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A Russian Story
He is young, intelligent, well educated, with patriotic sentiments. But certain misunderstandings oblige him to flee from Ukraine. For some reason, everything in his life builds up to a certain Russian scenario. So to what extent should one burden Ukrainians with the outcome of this Russian Story? Finding himself involuntarily identified with Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, the hero of the novel, Eugene Samarsky, becomes a 'superfluous man' in Ukraine.
The novel by Eugenia Kononenko deals with love and the quest for one’s own identity, with the vaguely remembered circumstances rendering life nonsensical in Ukraine during the last years of the empire and the early years of independence. It considers the possibility of a mid-Atlantic meeting in today's globalised world.
The novel by Eugenia Kononenko deals with love and the quest for one’s own identity, with the vaguely remembered circumstances rendering life nonsensical in Ukraine during the last years of the empire and the early years of independence. It considers the possibility of a mid-Atlantic meeting in today's globalised world.
- GenresUkraine
122 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 17, 2016
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway.
I don't know what made this book stick out to me to sign up for in a giveaway. I think I was interested just because I was interested in learning Russian, so it naturally seemed interesting. Reading this though, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be feeling. It simply read as though following the life of this man, Eugene, but it didn't give you many key emotions, so you end up feeling like you're just shadowing someone as he moves about his life. I think part of the problem may be that it was originally in Russian and was translated, so much of the beauty of the writing was lost. The English version just doesn't cut it. The only part of this that I really, really liked was the very ending. The ending--the last three pages or so-- really captured me, and I felt involved in the story. It just took about 98% of the book to get that feeling.
I don't know what made this book stick out to me to sign up for in a giveaway. I think I was interested just because I was interested in learning Russian, so it naturally seemed interesting. Reading this though, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be feeling. It simply read as though following the life of this man, Eugene, but it didn't give you many key emotions, so you end up feeling like you're just shadowing someone as he moves about his life. I think part of the problem may be that it was originally in Russian and was translated, so much of the beauty of the writing was lost. The English version just doesn't cut it. The only part of this that I really, really liked was the very ending. The ending--the last three pages or so-- really captured me, and I felt involved in the story. It just took about 98% of the book to get that feeling.
March 3, 2014
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
For such a short book (the last line can be found on page 122), "A Russian Story" by Eugenia Kononenko is engaging, interesting and thoroughly entertaining.
The characters have a natural mix of characteristics that make them believable.
It's a totally charming book that I intend to read again - several times!
For such a short book (the last line can be found on page 122), "A Russian Story" by Eugenia Kononenko is engaging, interesting and thoroughly entertaining.
The characters have a natural mix of characteristics that make them believable.
It's a totally charming book that I intend to read again - several times!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews