Ranking Every Russian Classic I Read In 2021!!! // Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Pushkin...etc.
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 чер 2024
- Hello friends!!!
In June of last year I set myself a goal to read more Russian literature...and I did!!! I read a total of 16 incredible Russian books, so I thought it would be interesting to see how they all hold up against each other. This resulted in a video where I rank all 16 Russian classics from #16 (my least favorite, though I still enjoyed it) to #1 (my absolute favorite Russian book I read in 2021)!!! I hope you enjoy this video, and hopefully you'll get some Russian recommendations for your own reading!
**I'd love to know which Russian classics you think I should prioritize in 2022!!!**
Sending you my very best wishes,
Carolyn (and Willow) Marie :)
***Check out curated lists of my recent reads and all time favorite books in my Amazon Storefront - www.amazon.com/shop/carolynma...
Videos Mentioned:
- Favorite Books of 2021 - • Favorite Books Of 2021...
Russian Lit. Playlist of videos (CarolinaMaryaReads) - • CarolinaMaryaReads
- Notes From Underground reading vlog - • Dostoyevsky melted my ...
- The Heart of the Dog reading vlog - • 4 Amazing Classics & D...
- A Hero of Our Time reading vlog - • A Hero Of Our Time by ...
- Eugene Onegin reading vlog -
• Reading Pushkin's "Eug...
- Eugene Onegin audiobook (read by Stephen Fry) -
• Eugene Onegin Alexande...
- Childhood, Boyhood, Youth reading vlog - • Video
- War and Peace reading vlog -
• Reading War And Peace....
- Anna Karenina reading vlog -
• Re-reading my favorite...
My Social Media: CarolynMarieReads
***My Website/Portfolio - carolyncastagnaart.wixsite.co...
***Art/Book Instagram - / carolynmariereads
***GoodReads - / carolynmariereads
***Business inquiries: carolyncastagna.artist@gmail.com
***My Etsy Shop (some sold out, but more still available!!! - www.etsy.com/shop/CarolynMari...
***Want to write to me or send something?
Carolyn Castagna
P. O. Box 773
Greenlawn NY 11740
United States
**Please don't feel like you need to send me anything, but if you'd like to I would be honored!!!** :)
***About me -
I just graduated from college at the Fashion Institute of Technology with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in English/Writing.
My greatest passion in life is combining my two loves, literature and art!
Happy Reading :)
#russianlit #classicbooks #classicscommunity - Розваги
Hi everyone!
Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments, I’ve loved reading through them!
I just wanted to clear a couple things up…
Firstly, a lot of you are mentioning that your surprised that certain Russian classics didn’t make this list. That’s because this is a ranking of just the Russian books I read in 2021 alone! I have read other amazing Russian books (Crime and Punishment for example) in past years, which would most certainly have made this list! I love your enthusiasm, and I am so grateful to have all of your recommendations!
Secondly, it seems that a lot of you are surprised by my calling “The Overcoat” by Gogol “funny.” I did greatly sympathize with Akaky Akakievich, and felt horrible for what he went through, and how he was treated cruelly by others. I can’t really explain why, but I just found Gogol’s writing a bit humorous. This may be due to my having listened to the audiobook where the narrator expressed scenes in a certain way. After hearing/reading all your thoughts, I look forward to a physical (not audiobook) read of “The Overcoat” in the future. This way I can pay more attention to the emotional impact and not the narration/performance of the story. I hope this cleared things up!
:)
So happy to be among so many other readers who are also passionate about Russian literature!
Sending you all my best wishes,
Carolyn :)
Its Pechorin, "Печорин". "Ч", "Ch"
Anyone whose been short of money but keen on saving for an expensive but needed purchase will understand the overcoat
When you’re in your 50s reread war and peace. You will be surprised
Gogol's writing IS funny and witty. Many modern comedians refer to his stories as proto-comedy, and given that comedy generally doesn't age well, Gogol's writing must have been considered hilarious back in the day. He literally makes jokes, I don't know how someone could argue with that. Of course, it's sad, like stand-up concerts are sometimes somewhat sad and deep while also being funny.
I totally agree with you, the Overcoat is funny. It has been some years since I read it but I loved its tragic comedy.
Whenever people ask me about my favourite books and I name Russian classics I feel so pretentious - but what can I do, they are amazing and they appeal to my Slavic soul!
Russians don’t feel that way!
It's so satisfying to watch someone being so in love with Russian literature 😍 In Russian Pechorin is pronounced with [tʃ] sound (as in Chekhov)
And also it's pronounced Pyehchoreen :) I hope it helps.
What means pechko or pecko or pocheren??
@@eva4adam451 Nothing, it's a last name.
@@eva4adam451 it is a call out to the river Pechora. It’s a river in the North of Russia, cold and harsh. This way Lermontov plays with Pushkin’s Evgeny Onegin, who is also named after river. Onega is a northern river too, but it’s not so far up North.
Both fictional characters, Onegin and Pechorin, personify many young men of Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s generations. Both are autobiographical to some degree. They have some similar traits, both are bored of their lives and use social drama as a way to get some sense to their lives, or at least feel some edge. But they are also very different. Just like Pechora, Lermontov’s Pechorin is much tougher and harsher man, sometimes outright cruel.
... and *HOW*!!! 😉
I'm Russian literature teacher from Russia and I'm in love with Dostoevsky as well. But I think his greatest works were written after being in Siberia.They call it "The great pentateuch". The novel "Crime and Punishment" is studied in high school, every Russian knows its plot. And I suppose it's the most famous his work abroad. But my favourite ones are "Demons" and "The Idiot". Just masterpieces!
