Em má companhia: memórias de infância de um amigo

by Vladimir Korolenko, Klara Gouriánova (translator)

V durnom obshhestve

Genres: Russia

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (Russian: Владимир Галактионович Короленко) was journalist, human rights activist and humanitarian. His short stories were known for their harsh description of nature based on his experience of exile in Siberia. Korolenko was a strong critic of the Tsarist regime and in his final years of the Bolsheviks.

Korolenko's first short stories were published in 1879. However, his literary career was interrupted that year when he was arrested for revolutionary activity and exiled to the Vyatka region for five years. In 1881 he refused to swear allegiance to the new Tsar Alexander III and was exiled farther, to Yakutia.

Upon his return from the exile, he had more stories published. Makar's Dream (Сон Макара, Son Makara) established his reputation as a writer when it was published in 1885. The story, based on a dying peasant's dream of heaven, was translated and published in English in 1892.

Korolenko settled in Nizhniy Novgorod shortly afterwards and continued publishing popular short stories. He published a novel Слепой музыкант (Slepoi Musykant) in 1886, which was published in English as The Blind Musician in 1896-1898.

After visiting the Chicago exhibition during 1893, Korolenko wrote the story Without Language (Без языка, Bez Yazyka) based on what happens to a Ukrainian peasant who immigrates to the USA. His final story Мгновение (Mgnovenie, "Blink of an Eye"), was published in 1900.

By then, Korolenko was well established among Russian writers. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences but resigned in 1902 when Maxim Gorky was expelled as a member because of his revolutionary activities. (Anton Chekhov resigned from the Academy for the same reason).

In 1895, Korolenko became the editor of the periodical Russkoe Bogatstvo (Russian Wealth) and used this position to criticise alleged injustices occurring under the tsar. He also used his position to publish reviews of important pieces of literature such as Chekhov's final play The Cherry Orchard in 1904.

Vladimir Korolenko was a lifetime opponent of Czarism and reservedly welcomed the Russian Revolution of 1917. However, he soon opposed the Bolsheviks as their despotic nature became evident. During the Russian Civil War that ensued, he criticized both Red Terror and White Terror.

He worked on an autobiography История моего современника (Istoria moego sovremenika The History of My Contemporary.

Korolenko advocated for human rights and against injustices and persecutions on the basis of social class by his essay В Голодный год (During The Starving Year, 1891–1892), nationalism in his article Мултанское дело (The Multanskoye Affair, 1895–1896), and criticised[1] the anti-Semitic Beilis trial (in his Call to the Russian People in regard to the blood libel of the Jews, 1911–1913).

He died in Poltava in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 25, 1921.

Reviews

[Guilherme Soares Zanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Espetacular. Tremendamente humanista, recheado de uma moral que lança luz sobre os pobres e oprimidos, mas, no lugar de cair no perigoso vão das coisas rasas, "Em Má Companhia" surpreende por vários motivos. Primeiro, a capacidade sombria de transmutação de objetos e domínio completo do ritmo. A capela abandonada tem olhos, a montanha tem seu próprio temperamento e a estátua de abandonada de Jesus é revelada, inicialmente, como se fosse uma coisa outra. Em certos aspectos, me lembra muito a forma como Zola transformava o recorrente trem em "A Besta Humana" em uma criatura fantástica. Em segundo lugar, as camadas emocionais de cada cena também me surpreenderam. A forma como ele complexifica, em poucas páginas, a relação entre pai e filho, marcada por uma tragédia, mas também silenciada por todas as coisas sentidas, mas não ditas, me tocou profundamente. A história central e a relação do menino com aqueles que compõem as "más companhias" poderia, sim, cair simplesmente no moralismo barato, mas suas características e a humanidade que ele confere a cada personagem atravessa muito bem essa corda-bamba. Uma feliz descoberta para 2025.

[Bert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow starter, but as soon as it gets going, In Bad Company develops convincingly from a mock horror story into an impressively short bittersweet Bildungsroman.

[P.Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

ความรักและมิตรภาพมักจะสร้างความสวยงามขึ้นมาเสมอ เป็นงานที่เขียนออกมาได้ดี สะท้อนชีวิตของมนุษย์ในหลายแง่มุมของเด็กและผู้ใหญ่ เนื้อหาในช่วงหลังคือดีมาก เป็นวรรณกรรมที่ทรงคุณค่าในการอ่าน สมควรที่จะได้อ่าน แต่รู้สึกว่าช่วงแรกอ่านไม่รู้เรื่อง เป็นการเกริ่นนำที่ค่อนข้างจะยาว ไม่รู้ว่าจะเข้าเรื่องยังไงเดินหน้าไปทางไหน แต่พอผ่านไปครึ่งเล่มจึงเข้าใจถึงเนื้อหาหลัก เป็นเรื่องราวของเด็กหนุ่ม ที่มีมิตรภาพอันดีกับกลุ่มคนที่คนส่วนใหญ่ไม่ต้องการคบค้าสมาคมด้วยหรือก็คือพวกขอทานที่อาศัยอยู่ในโบสถ์ร้าง ความสัมพันธ์ที่ไม่มีขอบเขต ไม่มีการแบ่งชนชั้นวรรณะ เพื่อนที่คบกันโดยไม่สนเงินทองหรือลาภยศ สุดท้ายคือการจากลาของมิตรภาพที่ยิ่งใหญ่ สะท้อนให้เห็นถึงชนชั้นที่แตกต่าง และการอยู่อาศัยอย่างยากลำบากของการแก่งแย่งชิงดีกัน แต่สุดท้ายดอกไม้มักผลิบานเสมอด้วยจิตใจของเด็กหนุ่มที่มีแต่ความบริสุทธิ์.....

