Discovering Russian Literature discussion
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Introduce Yourself : New Chapter
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Sonia
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Aug 06, 2011 12:36PM
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Sonia wrote: "Hello Andrew. I am European by origin came to the States at age 14 after WW2, but was very nomadic for a long time. Had lots of interactions with Russians, some old aristocrats in exile, later on R..."I wanted to make you a question about the title of your book: does the title have to do something with the three dosha of the ayurvedic medicine? Only curious.
A big hello to all the new members ;-)
Hello everyone... I majored in Russian language and literature in college mostly because I had to read 'Crime and Punishment'. Prior to that, I was probably going to be a history major. Since that time, I have never lost my love of literature, but it all started with Russian. I have a passion for Silver Age poets like Mandel'shtam, indeed perceived as a bit obscure by most of the English speaking world. It's lovely to come across a group like this, to reminisce, and to compare what others, both Russians and the non-native world think about this tradition of great writers.
dely wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Hello Andrew. I am European by origin came to the States at age 14 after WW2, but was very nomadic for a long time. Had lots of interactions with Russians, some old aristocrats in exi..."dely wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Hello Andrew. I am European by origin came to the States at age 14 after WW2, but was very nomadic for a long time. Had lots of interactions with Russians, some old aristocrats in exi..."
To Andrew. 'Dosha' is merely a Gypsy name.By the way: I am reading Andrey Kurkov: DEATH AND THE PENGUIN and I am LOVING IT!
Sonia wrote: "To Andrew. 'Dosha' is merely a Gypsy name.
By the way: I am reading Andrey Kurkov: DEATH AND THE PENGUIN and I am LOVING IT!"
Thank you Sonia. Actually, the question on Dosha was from Dely.
Haven't read anything by Kurkov yet.
By the way: I am reading Andrey Kurkov: DEATH AND THE PENGUIN and I am LOVING IT!"
Thank you Sonia. Actually, the question on Dosha was from Dely.
Haven't read anything by Kurkov yet.
Hi,I am Simon, I am 38, and currently going through some health difficulties. I have always loved reading the Russian "classics" but am now looking to read some more modern Russian literature. So any experts with good advice, let me know.
hi my name is soad im 23 and i live in as samawah Iraq iv always loved reading and have always been interested in Russian lit but i never get the chance to read much but im glad i found this group
Mod
thanks for the welcome !!!!!!:)like i said im really glad i found this group and goodreads!!!!
Hey guys!I'm happy to see so many enthusiastic readers of Russian lit. I just graduated with an additional degree in Russian language, but I never really got a chance to really dive into nineteenth century Russian lit outside of translating. I just finished War and Peace, and I'm excited to see how other people feel about it.
Hi. I'm Jerika. I've just very recently started reading a few Russian literature. :) I read "The Queen of Spades," by Alexander Pushkin last Wednesday and loved it. It was part of the collection of "Best Russian Short Stories" that I got from Gutenberg.
Hoping to learn more and read more by visiting this forum.
Welcome Alex and Jerica!
And,responding to Alex - War and Peace IS on my re-read shelf.
Let me take the opportunity and place a quote from this novel right here; hopefully, that way, more people participating in the blog will see it, rather than if I posted it at some particular thread.
There is a word, a concept in the Russian language that is very hard to translate into English. The word is POSHLOST'.
It is translated by different English words depending on the context, but the concept somehow never gets conveyed in full to my opinion.
The quote below can serve as a definition of the concept. It does not give the complete definition (which is impossible) but grasps an important aspect of it.
Now, the reason that I'd like to share this concept is this: The more I read and the more I listen to other readers - the more I see that the major topic of almost all Russian classic literature can be described by this word - POSHLOST'
I think the better we grasp the concept the better we'll understand the Russian classic works.
