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22 Eargesplitten posted:That's actually been said about a lot of leftist Christian figures. Specifically Dorothy Day. The main distinction is they didn't do drugs. Day had a more permissive view, though. Tolstoy wrote a book titled "Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?" old men forgetting what it's like being young, acting all grumpy and harrumphing about the younger generations, isn't really a rare phenomenon.
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May 8, 2015 22:11
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That's true. No matter how positively or negatively you think of him, he was definitely a grumpy old man.
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May 8, 2015 22:28
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It also rather depends on the cultural context the drug in question is regarded in. You'd probably drink a lot too if you had to live in Russia.
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May 9, 2015 10:20
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22 Eargesplitten posted:That's actually been said about a lot of leftist Christian figures. Specifically Dorothy Day. The main distinction is they didn't do drugs. Day had a more permissive view, though. Tolstoy wrote a book titled "Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?" When you are a soldier in the Russian army, all you do is drink and gamble, which comes up a lot in his writing
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Jul 4, 2015 03:57
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Depending on how you feel about significantly more modern figures, Boris Fishman (start with A Replacement Life) and Eduard Limonov are both worthwhile authors who spent a significant amount of time in America. Also seconding Sergei Dovlatov. Can anyone recommend a good history of 'modern' Russia? (Starting from the Romanovs and continuing on, maybe?) I just finished The Russian Syndrome and came away really disappointed.
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Jul 5, 2015 02:38
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Adrenalist posted:Depending on how you feel about significantly more modern figures, Boris Fishman (start with A Replacement Life) and Eduard Limonov are both worthwhile authors who spent a significant amount of time in America. Also seconding Sergei Dovlatov. This is the definitive textbook, if you want a textbook. It's the one I used in school http://www.amazon.com/A-History-Russia-Nicholas-Riasanovsky/dp/019534197X Here's a nice podcast history of Russia, this one is great. It starts where all Russian histories start, with the Ice Age. http://russianrulers.podhoster.com
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Jul 5, 2015 02:48
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Anyone have a recommendation for a good introductory russian classic? I tried to get into classic russian literature recently via the Brothers Karamazov and stalled out after 20 pages. It was just really hard for me to read. The story was oddly dense, and all the characters were crazy in the same way (besides the narrator). Is there anything like the russian equivalent of Pride and Prejudice maybe?
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Jul 7, 2015 23:14
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Interesting thread, one Russian emigre author that gets a lot of praise in my circles is Victor Serge the son of exiled Revolutionaries whom spent his formative years in France and Spain before the Russian Revolution allowed him to set foot in Russia. He was an active Revolutionary for most of his adult life from Spanish Anarchists to the Bolsheviks, as a result most of his works are about Revolutionary activity and repression. He became a Bolshevik but was soon disillusioned with the Bolshevik parties dictatorial attitudes. He started writing novels during the rise of Stalin which seriously hampered his work -apparently the notes and drafts of several works were seized- though his popularity in France saved his life as he was exiled. Of his novels the one I've read is Conquered City and is about the siege of Petrograd after being taken by the Bolsheviks. Its based on his own experience but has no central character, despite his politics his integrity made for an honest and largely accurate account. Some party members are corrupt, some of their opponents are genuine and have understandable motives. Life in the city is bleak, brutal and very confusing. Its also a short novel compared to most Russian authors works.I recommend it for students of 20th Century Russian history, so long as you don't use in an exam. Here's some of his works, Baka-nin fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Jul 9, 2015 |
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Jul 9, 2015 20:17
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Neener posted:Anyone have a recommendation for a good introductory russian classic? I tried to get into classic russian literature recently via the Brothers Karamazov and stalled out after 20 pages. It was just really hard for me to read. The story was oddly dense, and all the characters were crazy in the same way (besides the narrator). I recommend Hadji Murad by Tolstoy as an introduction. Nice, short and fun. If you like squabbling nobles, you would like War and Peace, but that's Russian Literature 301
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Jul 9, 2015 20:25
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Neener posted:Anyone have a recommendation for a good introductory russian classic? I tried to get into classic russian literature recently via the Brothers Karamazov and stalled out after 20 pages. It was just really hard for me to read. The story was oddly dense, and all the characters were crazy in the same way (besides the narrator). If you don't have a problem with poetry, you should try out Eugene Onegin, and if that's difficult I would say The Master and Margarita or The Little Golden Calf.