Yes. The Idiot is undoubtedly one of the most sublime novels ever written. Like a continuous vivid hallucination. Isn't Prince Myshkin a veiled depiction of jesus Christ? One of the most famous quotes in this novel is the sublime "only beauty will save the world". And that final scene in Nataysha phillipovna's bedroom as she dies, utterly spine tingling in its emotional enormity. The stillness, the numbness. Unsurpassed in all literature. Yes, you are right about the effects that the four years in Siberia had upon Dostoyevsky's creativity and character. It was the major turning point of his life.
I see you're a teacher of Russian literature. Good. I've been into the sublime writings of that intrepid Muscovite, P. D. Ouspensky for many years. His strange life of Ivan Osokin is truly sublime. Love Ouspensky. All the best, and greetings from London, Noel 🌹
I totally agreed with you. Demons, Idiot, Brothers Karamazov are masterpieces. I dont know why but i fall in love with Russian empire times. My next one is Mark Aldanov book "Suicide" about falling expetations from bolshevik revolution. Love Russia
Darya, I know a highly skilled Russian lit teacher near Saint Petersburg, Russia. She can`t stand ''Demons''. She herself was surprised. She didn`t find it a masterpiece but rather a stodgy read. When I looked in on her several years ago, she foisted that book off on me as her gift. I figured out after a few attempts at the book that one has to know well the events and real persons of that time and Dostoevsky`s personal attitude to them which he re-imagined while crafting his story to put across his own message.
@@peterivankovich2990 It certainly is true that knowing the background of this book adds to its flavour. But in my humble opinion Nikolai, Pyotr and most of all Kirilov are such intricate and amazing characters that they make it well worth reading the book. Especially Kirilov and his 'logical suicide' is something that has stuck with me after reading this book, if you're interested Albert Camus also writes about Kirilov in his 'The Myth of Sisyphus'. But I understand that the pace of this book and some of the subjects might not appeal to everyone's taste. You don't have to like every book that is dubbed a masterpiece, some just aren't for you. All the best from the Netherlands!
@@schatjepatatje767 Thanks for the feedback! When I read Demons some passages seemed to me unnecessarily long, drawn-out. I should a reader know how rickety fences leaned and wove. I came away with the feeling that he purposefully lengthened out his descriptions either to show off his mastery with words or to fill out yawning longueurs to spin out his chapters. He was paid for page after all. His Russian is old Russian compared to modern Russian and that doesn`t make for happy reading. I saw his translations in modern English and modern German. It reads real nice. But it`s the story plot and not Dostoevsky`s writing style.
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. Was my first from Turgenev and still my favorite. Relatively short, but incredibly powerful.
Когдада то мы наблюдали за нигилизмом и его проявлении в литературе и задумывались о вечном и вещном, а теперь мир сошёл сума и мы наблюдаем проявление нигилизма и безнравственности в современном мири буквально за 15 лет лож стала правдой, а уродво и человечкие пороки назвали инклюзивностью
As a much older person, I relished your enthusiasm and your delight at discovering the great Russian literary tradition. You must next read Brothers Karamazov, in my opinion the greatest novel ever written (pace Don Quixote), along with The Idiot, Crime and Punishment, and The Demons. These form the corpus of Dostoyevsky's philosophy of life and exploration of the complexity of the human psyche. You might also consider The Adolescent, a book of his that prefigures Karamazov in many ways. I also suggest, after reading these books, you read George Steiner's Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, a deep analysis of the two great writers and how they differ in style and substance. Of course, of the more recent books, The Master and Margarita is a delight and will haunt you for a long time. May I also suggest Vassily Grossman's monumental novel Life and Fate, a brilliant work about Russians in the second World War. And finally, Solzhenitzyn's epic Gulag Archipelago - it's quite long, but devastating in its effect. You may want to start with One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a shorter "version" of Gulag, however. Tolstoy's shorter works are a must as well. Don't miss The Kreutzer Sonata and, of course, The Death of Ivan Illyich!! I envy you your youth and the great panorama of life changing literature you have before you. At my stage in life, I find myself re-reading the greatest of books, although I cannot help sprinkling my reading with some superb more recent examples of great writers. Go forth in joy, dear friend, and enjoy the great tradition of Russian--as well as, German, French, British and American--books that enrich life and give it meaning!
Fully agree with your recommendations. How about Doctor Zhivago and the comic by Dostoevsky Crocodile?
Master and Margarita that's the book everyone should read, it will blow your mind. Also a few big books by Dostoevsky also must read.
Pushkin's style both in poetry and prose is like Mozart's music! I can't compare it with anything else but genius sunny Mozart.
You got it right!
I'm m a musician and singer, and sung a lot of Mozart ❤
He wrote a famous play Mozart and Solieri) in fact he was the first who officialy presented Solieri as Mozart's killer)
Someone may have already mentioned this in the comments, but you might want to look at Nabokov's translation of Eugene Onegin. He believed it was impossible to really translate the Russian into English while keeping the rhymes (and in any case, there are other things (maybe gender?) in the cleverness of the poetry that's also hopeless to capture), so it was worthwhile to just translate it in prose. It's really interesting to put some of Nabokov's translation next to some other translations to see what differences in meaning come through when you don't need to "force" a rhyme. In any case, EO is one of my very favorites, too, and I hope more people will try it thanks to your encouragement! (Ohhhh, I meant to add: if you really want to go crazy and dive into EO, the Nabokov edition comes with a small book of the translation and then two thick accompanying volumes that go through his thought processes on each stanza. It's bonkers and fascinating in equal measure.)