Here's the quote:
"..the other [feeling] was that vague, exclusively Russian FEELING OF DESDAIN FOR everything conventional, artificial, human, for everything that most people consider the highest good in the world. Pierre had experienced that strange and fascinating feeling for the first time in the Slobodsky palace, when he had suddenly felt that wealth, and power, and life - all that people arrange and preserve with such care - all this, if it is worth anything, is so only because of the pleasure with which one can abandon it all.
" It was that feeling on account of which a volunteer recruit drinks up his last kopeck, a man on a drunken binge smashes mirrors and windows without any apparent reason and knowing that it will cost him his last penny; that feeling on account of which a man does (in the banal sense) insane things, as if testing his personal power and strength, claiming the presence of a higher judgment over life, which stands outside human conventions… "
Now, the quote does not contain the word POSHLOST', but ALL THE STUFF that THE DESDAIN IS DIRECTED TOWARD - can be defined as POSHLOST'
And,responding to Alex - War and Peace IS on my re-read shelf.
Let me take the opportunity and place a quote from this novel right here; hopefully, that way, more people participating in the blog will see it, rather than if I posted it at some particular thread.
There is a word, a concept in the Russian language that is very hard to translate into English. The word is POSHLOST'.
It is translated by different English words depending on the context, but the concept somehow never gets conveyed in full to my opinion.
The quote below can serve as a definition of the concept. It does not give the complete definition (which is impossible) but grasps an important aspect of it.
Now, the reason that I'd like to share this concept is this: The more I read and the more I listen to other readers - the more I see that the major topic of almost all Russian classic literature can be described by this word - POSHLOST'
I think the better we grasp the concept the better we'll understand the Russian classic works.
Here's the quote:
"..the other [feeling] was that vague, exclusively Russian FEELING OF DESDAIN FOR everything conventional, artificial, human, for everything that most people consider the highest good in the world. Pierre had experienced that strange and fascinating feeling for the first time in the Slobodsky palace, when he had suddenly felt that wealth, and power, and life - all that people arrange and preserve with such care - all this, if it is worth anything, is so only because of the pleasure with which one can abandon it all.
" It was that feeling on account of which a volunteer recruit drinks up his last kopeck, a man on a drunken binge smashes mirrors and windows without any apparent reason and knowing that it will cost him his last penny; that feeling on account of which a man does (in the banal sense) insane things, as if testing his personal power and strength, claiming the presence of a higher judgment over life, which stands outside human conventions… "
Now, the quote does not contain the word POSHLOST', but ALL THE STUFF that THE DESDAIN IS DIRECTED TOWARD - can be defined as POSHLOST'
Hello everyone,My name is Brad, and I am Canadian. While in university, I studied Russian and History. I took both languag and literature courses, and have helped teach both Soviet and Imperial Russian history courses. While in university, I had the opportunity to study in St. Petersburg for four months, and I think I came back with more books than clothes in my suitcase.
Since leaving university, I haven't had a ton of impetus to read heavier books, but I find myself missing it quite a bit. I'm hoping to follow along in some of the short story discussions, as well as the occasional novel! Great group!
Bradley
Hello everyone. My name is Mayra Im from colombia, and I lived in barranquilla a city located on the north of my country. well I work and I study so I dont have free time but when I do, the only thing that comes to my mind is: books. I love books. recently I moved to a new house and the first and the only thing that I cared about was my books. so you can imagine. I read all the post here so far, and have seen people from all over the world, hopefully all of you can teach me something about russian lit, the only book that I've been able to read is: First love by Ivan Turgueniev. (dont know if thats the correct name in english). anyways hopefully as i said before I can learn a little bit more about this literature.PS. Im very sorry if you find some 'grammar mistake' sorry, english is not my mother language as you can imagine.
ok, Im very very new at this. can someone explain me how it works?, I've found you guys are currently reading dead souls, and the deadline is for the 21st which means...tomorrow. no, im not that lucky I cant read this in one day. but i've seen you would start reading the next one in the 21st. do I have to read first dead and souls regardless how late I am? or I will wait until 21st to read the next one?Im so sorry if im being a pain in the...
however like the russian guy who now lives in USA (sorry man Dont remember your name) you guys have to be really patient with me.
sorry:).
regards.
mayra.