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Jul 9, 2015 20:34
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Neener posted:Anyone have a recommendation for a good introductory russian classic? I tried to get into classic russian literature recently via the Brothers Karamazov and stalled out after 20 pages. It was just really hard for me to read. The story was oddly dense, and all the characters were crazy in the same way (besides the narrator). Chekhov in general, IMO. You could also try a bit of Akunin, just to gain a bit of familiarity with the terms of settings. You can reverse-recognize the allusions if and when you get around to the actual 19th century classics.
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Jul 9, 2015 20:35
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Neener posted:Anyone have a recommendation for a good introductory russian classic? I tried to get into classic russian literature recently via the Brothers Karamazov and stalled out after 20 pages. It was just really hard for me to read. The story was oddly dense, and all the characters were crazy in the same way (besides the narrator). My entry into Russian lit was a Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, its a light read but easy to follow with minor characters who all have distinct quirks. Though my copy suffered from very inconsistent translations of Russian names leaving me with some confusion as to who was who.
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Jul 9, 2015 20:42
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Baka-nin posted:My entry into Russian lit was a Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, its a light read but easy to follow with minor characters who all have distinct quirks. Though my copy suffered from very inconsistent translations of Russian names leaving me with some confusion as to who was who. Day in the Life is a bit of heavy going to start out with
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Jul 9, 2015 20:43
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Smoking Crow posted:Day in the Life is a bit of heavy going to start out with How so? I remember it being pretty straight forward certainly compared to the others I read. There was no 200 pages of "why can't you understand me Father" "Bah, why did I send to college?" like in Father and Sons.
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Jul 9, 2015 20:50
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Baka-nin posted:How so? I remember it being pretty straight forward certainly compared to the others I read. There was no 200 pages of "why can't you understand me Father" "Bah, why did I send to college?" like in Father and Sons. I mean like emotionally I got pretty broken up by the end
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Jul 9, 2015 20:55
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Smoking Crow posted:I mean like emotionally Well fair enough, but I'd argue that if someone's really eager to get into Russian lit then it'd be better to get a short taste of what's to come. Oppression and turmoil while not in every book penned by an author east of Warsaw it is a pretty noticeable theme. Better now then in First Circle or Archipelago. Oh and thinking about Fathers and Sons has reminded me of another titbit. Actual Russian Nihilists hated it and the author because it turned an actual political movement with deeply held and convoluted beliefs -to the point they suffered imprisonment and executions and launched a campaign of terror and murdered a Tsar- into a arrogant and aloof student who doesn't play by the rules.
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Jul 9, 2015 21:05
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Some accessible options, sorted by genre/time period. There are certainly better options for someone feeling out Russian lit, but these are just off the top of my head: Early-19th century lit: --Short story: Queen of Spades (Pushkin) --Novel: Eugene Onegin (Pushkin) Mid-19th century: --Novella: Notes from Underground (Dostoevsky) --Novel: Fathers and Sons (Turgenev) Late-19th century: (this is a relatively down period for Russian lit, but there is some great stuff out there) --Short story: Lady with the little dog, or however it's translated (Chekhov), any of Chekhov's plays (his Big Ones are Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orhcard) --Novella: Death of Ivan Ilych (Tolstoy) --Novel: Resurrection, Hadji Murrad (more of a novella), or Kreutzer Sonata (Tolstoy) Pre-Stalin 20th century: --Short story: The Cave (Zamyatin) --Short novel: Mother (Gorky) (yeah, really! It's the only good "Soviet" literature, even though it's pre-Soviet) --Novel: We (Zamyatin) Stalin era: --Short story: Destiny of a Man (Sholokhov( (technically published immediately post-Stalin, but whatever) --Novella: Everything Flows (Grossman) (technically published post-Stalin, but mostly written during Stalin era) --Novel: Master and Margarita (Bulgakov) Post-Stalin, pre-1991: --Short story: Moscow is Speaking (Daniel) --Novella: Moscow to the End of the Line (Erofeev) --Novel: Farewell to Matyora (Valentin Rasputin) Post-Soviet: --Short story: Okkervil River (Tatyana Tolstaya), --Novel: Generation P (Pelevin)
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Jul 9, 2015 22:27
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Everyone I ever talked to started with crime and punishment.