It's so interesting to see someone who enjoys the books we are "forced" to read in school in Russia. It's difficult to find people who actually like these books here among the young people, because they are long and not that much action happens. But I feel like that is the genius in these stories, to tell tales of ordinary people in ordinary situations in an interesting way.
I 100% agree that Master and Margarita is Bulgakov's best book. That book in it's writing time was banned, because it showed all the flaws of society that the soviet government didn't want to acknowledge and now that book is a part of our literature program. It is a talking point of many conversations between the previous generation and our generation.
I see that you have been reading a serious side of Russian classic, so I would like to recommend some good classical comedy:
The 12 chairs (oh, how I love this book, it is a peak of comedy of that time, you will definitely enjoy it. It also has a great movie, very close to the book)
The diamond arm ( same as previous one, just brilliant 😂, also has a movie)
Вообще не правы , очень много людей в России обожают классику . Особенно Достоевского
@@Olga...572 я и не отрицаю, что это так. Сама окончила школу, где мы постоянно предлагали преподавателю выйти за рамки учебной программы и почитать дополнительно.
Но всё таки и тех, кто читает на отвали в кратком содержании достаточно много. Сужу о ситуации по детям знакомых, почти никто из них полностью не читает произведения
how fortunate you all are that you have access to the original texts and not the translations we read.
@@jumasultani7496everyone has access to the originals. They are easily found online or purchased.
@@blank_lineтаких везде полно. Думаю, что 90% школьников в принципе ничего не читают.
Огромное удовольствие наблюдать за тем, как иностранец получает удовольствие от плодов русской культуры, к сожалению, современная Россия пытается привлекать внимание не красотой, а страхом, и это видео демонстрирует, что искусство и люди мыслящие живут над временем и политикой. Привет из Санкт-Петербурга!
P.S. Wrote that in russian, cause I thought this comment section needs a bit of authentic colorite 😄
The "ch" in Pechorin is pronounced as the "ch" in "check".
The "kh" in Chekhov sounds like [h] in "hot" (and always like that when Cyrillic is trasliterated into Latin) :)
My love for Russian litterateur started many many years ago in University (yes, I am old) and it always make me happy when I see a young person falling in love with Russian litterateur - like I did in your ages.
This video brings back so many lovely memories, thank u!
A good start for a overview of Russian literature is Everyman’s Pocket Classics “Russian Stories” a lovely easy read.
Thanks for the suggestion!
The Russians are so intense. It must be that winter. I’ve been through all the majors and Nabokov is my current favorite. His creative voice and short stories are magic.
It's Pechorin with a soft ch like in "cherry"!
Thank you for such an inspiring video that makes me want to read all of those books right now! I recommend reading Nabokov, especially "The Gift", it's one of my favorite books ever.
da
Oh my god, 2022 has barely started and my reading list has already skyrocketed!!! Thank you very much for your video Carolyn Marie! I did not know you are Italian! Amazing!
I read War and Peace in 2021 as well and it was so profound, I want to read more Russian classics this year! As others said, can't wait to see your new Russian discoveries and Willow's pictures! :)
Carolyn, thank you very much for your emotions and high appraisal of the Russian literature! It is so touching !
Your passion for literature [and reading it] is beyond infectious! Thank you!
Thoughtful and insightful reviews are so rare. So glad I found this channel.
When a translated work is beautifully written, that is just as much thanks to the translator as the author.
Congrats Carolyn. You have come so far with your Russian literature from the very first video. It’s beautiful to see. Hopefully in 2022 you can pick up, what is in my opinion, Dostoevsky’s masterpiece “The Brothers Karamazov”. It is not just my favourite Russian work of literature but probably my favourite book of all time. It is one that I find myself returning to quite often. Highly recommend 😊
Just finished this loved it
Oh my... i literally said the same thing
Its the best book i hv ever read and probably i wd ever read.... its incredible..
♥️♥️♥️♥️
I love humanity, but I wonder at myself. The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.
I didn't think Anna Karenina would ever be dethroned from "the greatest book I've ever read", but then I read The Brother Karamazov.
Just done with it reading in my mother telugu into which the translation has been done. Absolutely soul cleansing experience it was.
Well you've convinced me to add Anna Karenina to my 2022 reading goal as your enthusiasm is infectious, thank you!
When you get around to reading the Master and Margarita (if you love Russian lit you don't want to miss it) you will meet up again with Griboyedov: the first character we meet in the novel is the editor of a literary magazine and chairman of the board of "one of Moscow's largest literary associations, " called MASSOLIT. The building which houses the headquarters of this organization will become the location for some of the key events in the novel. Bulgakov has paid tribute to one of his literary ancestors by naming the building after him: Griboyedov House, and "Woe from Wit" is specifically mentioned in the book.
Your enthusiasm is infectious (hope that hasn't become a bad word in these times) and I wish you the best of luck with your writing/illustrating,
Wow congrats Carolyn, what an amazing achievement 👏🏻👏🏻 you’ve really inspired me to read more Russian classics!
Carolyn, these all have to go on my reading shelf! xoxo
My first serious reading after I discovered Hemingway was War & Peace and Anna Karenina. I still re-read them both after some 52 years.