Mayra, you can read however it fits into your schedule. Maybe you don't have time to read Dead Souls right now and that is OK, you can just go to the short story, or you can read Dead Souls now and just be a little late to the discussion.Your English is fine. It's the only language I speak, and sometimes I make mistakes.
thank you. so I would start with both books. now:)thank you very much Elizabeth.:)
Mehidalgo wrote: "Hello everyone. My name is Mayra Im from colombia, and I lived in barranquilla a city located on the north of my country. well I work and I study so I dont have free time but when I do, the only th..."Welcome and don't worry about mistakes in English, we encourage each other (I am Italian) and make us company!
About Russian literature I can tell you only that I have fallen in love with it reading The Insulted and Humiliated by Dostoyevsky when I was a teenager and never stopped loving Russian literature though I have not always a lot of time to read every thing I like even because I read also other books who interest me.
dely wrote: "Mehidalgo wrote: "Hello everyone. My name is Mayra Im from colombia, and I lived in barranquilla a city located on the north of my country. well I work and I study so I dont have free time but when..."thank you dely. you are Italian? I already Love you. I mean I love pasta to death. someday I would go there. well as a matter of fact I've discovered that I have that dostoyevsky book in my book shelf. so after I finish with dead souls, and the other one from dostoyevsky I guess I would read it. regards dely. but honestly I would not mind if you tell me I wrote something wrong in english.
Mehidalgo wrote: "but honestly I would not mind if you tell me I wrote something wrong in english."Oh no, I am the wrong person to correct you, me too I make a lot of mistakes :D
Larga vida a la pasta, siempre!
Mod
Welcome to "Discovering Russian Literature": Alex, Jerika, Bradley and Mayra!
Welcome Brad and Mayra!
Looks like we got two opposite temperaments on reading with you guys.. :)
Looks like we got two opposite temperaments on reading with you guys.. :)
dely wrote: "Mehidalgo wrote: "but honestly I would not mind if you tell me I wrote something wrong in english."
Oh no, I am the wrong person to correct you, me too I make a lot of mistakes :D
Larga vida ..."
Well..now I feel like I, too, have to step in..
I, too, make a lot of mistakes (despite that I live in the US already sixteen years... Apparently, to make mistakes is in my Russian blood and as Selifan, I tend to take wrong turns).
And I,too, always want to be corrected..in a wishful hope to improve by that.
And since our English speaking friends for sure are going to stay politically correct, we can correct each other (here I mean dely, Mayra and myself)..imagine what an entertainment it would be for the native English speakers.. :)
OK..maybe it's not a very good joke..I'm not Gogol after all.. :(
Oh no, I am the wrong person to correct you, me too I make a lot of mistakes :D
Larga vida ..."
Well..now I feel like I, too, have to step in..
I, too, make a lot of mistakes (despite that I live in the US already sixteen years... Apparently, to make mistakes is in my Russian blood and as Selifan, I tend to take wrong turns).
And I,too, always want to be corrected..in a wishful hope to improve by that.
And since our English speaking friends for sure are going to stay politically correct, we can correct each other (here I mean dely, Mayra and myself)..imagine what an entertainment it would be for the native English speakers.. :)
OK..maybe it's not a very good joke..I'm not Gogol after all.. :(
JAJAJAJAAJ. actually it was a good joke. and yes I dont mind if people tell me I wrote something wrong.this is like a book club from all over the world, sadly here we do not have book clubs...or maybe Ive never been invited to one, anyways its really interesting. have you guys already start reading the books? Ive already read little orphan but I just found it over the internet, but its really short. can someone tell me if 'little orphan' is that short?
I would appreciate it.
