Tag Archives: Russian literature
The Suitcase by Sergei Dovlatov
“Lenin was depicted in his familiar pose–a tourist hitching a ride on the highway. His right arm pointed the way to the future. His left was in the pocket of his open coat.” The words “A Novel” appear on the … Continue reading
Filed under Dovlatov Sergei, Fiction
The Spectre of Alexander Wolf by Gaito Gazdanov
One of the many pleasures of blogging is the possibility of resurrecting names of writers who’ve been buried in obscurity, and while reviewing a long out-of-print book may not send thousands flocking to buy it, at least it stakes out … Continue reading
Filed under Fiction, Gazdanov Gaito
The difficulties of reading Russian novels in Ernesto Sabato’s The Tunnel
I’ve long since overcome my reluctance to read Russian novels, but I’ll admit that there was a time when they seemed impenetrable. At best, I’d have to draw up a list of characters in order to keep all the names … Continue reading
Filed under Fiction, Sabato Ernesto
The Eternal Husband by Dostoevsky Part I
“She was faithful to her lover–though only until he bored her.” The Eternal Husband, written by Dostoevsky in 1869, explores the relationship between two men–Velchaninov, a middle-aged bachelor who suffers from hypochondria, and Trusotsky, a widower from the provinces. The two men … Continue reading
Filed under Dostoevsky, Fiction
Novel with Cocaine by M. Ageyev
First, credit must go to Book Around The Corner for pointing out Novel with Cocaine by M. Ageyev. It’s doubtful that I would have come across this nasty little tale of adolescence and addiction without her review. My copy is … Continue reading
Turgenev by Henri Troyat Part II
From the safe distance of more than a century, it’s quite clear that Turgenev is, as Russian journalist Leonid Parfyonov states: “seen as the leader of the ‘Western’ liberals and Dostoevsky [was] the leader of the Slavophile conservatives,” but at … Continue reading
Filed under Non Fiction, Troyat Henri, Turgenev
Turgenev by Henri Troyat Part I
I’ve enjoyed a couple of Turgenev novels (Home of the Gentry & Fathers & Sons) and I plan on reading other titles starting in 2011. It seemed like a good time to move into a Turgenev bio, so I picked … Continue reading
Filed under Non Fiction, Troyat Henri, Turgenev
The Pale Horse by Boris Savinkov
“You simply have to spit at the whole world.” It’s impossible to write about a novel by Boris Savinkov without talking about who he was. In Western culture, Savinkov’s name seems to have almost faded from view, but in the early twentieth century, he was known as the “General … Continue reading
Filed under Fiction, Savinkov Boris
Notes From Underground by Dostoevsky Pt II
Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground is divided into two sections- I: Underground and II: Apropos of the Wet Snow. The first section is set in the 1860s when the narrator has retired on a small inheritance and is now forty years old. The second … Continue reading
Filed under Dostoevsky
Notes From Underground by Dostoevsky Pt I
“Finally: I’m bored, and I constantly do nothing. And writing things down really seems like work. They say work makes a man good and honest. Well, here’s a chance at least.” A few years ago, I read Dostoevsky’s The Demons, and … Continue reading
Filed under Dostoevsky