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Jul 10, 2015 03:20
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I started with crime and punishment too. Pushkin isn't that great (not bad either) in English.
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Jul 10, 2015 05:22
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What, no Gogol? His short stories like "The Nose" and "The Overcoat" should be quite accessible. "Dead Souls" is a worthwhile novel. As for Mikhail Bulgakov, the short novel "The Heart of a Dog" comes recommended.
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Jul 10, 2015 19:41
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Yeah, shoulda put some Gogol short stories on there, I've never met anyone who has read his stories and not wanted to read more Russian lit. I didn't put a Dostoevsky novel just because he's so goddamned dense to start with. I love him, but I can see it turning someone off. Notes from Underground is a good litmus test for if you'll like him, and 700 pages shorter than C&P. I put Pushkin just because there isn't much that's terribly accessible from 1780-~1830 Russian lit (which is what I put Pushkin's stuff under). Maybe 'Poor Liza" from Karamzin, I guess
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Jul 10, 2015 19:52
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I really liked bulgakovs country doctor stories , whatever the title is. The first few were so good and the last few , the middle ones were merely ok.
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Jul 10, 2015 20:31
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When it comes to Pushkin, the "Belkin Tales" collection of short stories are decent as well.
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Jul 10, 2015 23:35
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Wow, I finally checked back into this thread and thank you all SO MUCH for the suggestions! I will start with Hadji Murad by Tolstoy, then try some Eugene Onegin since it was recommended twice, then Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (because it seems to be a consensus kind of introductory-but-heavier-too work). Bearic: your suggestion wall for introductory works looks great, top of your head creation or no. I have saved it onto my desktop and will try some out after the first phase detailed above 
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Jul 12, 2015 07:48
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Kopijeger posted:What, no Gogol? His short stories like "The Nose" and "The Overcoat" should be quite accessible. "Dead Souls" is a worthwhile novel. As for Mikhail Bulgakov, the short novel "The Heart of a Dog" comes recommended. I think Dead Souls and Heart of a Dog for older and more modern is the right call here. They both do a pretty good job of capturing the distinguishing aspects of Russian lit while being short and much more accessible than Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. I liked Hadji Murad but it didn't feel very representative of anything else by Tolstoy to me.
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Jul 13, 2015 21:06
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HighClassSwankyTime posted:Currently in love with Anna Karenina My first by Tolstoy and one of my top books I've read. I absolutely loved it. Currently stuck trying to get into War and Peace. His writing style is so different, it reads like a military text book at times and I do not like that at all. Made the mistake of buying a read-along guide, and it had an entire list of the characters. Awesome. Until you went to use it to remember who this person was and they die at such and such part that I'm no where near. Great. Thanks. Philthy fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Jul 25, 2015 |
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Jul 25, 2015 05:52
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Someone should make a site called dramatis personae. Have lists of characters from all sorts of books and series, but no spoilers. Just enough to remind everyone who is who.
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Jul 25, 2015 08:05
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Lumius posted:I really liked bulgakovs country doctor stories , whatever the title is. The first few were so good and the last few , the middle ones were merely ok. A Young Doctor's Notebook is now a tv show starring Harry Potter and Don Draper
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Jul 25, 2015 12:24
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corn in the bible posted:A Young Doctor's Notebook is now a tv show starring Harry Potter and Don Draper It is pretty hilarious too. Sadly it is British so the season's are miniscule.