Mehidalgo wrote: "I dont mind if people tell me I wrote something wrong."Me neither. Therefore, native English speakers, no mercy with us :D
hi all...i live in los angeles, which is perhaps as far from the russian winters as can be. i studied and work in finance. i have no education in literature. but from the first time i read brothers karamazov, i have felt a strong, personal connection to russian literature. it is by far my favorite.
Hello Everyone. I am fond of Russian lit (and Russian music!) so thought I would join you for the next read. See my Profile for further info about me:).
Mod
Hello Madge! You're most welcome. I met you during Jane Eyre's reading at "The Readers Review". You're just in time for the nominations for October and November reads. Don't forget to take a peek at the Group Reading Nominations thread.
Hey everyone!I'm Jess, I just graduated in May from the University of Vermont with a BA in Literature and Philosophy. Since graduating I have been sad about no longer having group discussions about whatever I am reading, and I am so glad to have found goodreads / this group!!! As far as Russian lit, I was raised with my mom telling me how much she loved the Russian writers, but strangely enough, my father is the one with the Russian heritage. I grew up going to a Russian Orthodox Church and we got to celebrate both the western christmas and the Russian christmas :3 As far as lit goes, I wish I have read more, but I love Dostoevsky, Bulgakov, and Turgenev! I'm so excited to do some group reads with you guys!
Thought I too would introduce myself. Hi I'm Shanez I'm also from Sri Lanka. (I bet you didn't know it Amalie;) I'm not really a people person but I like it here on Goodreads and I love this group. I too grew up reading Russian (Soviet Union) children's books. I think it something in the country. There's no one here who hasn't read a single Russian novel. I have a brother who lives in Russia that's pretty much how I connect to it regionally :)
It's is great to have Russians on board - welcome Ian!
Mod
Shanez wrote: "Thought I too would introduce myself. Hi I'm Shanez I'm also from Sri Lanka. (I bet you didn't know it Amalie;) I'm not really a people person but I like it here on Goodreads and I love this group...."
No, I thought you're from India or something :D There aren't many active Sri Lankans on Goodreads so I had given up the hope of finding any. Where are you from?
Hi everyone. My name is Mary and I love Russian lit, culture and history. I am planning on taking a Russian language class this month at a continuing Ed school. I've read some Dostoevsky and Tolstoy and am looking forward to branching out to other authors.
Amalie wrote: "No, I thought you're from India or something :D There aren't many active Sri Lankans on Goodreads so I had given up the hope of finding any. Where are you from? ..."
I'm from Kandy but now I live in Dehiwela with my husband and two sons. Will you be coming for the International Book Fair?
I'm from Kandy but now I live in Dehiwela with my husband and two sons. Will you be coming for the International Book Fair?
Mary wrote: "Hi everyone. My name is Mary and I love Russian lit, culture and history. I am planning on taking a Russian language class this month at a continuing Ed school. I've read some Dostoevsky and To..."
Tolstoy and Dostoevky are my favourites too! Welcome Mary. I hope we'll see you more in group readings.
Tolstoy and Dostoevky are my favourites too! Welcome Mary. I hope we'll see you more in group readings.
My name is Wanda. I have lived in Indiana (USA) all of my life. I read daily and have lately tried to expand my reading to include books from other cultures. I have no background in Russian literture but would like to give it a try. When is the next book read scheduled to begin and what book will it be? I'd like to read along and try to participate in the discussion. It seems like that could be an enriching opportunity for me to learn more about Russian literature.
Mod
Wanda wrote: "When is the next book read scheduled to begin and what book will it be? I'd like to read along and try to participate in the discussion. ..."
Check the "Group Business" area for the new nominations which will end on 15th Sept. There's still time. Join in for the " 2011 Short Story Challenger". You can see more details in "Group Reads - Short Fiction". Just look around and join us.
Shanez wrote: "Will you be coming for the International Book Fair? ..."
