Great French and Russian Short Stories: Volume 2

by Various, Alexander Pushkin, Gustave Flaubert

No one plumbs deeper depths of the psyche than French and Russian authors. This second wide-ranging collection of 19th-century literary masterworks, presented in their entirety, not only entertains, but provides insight into 19th-century mores and the mysteries of human nature. This second collection contains works by some of the most famous names in French and Russian literature and includes: "Where Love Is, There God Is Also" by Leo Tolstoy, "The Queen of Spades" by Alexander Pushkin, "A Simple Soul" by Gustave Flaubert, "The Peasant Marey" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, "Boule de Suif" by Guy de Maupassant, "The Hole" by Guy de Maupassant, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" by Leo Tolstoy, "A Piece of Bread" by François Coppée, "The Blizzard" by Alexander Pushkin, "How He Got the Legion of Honor" by Guy de Maupassant, "Waiter, A 'Bock'" by Guy de Maupassant, and more.

Audio CD

First published December 18, 2012

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an audio book I bought a long time ago, on Audible. Apparently it's no longer available. It was an odd grab bag of, as the title suggests, French and Russian short stories. Why French and Russian? Who knows? I gave it 3 stars mainly because it was such a mix of quality. There was a really great story, for example, Boule de Suif, by de Maupassant, but then there was awful Tolstoy story about the cobbler who asks Jesus to visit him. It makes me wonder what odd circumstances led to this particular collection of 19th century French and Russian short stories to be assembled. Anyway, I think I can safely say: there are some really good French and Russian short stories! Also, there are some pretty weak French and Russian short stories. Quelle surprise! My biggest takeaway: I need to read more de Maupassant, because he did some pretty cool stuff. Go read Boule de Suif. Great story.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the French and Russians - two peoples culturally resonant with each other since the days of Napoleon... I jest, of course.

Despite the mechanical, lackluster narration in translation these stores, evocative and moving narratives emerge. For me, standouts include "A Simple Soul" by Gustave Flaubert featuring the parrot Loulou, "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Hole" by Guy de Maupassant, and the examination of hubris in "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" by Leo Tolstoy.