Hi, another naitive Russian speaker here! I was so glad to hear that you are such a passionate and attentive reader and that you love our literature so much.
Also I have a recommendation for you: if you want to read a little more about Siberia from a Russian classical writer I reccomend Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". It is a story of a poor student who plots to kill a person to take their money and it's considered one of the best books of Dostoyevsky. We even study it at schools. There's so much psychological depth to the characters and so many discussions of crime and punishment and redemption, I think it deserves to be named a masterpiece. Also my personal fave from Dostoyevsky is "Bésy (Demons)". Again such a great psychological portrait of flawed people, it discusses nature of good and evil, redemption, complex motivation of our choices and actions, parential relationships. Speaking of which, I think that Turgenev's most popular work "Fathers and Sons" may spark your interest as well.
As I recall, _Crime and Punishment_ takes place in St. Petersburg, not in Siberia. The one in Siberia is _From the House of the Dead._
Hi 👋 What a lovely Book channel 🥰 I'm reading War and Peace now 😊 Love it, Tolstoy is on my top 5 favorite authors. Thanks for good book tips 👍
Outstanding video! Your love for Russian literature is contagious. As you continue on your journey, please take us with you.
It delights me to see someone first getting into Russian literature. You can only go down the rabbit hole once, but it’s a magical experience. Books you hadn’t listed here that I’d recommend: Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, the Idiot, and the Brothers Karamazov; Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita; Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych; Gogol’s Dead Souls
It’s interesting to me that you describe The Overcoat by Gogol as funny. I personally remember this book as kind of heartbreaking.
May be I need to read it again :)
It is heartbreaking. I am too in shock because of that description.
Agreed, super sad… but sort of beautifully sad…
@@gmelmaster are u russian?
Fantastic video! I'm Russian, and you really inspired to read more of our classic literature. I hope you keep enjoying it, you are awesome.Thank you so much!
Thank you very much for the of wisdom for this year ❤️
Great video! I'm hyped for you to read The brothers Karamazov, Oblomov and all.
It would be interesting also a video on italian literature
Ok, you just made me buy Eugene Onegin and I am sooo excited about this reading!!
It's amazing how deeply you're reading russian lit. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to your thoughts about them top reads👍
Now, other absolutely brilliant Chekhov stories you may look into imo are- Volodya, the kiss, lady with the dog.☺️
I’d love to see you make a video of where to start with Russian literature along with one that explains how you annotate your books, what each color sticky note and highlighter means. :) I loved this video so much!
Love your enthusiasm. I am starting with Gogol, Dead Souls, the n Bulgakov Master and Margarita. Took note of you recommendations. And will have to ad Pushkin. Thank you so much.
Thanks for making this video! I've read a handful of Russian novels, and I'm excited to add some of these to my list! I love what you said about War and Peace, because I also feel as if it became intertwined with my life at the time that I read it (granted, it took me a VERY long time to read, so I will probably associate half of 2021 with that book).
So happy to have stumbled upon this video!! If you haven’t added her to your to-read list yet, I highly recommend Teffi! Her Russian folklore-inspired short stories are incredible, as as her memoirs and essays detailing her experiences in St Petersburg and abroad during the Revolution-she’s poignant and warm and delightfully clever
Thanks a lot for your delightful video. I found it both resonant and inspiring. My major 2021 reading project was reading “War and Peace” in Russian. I don’t know if I have ever been more rewarded by a reading investment. It also delivered an incomparable sense of accomplishment. I am now in the process of re-reading “Anna Karenina” in Russian-still an unbelievably powerful portrait of life. I find Pushkin’s art (music on paper as Inlike to characterize it) so compelling that I have begun memorizing “Evgeny Onegin” in Russian-the structure you referenced acts as a magical mnemonic and an effective language teaching tool. My own top five recommendations would include Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov.” Those four works alone have repaid my efforts in learning Russian!
Вы читали Карамазовых на русском?
Hi!! Thankyou so much for your insights and enthusiasm!!! I would definitely recommend
Nabokov for the new year. An amazing writer that you will surely appreciate. I see learning the Russian language in your future!!!!!
I'm really impressed with your achievements regarding Russian lit, Carolina Marya!
Тихий Дон про мой край ❤️ Шолохов Нобелевскую премию получил за него . История людских жизней, простым языком 👍
I consider myself a fairly well-read Russian Lit reader, but you've exposed me to a few books I've never heard of. Incredibly impressive & informative video. Thank you Carolyn!
I believe you don't have one bad video ... All great, all the time! Thanks for the info, research, love-of-all-things-Reading, & uploads.
I see that Penguin hardcover of Anna Karenina on your shelf! I have the same one.
Great video - lovely to hear your passion and insights. I'm jealous of how much reading you're capable of getting through. And not just speed-reading / skimming but really thorough deeply-invested and connected reading! I think I read really slowly. But over a number of years I've managed to get through a fair few brilliant books.
I can't wait to see what Russian literature you discover this year!!
I love Tolstoi! I am so glad to have found this video! Congrats!
Really nice content . My reading adventure started very late but most of my motivation comes from Russian writer . Hope to see more of these kind of videos .
I just wanted to say that I wish I found you earlier. You are such a gem with great taste in books as well as very articulate. Much love from Sweden!