การแปล แปลออกมาได้ดีการเลือกเรียงและการใช้คำดีมากโดยรวมอ่านง่าย

เนื้อเรื่อง เป็นเรื่องราวของเด็กหนุ่มที่คิดว่าพ่อไม่รักเขาและรักน้องสาวมากกว่า หลังจากที่แม่ของเขาตายไปเขากลายเป็นเด็กเจ้าปัญหาที่ทุกคนต่างมองว่าเขาเป็นคนมีปัญหา เขามักจะไปเต็ดเตร่อยู่นอกบ้านแอบมองชีวิตประจำวันของชาวบ้านโดยทั่วไป รวมถึงพวกขอทานและพวกไร้บ้าน จนกระทั่งเขาได้พบเพื่อนเล่นที่อาศัยอยู่ในกลุ่มขอทาน ซึ่งอาศัยอยู่ที่โบสถ์ร้างที่ไม่มีชาวบ้านคนไหนกล้าเหยียบเข้าไป นั่นทำให้ก่อเกิดมิตรภาพ ความสูญเสีย และความรักที่ก่อเกิดขึ้น....

#Panอ่าน

[nerszi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambientado na Rússia do século XIX, o conto mergulha na relação entre um jovem garoto e um grupo de pessoas marginalizadas, revelando as nuances das injustiças e da exclusão social.

Korolenko utiliza uma narrativa envolvente e poética para criar um contraste entre a pureza da infância e as duras realidades da vida adulta, sem cair no sentimentalismo exagerado. Um dos grandes trunfos da obra é a forma como o autor constrói seus personagens, especialmente o pai do protagonista, uma figura que personifica a luta interna entre o dever e os princípios humanitários.

Além disso, a obra traz à tona questões sobre empatia, julgamentos morais e a capacidade de ver além das aparências, convidando o leitor a refletir sobre a sociedade em que vive. A escrita de Korolenko é fluida e acessível, mas não deixa de carregar uma profundidade emocional que torna a leitura marcante.

No geral, "Em Má Companhia" é uma leitura que combina crítica social com uma bela construção de personagens e atmosfera, fazendo jus à relevância de Korolenko como um dos principais autores russos de sua época.

Recomendo.

[Marina Burity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Só li esse livro porque meu interesse por literatura russa me faz sempre explorar novos autores e ainda bem, porque eu adorei!

O livro é curtinho, conta a história de um menino rico que acaba se envolvendo com os excluídos da cidade, os mendigos, os bêbados, os órfãos. Esse contato com uma outra realidade tão diferente da dele o faz mudar sua compreensão de mundo, repensar seus valores. O autor pretendia com esse livro explorar um problema social recorrente no Império Russo e despertar a compaixão e a solidariedade das pessoas. Pensando nisso, a história poderia ter soado um pouco moralista, mas ele consegue construí-la de maneira singela e que realmente nos toca.

Eu também adorei o posfácio da Elena Vássina presente nessa edição da Carambaia. Ele nos ajuda a entender o contexto da escrita e nos mostra que Korolenko é um autor bastante respeitado na Rússia e que seus livros fazem parte do currículo escolar. Ele contava também com a admiração de vários contemporâneos que nos são mais famosos, como Tolstói e Tchekhov. Agora quero ler o outro livro dele publicado pela Carambaia.

[Marcelino Nobrega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vladimir Korolenko é um dos ícones da literatura russa do século XIX e começo do século XX. Seus contos e pequenas novelas são extremamente populares na Rússia. Mas seus enredos não chegam a alcançar a amplitude universal de alguns de seus conterrâneos como Tolstoi, Dostoievski e Tchecov.
Seus personagens são claramente criados para comover e essa manipulação não cai bem. A emoção não fica genuína; o leitor se sente compelido a alcançar as notas que o escritor deseja.
Por exemplo, nesse livro há crianças sofridas. a morte de uma delas, o final feliz para o personagem principal, clichês para se abrir o berreiro. A estória não respira; você é levado a um caminho específico. Mas pela importância do autor é importante conhecer sua obra, até para se criar um juízo próprio.
PS. Personagens judeus estereotipados também bradam contra a obra.

[Joey Brock]

В дурном обществе - или, как его переназвали в школьном сокращенном варианте - "Дети подземелья", - рассказ Владимира Короленко, впервые опубликованный в 1885 году. Он повествует о небольшом городке, где был старинный замок, в котором собирались все бродяги без дома. Но в какой-то момент владельцы замка их выселили и им пришлось искать новое пристанище. Часть нашла себе поздемелье. Мальчишки из города заметили, что каждый вечер с наступлением темноты все бродяги уходят в направлении старой колокольни. Тогда днем они пошли туда, и один из них залез туда. Когда показались бродяги, все мальчишки испугались и убежали, а тот что залез - подружился с бродягами - мальчиком и его сестрой. Они долгое время дружили, пока девочка не захворала и не умерла. Тогда вся семья бродяг исчезла так же незаметно, как и появилась.

[Laura Regina indicalaura · Rating 3 out of 5]

comprei,desafio Livrada 2017,estante virtual,romance,novela,russo,

[Mariana Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Korolenko escreve com uma delicadeza rara entre os autores russos. O livro é uma experiência muito singular na literatura russa. Eu amei!

[Guilherme Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5