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Jul 26, 2015 00:32
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This more like a half Slovenian half Russian piece but I think those who've read about the historical Russian/Soviet prison system will find it very interesting, and dark as a mine shaft, its Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavoj. Its a correspondence between Nadezhda Tolokonnikova a member of Pussy Riot serving time for the famous protest inside the Orthodox cathedral. And Slavoj Zizek Marxist philosopher and all round waffler. Despite being a series of replies it does weirdly encompass most of the famous features of Russian literature, harsh prison conditions, pessimistic musings about society, and of course great and arbitrary cruelty.
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Aug 5, 2015 21:15
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Baka-nin posted:Interesting thread, one Russian emigre author that gets a lot of praise in my circles is Victor Serge the son of exiled Revolutionaries whom spent his formative years in France and Spain before the Russian Revolution allowed him to set foot in Russia. He was an active Revolutionary for most of his adult life from Spanish Anarchists to the Bolsheviks, as a result most of his works are about Revolutionary activity and repression. He became a Bolshevik but was soon disillusioned with the Bolshevik parties dictatorial attitudes. He started writing novels during the rise of Stalin which seriously hampered his work -apparently the notes and drafts of several works were seized- though his popularity in France saved his life as he was exiled. This post made me remember I never finished reading his Memoirs of a Revolutionary. I need to pick it up and try again. After finding out that Hard to Be a God became a movie, I actually sat down and read it. Loved it. Started watching the movie after finishing the book and made it about an hour. Holy poo poo, it's the most Russian movie I've ever seen.
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Sep 17, 2015 21:28
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DrPop posted:This post made me remember I never finished reading his Memoirs of a Revolutionary. I need to pick it up and try again. Hard to be a God is a great book and a great film but it's certainly a hell of a thing to try to sit through, yeah. I am glad Alexei German finally got to make it, though -- he was always their first choice, but the studio forced a different director on the original film adaptation and it is nowhere near as good.
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Sep 17, 2015 21:43
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corn in the bible posted:a great film but it's certainly a hell of a thing to try to sit through, yeah. I am glad Alexei German finally got to make it, though -- he was always their first choice, but the studio forced a different director on the original film adaptation and it is nowhere near as good.
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Sep 20, 2015 12:42
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i'm russian and we emerge from the womb disgruntled
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Sep 20, 2015 12:50
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Xander77 posted:Just... the very worst opinions. Do you not like the Alexei German version of Hard to be a God, really? What do you like? I mean, between the two of us I'm not the one saying Alexei German is a bad filmmaker
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Sep 20, 2015 16:34
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I did not like the film either, because it was 3 hours of the same shot. Cheers.
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Sep 20, 2015 16:56
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Mr. Squishy posted:I did not like the film either, because it was 3 hours of the same shot. Cheers. That's fair, I guess, though you could probably say the same about the work of many Soviet directors. I still thought it was really well made, and regardless of its faults it was good to see how the authors had wanted their book adapted.
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Sep 20, 2015 19:08
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DrPop posted:This post made me remember I never finished reading his Memoirs of a Revolutionary. I need to pick it up and try again. Aye, I also have Memoirs in my to read list, Birth of our Power Its also very interesting though its more of a Pan European book about various Revolutionary groups so I didn't mention it here. Though its worth checking out if you like Serge's other works.
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Sep 20, 2015 20:47
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I finished German's Hard to Be a God this weekend. I like it, I think. It's a pretty suffocating and overwhelming film. I really feel like if I hadn't read the book I would have very little idea of what's going on, even with the bad-version-of-Blade-Runner-esque narration at some points. I think that it could definitely be done by another filmmaker more coherently, if that's, y'know, what you're into.
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Sep 21, 2015 17:59
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Smiling Knight posted:Isaac Babel's short stories are fantastic. I would strongly recommend the Red Cavalry series; Babel was a commissar in the Red Army during the Polish War, and that inspired him to write these little vignettes of life among Cossack cavalry raiders and soldiers. He mixes tragedy, comedy, and political commentary masterfully. Of course, he was shot once Stalin came to power. I would recommend starting with his Odessa stories. They range from really funny (How It's Done in Odessa) to truly tragic (The Story of my Dove Cot) and are some of my favorite short stories. Ochowie fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Oct 27, 2015 |
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Oct 27, 2015 07:22
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