❤️❤️❤️
Thanks a lot for Russian literature appreciation.really nice to hear it
Great video! A couple recommendations for short stories would be lady with the dog (Дама с собачкой) by Chekhov which is very short but very beautiful also Pushkin’s Queen of Spades (Пиковая дама) is a classic and a very interesting read. As for longer books if you felt like stepping out of the 19th century Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita is perhaps the most unique book I’ve read and it’s great fun
Deliciously charming video!
As a great reader of Great Classical Literature from all around the world (with special focus on England, France and RUSSIA), I was delighted to discover you tonight!
Carolyn talking Russian literature is among my favorite things in the entire world!!!!!
I've picked up the Tolstoy material for the next stage in your epic journey!😃
Thanks to you, I read Anna Karenina last year, and I’ve been rereading it since then. So much to discover when rereading!
I never read Resurrection, but it became my tbr. Many Japanese captive soldiers were sent to Siberia, and since being Japanese, I feel like I have to read it. Thank you always!
This is so cool.
I appreciate you and the things you have shared here.
I did not know that girls like you even existed.
I notice how you change up your frame settings in a way that works well for me.
Many of your settings are very different from previous one.
You have some nice video skills.
the puppy 🥺 so so cute~ thank you for the recommendation!
Nice job done here, I truly enjoyed watching every minute of this video. Seeing Onegin on the first place has also made my heart rejoice because it's my favorite book ever, which led me through hard times and helped me a lot not even in a psychological way, but intellectual. Worth mention the way you tell about what you've read: it's wonderful how you leave no doubts that you've really enjoyed it. Thank you for both professional and emotional expression of your opinion on Russian literature!
Thank you for the amazing video. I learned so much about Russian literature. Last year I read White Nights and I absolutely loved it. I listened to the Idiot and enjoyed it.
Thanks for video. The Nose is my favorite Gogol story-really gets across his flavor.
I love seeing a young woman talking about classic literature❤️❤️❤️
This is so lovely! I've also had a great reading year with Russian classics :) One of the books I read that isn't on your list is Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman (I've yet to read the famous sequel, Life and Fate!) which was so moving and heartbreaking. It definitely can be hard keeping up with who is who though, something I was surprised to have no problems with at all reading War and Peace, but it's a great read! Really looking forward to Life and Fate and the dramatised audio production of it I found on audible.
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the Keira Knightley adaptation of Anna Karenina, but that's because I'm so protective of the philosophical through-line of the book that I don't like a movie to shorten everything down to the bare necessities (which is also why I think it's sad people expect the musical Les Mis from the book Les Mis when it's so much more than the main story, but anyway:) BUT I LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK! Dario Marianelli is such a genius, I love love love the way he includes the themes of the train and the Russian working class! And aesthetically, it's such a fantastic work of art which inherently makes the movie special to me! And I couldn't imagine a better interpretation of Stiva! :)
I hope you have a wonderful Russian reading year in 2022 as well!❤️❤️
So pleased to hear I am not the only person who has tackled Stalingrad, as you say a myriad of characters and scenes but so worth it. Life and Fate carries on the journey of many of the characters in the first book. Again, it will be worth the effort and I am sure you will sit down after reading it and realise how the two books have enriched your reading experience. War and Peace is certainly an 'easier' read, I have just finished it for the third time and every reading it becomes richer.
I have been tackling more recent Russian writing and I can highly recommend 'Death and the Penguin' and the follow-up 'Penguin lost' by Andrey Kurkov. Both are quite short but convey the grotesque post-Soviet world. Funny, tender, and poignant.
Good luck with your reading and wishing you health and happiness in 2022.
@@ba-gg6jo Thank you for the recommendations!! And I'm even more excited for Life and Fate now :)
You have great energy. I like listening to you talk about my heroes
I'd recommend, for those who wants to start with Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, which is a novela, so it's quite a short book! The book concentrates the story on how the protagonist reflects about his upcoming death... it really is a good place to start even with russian literature!!!
Giovanna, the full beauty of Russian literature can be revealed only in reading it in Russian! The translations can be a bit successful or a lot successful but never the exact copy.
@@peterivankovich2990 True, Peter.
But having only around 30 Russian lessons behind me doesn't allow me to read Pushkin nor Dostoïevski yet!
As I'm a singer and profoundly in in love with Russian composers I am fortunate enough to enjoy poetry!
Speaking quite well five languages I read Russian authors in several translations, mainly French and Italian.
Would recommend to amateurs reading in French the translations of ALL Dostoïevski by Russian novelist and poet Andreï Makine (Actes Sud)! Just great!
@@peterivankovich2990 of course not... but I read it in Portuguese and here in Brazil we have excellent translators that know the Russian language and culture really well! I'm sure their job is amazing cause I loved the Russian literature until now!
