, after all, is not the portrait of someone to trifle with:
But I think the tittle for bad arse must go to Cervantes, his resume includes:
- Serving 6 years in the Spanish Navy Infantry
- Fought in major naval Battle against the Turks in 1571, where he received three gunshot wounds.
- Participated in military expeditions to Corfu and Navarino; and in the conquest of the capital of Tunis - La Goletta.
-On his way to Barcelona his ship was captured by Algerian pirates, and he was taken into slavery, serving five years as an algerian slave before his family was able to pay his ransom and free him from slavery. During those five years he attempted to escape four times, unsuccessfully.
- On his return to Spain he left the army and traveled the spanish empire as a tax collector. During this period he was imprisoned twice for debt.
- Towards the end of his life he settled in Madrid.
What writer can top that level of bad assery? Come to think of it his life would make an awesome movie.
Last edited by Alexander III; 05-31-2011 at 04:12 PM.
The truth is that many poets of Spanish golden age were soldiers or had militar careers. Camoes too. It was somehow a trait of period.
You can include here, maybe François Villon, a not good guy, or Cicer, who obviously, fought against Caesar an Octavio (albeit he was no footman or something). Obviously, Richard Burton is a writer and since he is Indiana Jones he would defeat them all.
I liked Gogol, what was left of him, as a young man. I read Crime and Punishment and liked the end. I loved Zamyatin's We. Not much more to tell, I am afraid.
The Russians are the best because many (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn etc) lived during totalitarian regimes who would kill you if they didn't like what you said. Thus much of their intention is cloaked within the deep, penetrating, heavy nature of their work. In this way Dostoevsky criticized the Russian institutions, including the church, while evading execution.
While I do love Bulgakov and Tolstoy, Dostoevsky is the master here. That's why I chose Fyodor as my handle. His best work, The Brother's Karamazov does not show the length and depth of this penetration, even if it is his best effort. The Possessed, or The Demons is the best illustration of what it took to say 'something' during this radical time of political and social oppression.
It is unfortunate that so many people are forced to read "Crime and Punishment" which is his worst novel. Instead try either "Notes From Underground" or "The Gambler" for an introduction to his writing.
Last edited by Fyodor; 06-02-2011 at 12:54 AM. Reason: misuse
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