Through Russia

by Maxim Gorky

Classic collection of short stories, THE BIRTH OF A MAN, THE ICEBREAKER, GUBIN NILUSHKA, THE CEMETERY, ON A RIVER STEAMER, A WOMAN, IN A MOUNTAIN DEFILE, KALININ, and THE DEAD MAN. According to ""Aleksey Maksimovich Peshkov ( 1868 - 1936), better known as Maxim Gorky, was a Soviet/Russian author, a founder of the socialist realism literary method and a political activist. From 1906 to 1913 and from 1921 to 1929 he lived abroad, mostly in Capri, Italy; after his return to the Soviet Union he accepted the cultural policies of the time, although he was not permitted to leave the country.""

Genres: Fiction, Russian Literature, Classics, Short Stories, Russia, Historical

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

Russian writer Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov (Russian: Алексей Максимович Пешков) supported the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 and helped to develop socialist realism as the officially accepted literary aesthetic; his works include The Life of Klim Samgin (1927-1936), an unfinished cycle of novels.

This Soviet author founded the socialist realism literary method and a political activist. People also nominated him five times for the Nobel Prize in literature. From 1906 to 1913 and from 1921 to 1929, he lived abroad, mostly in Capri, Italy; after his return to the Soviet Union, he accepted the cultural policies of the time.

Reviews

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Живя на чужбине, Горький беспрестанно возвращался к мыслям о России, чаще прочего обращаясь к дням минувшим. Он работал не только над русскими сказками, но и находил время для собственных воспоминаний. Ещё не ведая наперёд, в 1912 году он создаёт три рассказа, после ставшие первыми из двадцати девяти, объединёнными в цикл «По Руси». Что примечательно, самый первый рассказ назван «Рождением человека» (опубликован в апрельском выпуске журнала «Заветы» и в издательстве Ладыжникова). Читатель может не понять, почему Горький приступил к описанию хождений по Руси с событий на Кавказе, к чему не следует излишне проявлять внимания. Некогда, когда Российская Империя, а затем и Советский Союз, сохраняли единство, тогда Русью считалась вся территория страны. Именно поэтому, куда бы не заносила в молодые годы судьба, Горький путешествовал именно по Руси. И самым ярким воспоминанием для него стало оказание акушерского пособия: он принял роды.

(c) Trounin

[Phil Parkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories tell the tales of an unnamed wanderer who travels Russia at the turn of the 20th century. It alternates between breathtaking descriptions (in purple prose) of vast natural beauty and the hopelessness of life at the bottom of Russian society. None of the stories have much of a plot, but they capture a set of memorable personalities and their different philosophies very well. The translation I read was only OK, some of the more crucial words were untranslated or translated into very obscure English. I think that an annotated version that described the context of Gorky's writing would be better.

[William Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A curiously verbose Russian writer that controls a commanding grip on a soul of the Russian countryside life.

[Matthew Moes]

Originally published 1906. Translated by CJ Hogarth. I read the project gutenberg.org / feedbooks.com edition

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Numerous short stories, each with their own unique appeal. Characters like Ossip, and of course, the brilliant narrative by Gorky make this a wonderful read. At times, the scope of some stories can be daunting, as well as the coldness in which some characters are presented. This is still however, one of my favorite pieces of classical Russian literature (not that I claim to have a sound knowledge on it yet)and would recommend it to anyone looking to become familiar with the "essence" of Russia in the eyes of Gorky.

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

exhausting book to read. There is an awful lot of words in this book that actually say very little. if u could at least half each story with some heavy editing it might b easier to appreciate the essence of each tale. I admire anyone who says they genuinely like this book as it's hard work. But I can't imagine there is honestly anyone who would unless the true Russian version isn't as windy as the English translation

[Ali]

Gorky, the great humanist, is one of my favorite writers. Unfortunately this outdated translation lacks the essence of Gorky. His stories are about simple, ordinary people and their lives, using a complicated narrative language does not convey this aspect well.

[Pavel Bulgakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

!

[Kges1901 · Rating 4 out of 5]

provides a great portrait of Tsarist Russia during its waning years