The kreutzer sonata is also a short great book by Tolstoy for starters
@@ezequielstepanenko3229 Yes, and I don`t dispute it! I just read it when I was too young to understand subtleties in it that only grownups can pick up on. I didn`t find it great, though, because I read it at school as a must read and my concern was not enjoyment but finishing it on time. Great literature lost on me. I also read it in Russian and not in a refined, well-honed, modern foreign translation. Maybe I failed to enjoy it because Russian was my second language. The other day I looked through an old British translation of War and Peace in a recent modern edition hoping to find what foreigners enjoy in reading this book. I tried hard to like it, but I nevertheless failed to see how readers could enjoy that bulky, unnatural language. The British translation of a famous British translator of War and Peace in the early 20th century contained clumsy sentences and grammar patterns that a school student, if he or her used them at his/her school or college English exam, would hardly have passed a regular English exam. I don`t mind when people enjoy books they enjoy, but I beg permission to have my own judgment of books I like or dislike or just don`t comprehend yet. As for the sonata, At my early age I wasn`t smart enough to feel that maybe Tolstoy`s wife has written certain passages in the kreutzer sonata the way that only the female psyche is capable of, as experts of literature purport to know. I`m grateful to those who share their deeper knowledge with me. We live and learn. For example, only later in life did I learn that Gulliver`s Travels was a book essentially designed for grown-ups of Swift`s time and not a book for children as it`s widely regarded nowadays. So I`m afraid you misunderstood something pointing out ''for starters''. Did I say it was in War and Peace? I still plan to revisit the kreutzer sonata when I can find a copy of the book and read it closely and try to sense if parts of it about music could have been written by Tolstoy`s wife. They I regretfully can have access to books in English. But maybe I can track down an audio version of the story on my computer. I apologize to all those who try to see a professional connoisseur of literature. I have personal likes and dislikes as gar as books go and I beg your pardon if my taste does not coincide with what passes for world standards. I`m currently slowly rereading Dostoevsky`s Demons in Russian for the umpteenth time to try to determine what makes it so popular with almost all readers. And as bad luck would have it, I haven`t resolved this mystery yet. Though I persevere. Likely in vain.
Your channel is a breath of fresh air.
Good to see another champion of Russian literature! I have just received my Tolstoy bookmark, well worth the wait and the money. Handwritten address as well. As to the bookmark not sure whether to use it or frame it it is that good. Stay safe and well in 2022.
Hello!
A great video! I LOVED IT. and there's a long comment to prove it, lol.
This guy from "A hero of our time" is Pechorin with "ch" as in chat.
It's unbelievable seeing foreign people reading and discussing Russian literature, because if there is something truly great about our legacy, apart from any wars and politics in general, it is literature. I'm amazed how you describe these books, how you love them! It's seen! Being Russian, I haven't read like a half of these books, and, of the other half that I have, I can't say that I like them half as much as you do!
It's also interesting to listen to your interpretations of these books. Because there's nothing particularly funny about The Overcoat, it's a satirical look at the purposeless life of a clerc, and I can't feel nothing but shame and pity for the man. I wonder how I would have perceive this story if I hadn't been taught in a certain way. (I'm not trying to say that our interpretation is the only correct and yours is not, not all! It's just an observation.)
I don't know if you answer, but I'd love to know whose side are you in Woe From Wit?) There are many interpretations and opinions on who's right and to what extend.
IMHO, Heart of the Dog is even better than Master and Margarita. It's one of my faves of his, and you should definitely check his A Young Doctor's Notebook. It's like a short story collection with an overarching plot.
OMG, I thought i would finish the comment much earlier, but when you said that you liked the War and Peace!.. You know, it's probably the most notorious books in Russian literature. At least, on 19th century (then we have Solgenitsin's so-called stories and And Quiet Flows the Don). I loved the War and Peace. It's the most influential book for me as an author, i can't thank it enough. So, that's amazing that you recommend reading it. It worth it! it's big, right, but it's not that dull as some people believe it to be. It's the perfection and it's an apotheosis of Russian literature, IMHO.
Now I want to read Evgeny Onegin in English just to see how the translator managed to keep up with Pushkin. It sounded perfect when you read it aloud.
You should definitely read Asya by Turgenev if you haven't. For me, it was an ideal start. It's short, too.
If you liked Pushkin this much, you may try his prosaic works like Tales of Belkin's, or his fairytales.
These and A Young Doctor's Notebook by Bulgakov are my recommendations.
Russian literature is one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed on humanity. Greetings from Ireland.
I wonder if you heard that Tolstoy's wife Sofia helped him a lot with rewriting and editing. She copied the whole War & Peace by hand at least 18 times. And I'm sure she contributed a lot to the description of family life and women's charachters especially in Anna Karenina, it's she who added certain warmth to the narrative. In fact Tolstoy was a huge misogene. I'm not sure Sofia's Diary is translated into any language
It is available in English. I think I could say Sofia was long suffering!
@@denisehill7769 That was translated by different guys.
Privet! Great ranking 🤩
I just found your channel, and omg I'm in love. After seeing your Cavalier (being a mom of three Cavs myself) in the first couple of minutes, I was like "yepp, I'm gonna return" 😊
The reason I first associated myself with Russian lit was Anna Karenina as well. It's been a great journey so far. Thanks for the recommendations!
Beautiful channel to stumble upon. You have a beautiful speaking voice.
You are such a good storyteller. 🥰🥰
Your choice of books and synopsys is what i like about these videos..
Not to mention you look ethreal!!😍
Hello! I'm from Russia, and it's so good to see someone who likes Russian classic literature. It was very exciting to listen to your thoughts about books that I have read in my school years. I even want to reread Evgeni Onegin now. Thank you!