You bet! I went this Sunday. That's the only day I'm free. The Russian bookstall is in Hall F, next to the VIP car park. I just couldn't leave it. Finally my mother dragged me out ;)
Amalie wrote: "You bet! I went this Sunday. That's the only day I'm free. The Russian bookstall is in Hall F, next to the VIP car park. I just couldn't leave it. Finally my mother dragged me out ;) ..."
Thanks Amalie! I'll check it out. I do it every year. I'm planning to go on this Saturday with my sons.
Thanks Amalie! I'll check it out. I do it every year. I'm planning to go on this Saturday with my sons.
Hello, everyone!My name is Lyle. I was born and raised in Minnesota. Tolstoy has always been one of my favorite authors dating back nearly 25 years. I’ve always been captivated by that period in Russia prior to the 1918 revolution. I’ve enjoyed other novels over the years including “White Russian” by Tom Bradby and Robert Alexander’s collection. I am currently reading “Dreams of My Russian Summers”. I’ve already read a few interesting discussions by this group and look forward to reading more.
Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I read most of the well-known Russian novels a long time ago as a student so I'm here to (hopefully) discover contemporary Russian authors writing about contemporary life in Russia. (I'm travelling there next year).
Lyle, Lisa it's so nice to have you here. Welcome!
Hello! My name is Andrea. I have studied Russian language and culture in university. I've had the opportunity to travel to Russia, which only increased my fascination with the culture. I have very much enjoyed reading some of the classics and am looking forward to exploring some more contemporary works here with this discussion group!
Hi everyone, I'm Nikolai, 18. Sadly, despite my name, I am not from Russia. I did study Russian for two years, though I haven't used it recently so I'm a bit rusty. Crime and Punishment is my absolute favourite novel and has been since I first read it 6 years ago - since then I've read two translations and a chapter in Russian, I'm a bit obsessive. :) As for favourite authors - Nabokov, Chekhov, and Gogol.I'm currently reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a translation by Ralph Parker.
It'd be great to add some friends who also enjoy Russian lit, it unfortunately seems a bit rare.
Hi y'all! I'm Sarah. I discovered Crime & Punishment when I was in college, and I would go so far as to say that it was a life-changing experience. Whether C&P or The Brothers Karamazov is my favorite book depends on when you ask me. Dostoyevsky is my favorite author. I've also read some Tolstoy, Turgenev, Solzhenitsyn, Pushkin, etc., though I need to read more. I've been trying to teach myself Russian over the years. One of my goals is eventually to be able to read Dostoyevsky in the original Russian, but I have a long way to go!
I also love Russian music. Prokofiev's opera War & Peace was what got me interested in reading the book and subsequently in the whole Russian lit scene.
Sarah wrote: "Hi y'all! I'm Sarah. I discovered Crime & Punishment when I was in college, and I would go so far as to say that it was a life-changing experience. Whether C&P or The Brothers Karamazov is my fa..."
Hello Sarah welcome to the group! :) I have to say I've never listened to any Russian music, unless in the movies of course.
Hello Sarah welcome to the group! :) I have to say I've never listened to any Russian music, unless in the movies of course.
Hi! I am Olivia, 30, and I live in London. I love Russian literature - I read all kinds of things, but the Russians keep drawing me back. I work on Russia and speak Russian, and sometimes read Russian books in Russian but am often quite lazy about that. I particularly am obsessed with Nabokov, Dostoevsky and Life and Fate (haven't read anything else by Grossman). But Gogol and Chekhov and others are of course wonderful.
Welcome Olivia!
(from a Russian)
(from a Russian)
Discovering Russian Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
Крокодил Гена и его друзья (other topics)A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891 - 1924 (other topics)
Ten Days that Shook the World (other topics)
Hadji Murat (other topics)
Life and Fate (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Maxim Gorky (other topics)Nina Sadur (other topics)
Sergei Lukyanenko (other topics)
Leo Tolstoy (other topics)
Fyodor Dostoevsky (other topics)
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