I can recommend you to read "The two captains" by Veniamin Kaverin. It is one of my favorite books from the school. It is growing up story, and there are love and adventures here, and even a little of explorations. Oh, it's so cozy book. My heart gets warm when I remember about it. Just try it and you can't stop :)
thanks for the video! for me, as an admirer of russian literature, it was interesting to hear your detailed comments on that books. i'd highly recommend you to read leonid andreyev's books ("judas iscariot", "the red laugh") and dovlatov's books ("the suitcase", "a foreign woman"). from bulgakov's works i recommend to pay attention to the "young doctor's notebook" and "morphine" and from chekhov's works to the whole little trilogy, plays "three sisters", "the seagull" and a small story "the student"
Thank you Carolyn! I am 80, not here for long no doubt, but I loved Russian literature since very young, studied Russian people & history and was looking for my film, (umpteenth time) "Anna Karinina," or War & Peace. I loved the book, "Brothers Karamazov," Russian poetry and love & pray for the great country of Russia and their fine, fine leader.
I am perked up more than I can express...my many years ends with creaking days. I wish decades ago I'd have met an avid and intelligent reader as you. You are great. Thanks for making a lover of good books feel much better.
Dear CarolynMarie!
You are amazing! It’s so unusual for a non-Russian speaking person to be interested in Russian literature, enjoy and love it. And you are able to make your interest and love to this literature to become an interest and joy of others.
You understand so properly Russian reality and life of those times and all the characters of those books!
You are so thorough in expressing of your feelings and opinions! All the books you have read are classic, and they are really good ones. I feel bad that you are unable to read originals. You would enjoy them even more.
This is great! Thanks! I've tried getting into Tolstoy but couldn't. I'm a huge fan of Dostoevsky. I've read Crime and Punishment twice, The Brothers Karamazov, and most of his short stories. But I should give War and Peace another chance!
Hi Carolyn, my name is Denise I’m from the south of Brazil. I’m just “arriving” in your channel …and I like very much your way to talk about books!…( sorry about my english, I’m trying to improve it…kkk)
Omgggg thank you so much for this! I love the video and I'm immediately subscribed! So glad to find a booktube channel that does not rush towards bashing anything classic and/or written by male authors lol. I generally find that it's been the trend in youtube to jump on the 'classics are pretentious' bandwagon lately, which is unfortunate to say the least.
Hi Carolyn, The Overcoat is humorous, so your reaction is natural, it's just that's only one dimension of a darkly humorous story that is multifaceted, and multi-genre. I love your enthusiasm for Russian literature and in particular your interest in exploring the lesser known works, classical and modern (I was happy to see you mention Yuri Olesha and Tatiana Tolstaya, for instance).
I have a personal interest in forming a comprehensive picture of Russia (centered on literature, but including its geographical, natural and urban landscape, its unique religious and philosophical literature, in their relation to other art forms, like cinema, photography, painting and music). I also have an interest in collaborative cross-cultural projects, in forms of writing which transcend borders - Russian and American cultural borders in particular.
So, if you would like an occasional recommendation, I might be able to provide broader context or deeper insight, connections to other and lesser known works or aspects of Russian culture.
A few examples. You mention Nabokov and one thing I might recommend, as a more direct way of getting into Nabokov's head and a way of exploring Russian literature, is reading his Lectures on Russian Literature. They are accessible, detailed, insightful and fun, though he has very strong and very personal opinions. There are lectures on Pushkin, Tolstoy, Gogol, Lermontov, Chekhov, and Gorky. Lolita is a gorgeous book, but if you would like something a little more explicitly Russian, you might consider the lean and lovely Pnin, a novel he wrote right after Lolita, or his Russian-period novels, like Mashenka, The Luzhin Defense, Invitation to a Beheading, and his final and longest in Russian - The Gift. Nabokov translated all of them into English. He also translated a medieval Russian poem, The Song of Igor's Campaign, a tale of war (against the Mongol's), defeat, grief and endurance known to most educated Russians. It's short, but potent. Pushkin admired the poem. You might try to think how it compares to other Russian depictions of war - like War and Peace or Quiet Flows the Don. This could be one interesting way of exploring Russian literature and culture - by considering the history of Russian literature, its different periods (including pre-19th cnt periods), and how each gradually yields another, and how each subsequent period carries traces of earlier ones.
Another interesting way of exploring Russian literature is through its major literary cities, especially St Petersburg and Moscow. Much of Russia's greatest literature - classical and contemporary - is set in St Petersburg. The city is so rich textually and culturally that Russians (writers, philosophers, scholars) often speak of "the text of St Petersburg," its unique history, atmosphere and its own special mythos. Gogol's The Nose is part of a cycle known as The Petersburg Tales. Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment is a quintessential St Petersburg novel. Pushkin's dark fantasy poem The Bronze Horseman is another brooding Petersburg classic. Writers and artists of the next generation continued to develop the St Petersburg mythos with works like Andrei Bely's Petersburg. One of the most recent and best Petersburg writers is a woman named Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, author of strange, darkly quirky fantastic tales and fairy tales. For me, one of the most interesting St Petersburg literary phenomenons is the meeting which took place between a group of American and Russian poets in the 80s and 90s which resulted in some very fruitful and interesting cross pollination, including American works in English which are set in St Petersburg.
Gogol is a famous master of urban and folk fantasy. The St Petersburg tales for example; or folk horror like the story Viy, which I recommend. Dostoyevsky's works often have fantastic elements in them (like in The Demons or The Dream of a Ridiculous Man). Pushkin's The Bronze Horseman, Bely's Petersburg, Petrushevskaya's tales, Tolstaya's stories (and her novel Slynx) are all peculiarly Russian forms of the fantastic. Contemporary forms of Russian fantastika include postmodern genre- and mind-bending novels by Victor Pelevin, Stephen King-like fantastic thrillers by young women like Anna Starobinets, and Russian examples of the fantasy genre. One of the most interesting literary phenomena in this field that I would recommend is The Gray House, a novel by another young woman, Mariam Petrosyan. It's a one-of-kind example of peculiar modern urban Russian fantastika. There are many other Russian female authors I could recommend. One example of a contemporary author who focuses on the female experience specifically is the poetry of Vera Pavlova, accessible, observant, and intimate.
not surprised to see eugene onegin as number one!! can't wait to read it myself!
ps: chekhov's plays seem to weirdly be very on-brad where i live as this weekend i will be going to see a performance of ''uncle vanya'' and a few months ago i saw ''the three sisters'' which was amazing! when i saw them both announced i immediately thought of you and your love for russian lit!
that's so wonderful and pleasant for me that you read russian books, I have just started watching video, so I dont know the whole list of books you've read, but please, read Karamazovi's Brothers (Dostoevsky), I think you'll love it🤍
Thank you for exploring splendid world of Russian literature again, good luck💛
I just picked up Heart Of The Dog. I'm really excited to start!
A reading challenge of mine last year was to read more Russian lit. I didn’t do as well as I hoped but I did read a bit and I think The Heart of the Dog is the one that has stayed with me the most. I think Dead Souls by Gogol is probably going to be one I pick up next. I also want to get to some of Chekhov’s short stories as well as I love his plays. Happy New Year and enjoy your next Russian discovery xx
'Dead Souls' is a terrific read. If you enjoyed 'Heart of the dog' try ' A Country Doctor's Notebook' and of course 'The Master and Margarita' by the same author. The latter is a challenging, surreal at times read. Wishing you happiness and health in 2022.
You are truly inspiring, CarolynMarie! I love your enthusiasm for Russian Literature - and World Literature, more broadly. I recommend that you visit St. Petersburg some day - and witness that "Window On The West" that Czar Peter created in the 18th century to help his society envision how to 'modernize' like Europe. While you're there, walk along the Nevsky Prospekt where writers like Gogol and others found their freedom to imagine themselves equal to the Russian Aristoocracy who had lorded it over them. It was the 19th Century Russian writers like Pushkin, who called into being through his novels the imaginative social space that was needed to inhabit the New Russia that Peter - and then - Catherine The Great, pioneered...
Just recently started reading Chekov, love his short stories. Incredible writer, so happy to have read them.
I'm from Russia, but i proud of you for making these videos! Russian culture is amazing, and i so happy that you distribute it
(my english is not good, but I hope you understand me)
It is understandable. Молодец
Hello, you just flashed up on my screen from nowhere, and I'm now watching. I do hope you mention The Master and margarita. One of the most miraculous Russian novels ever written. It actually changed my life. Author, Bulgakov
Delightful video!
When it comes to Dostoevsky, I’d recommend a perhaps overlooked book of his, which is Netochka Nezvanova, a bildungsroman about an orphaned girl. Sadly, the novel was left unfinished; I thought it was a very engaging and touching novel, and is my favorite of his pre-prison books.
Also, I think your video as motivated me to reread Eugene Onegin sooner rather than later. And I think I’ll check out the film adaptations of that and Anna Karenina (who doesn’t love Keira Knightley?).
And then for Bulgakov, I thought his (also unfinished) novel A Dead Man’s Memoir was quite funny.
You're right, no one ever mentions that novel by Dostoyevsky, and it is an amazing book
А сон смешного человека читали ? Первая книга Достоевского. Это зерно от которого пошли все ростки
I began Anna Karenina this month after listening to you rave about it. It has been a book that has sat on my shelves for years and, goodness, am I glad I finally picked it up. I'm only 103 pages into it but I fully agree and understand your love of Levin. I have many opinions on the other characters but I'm still getting to know them. Levin, however, I'm ready to run off to the country with him.
Great list! On Dostoevsky, it’s really worth reading literature about him, on top of his novels, and that also gives great insight into Russian society, philosophy, religion, and politics. Mochulsky’s biography is a great book in itself. Mikhail Bakhtin’s “Problems of Doestoevsky’s Poetics” is also amazing. Harold Bloom’s modern critical review is also indispensable. In the latter, Joseph Frank has an essay about common misunderstandings about “Notes From Underground” which was a parody of Russian nihilism. Of course Russian nihilism, and for nihilism in general, is a big factor of enquiry in Dostoevsky’s writings which is why his books are so valuable for humanity. Dostoevsky ultimately rejects the despair and evil entailments of nihilism, having struggled through it himself.
Carolyn, I can't believe, that someone like you still exist in the nowadays generation who likes reading the Russian literature. I have read all the books that you mentioned in your video, and I'm about 80% in liking of them as you do. Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita is a piece of jewel that you will like, but make sure, that the book is translated Michael Glenny. I will give also a few tips on the books that I liked reading. "Mikhail Sholokhov" The Don Flowes Home to the Sea. Mikhail Prishvin's "Nature's Diary" Leonid Andreyev: The Abyss. A. Tolstoy Lev and Sonya.
Stepan Shchipachev "Lines of love and poetry.
Interesting that a translation of poetry still came out brilliantly in regard to your favorite one of the year
I have read most of that books you said about. Thank you.
I never read Russian literature, I will try it, this year! Thanks for the inspiring video!
Please, do, Rosana!
You may become deeply addict!
(I already am)
@@micaelabonetti949 Thanks my dear!
I love your enthusiasm too.
Очень интересное видео и книги ❤