Introduce Yourself : New Chapter

[Ananda]

Hello. I'm 39 and have no prior history reading Russian literature, not even in high school, so I'm a bit of a late bloomer with it, but got hooked once I started reading Chekhov. The reason I opened one of his books was because of my love of Raymond Carver, who I'd discovered was a huge admirer of Chekhov. I am also a fan of Tolstoy and the lesser-known Andreyev (of 'The Red Laugh'). I might need some help appreciating Nabakov and Dostoevsky, who I've tried to read and didn't particularly like.

[Marie]

Dobro pozhalovat', Bienvenido, Welcome to new members.
How could I forget Pushkin! A poet whose longer poems read like short stories, and tales read like poetry. Such elegant, deceptively simple style. I read & reread the Queen of Spades, The Tales of Belkin. The Bronze Horseman Boris Godunov Evgenii Onegin .. so many times & never tire of them. (Also to refresh my Russian!)

[Limey]

Well, I'm English, but I've lived in Russia for 16 years, and, strangely enough, I've not read that much Russian literature in that time, though some, of course. Most Russian reading is generally other stuff, and more often not actually books, but papers and magazines, and most reading is generally in English, and again not Russian literature.

It's just mainly a time thing, and other stuff I feel is important to read, and general interests beyond just Russia and literature (though to me they're all part of one thing), as well as beyond reading.

I have a big collection of Russian books, which I'm not sure how I'll transport if I leave the country, and wish to get on the case of reading a bunch of it. Probably about half of it is literaary prose, mainly novels, though some collections of short stories, then some poetry (a shelf of that), some criticism, philosopy, psychology, politics, cultural/historical stuff, scientific stuff, some translations into Russian of other stuff, though you don't care about that because this is a literature group.

I just went and had a look and I estimate I have about 250 books in Russian (and maybe 3 or 4 or so in English) of Russian literature on my shelves, ranging from the late 1700s until 2012.

I'll never read it all, of course.

A couple of years ago I tried to get a grip on the contemporary literature of Russia, which maybe is a divergence from the norm of reading the classics, which might be of interest to some, and I did have an idea to make some lists of the prize-winners of Russian literary awards (not to say that's necessarily the measure of quality, but gives an overview, some insight and is bound to include some quality). Though I've completely been distracted away from this over the last year or so. Though I do have a reasonable amount of contemporary Russian literature. Most of it is probably not even listed on this site. I'm applying to be a librarian with that being a big part of my 'pitch' for why I should be.

Never enough time though. I heard somewhere, don't know if it's true, that also Pushkin said that too much reading is for those who don't do enough thinking. I say 'also' because that's what I used to say at universtity when I went off of reading. There is some sense in it. It should all go together, in an amorphous an almost harmonious mass with no clear edges, seemingly to potentially stretch off into infinity; like 'Bitches Brew' by Miles Davis.

Right now I'm reading Прощание с иллюзиями, a new, extended, updated edition of Parting with Illusions (though in Russia it's the first edition published, which the author translated himself (he's French, American and Russian all simultaneously, with the passports to go with it)) which is an autobiograpy/memoirs, so doesn't really count as far as this group is concerned.

I'm also half-way through Обитаемый остров Stugatsky Brothers - Inhabited Island), in a different edition (not on this site) which hopefully does count, although some might sniff at sci-fi (it's more than that though, in fact there's not much about space or anything futuristic in it at all, and, yes, the movie is awful (as are all Sergei Bondarchuk films, as far as I can tell, like '9th Company' which is at least as bad), and they maybe didn't read the book, but just a rough synopsis of the main events in it, before they made it). You people know not to judge a book by the film, of course.

I also picked up a book by Nina Sadur (it's not listed on the site), because it looks intriguing (mystical, maybe a little 'unsavoury'), and also I just got a copy of The Thaw, which it took me a long time to get hold of (doesn't seem to be published these days, my copy is from 1954, it maybe even be a first edition, I'm not sure, but only cost about 10 bucks).

There you go. I'll just be the guy with the books who doesn't get around to reading them enough, who can read the originals but just lets them sit there, who supposedly has formally studied Russian literature but has read less of it than most of you.

But then, we're all mortal.

[Anne]

Mark wrote: "Well, I'm English, but I've lived in Russia for 16 years, and, strangely enough, I've not read that much Russian literature in that time, though some, of course. Most Russian reading is generally o..."

Mark, there's a wonderful blog on contemporary Russian literature called "Lizok's Bookshelf"... Just in case you're not familiar with it, I thought I'd mention it. She reads and reviews contemporary writing, provides updates on prizes, etc. I envy your sixteen years in Russia. I only lived there for one year (though lived in Moldova for four years afterwards). I tried hard to "become Russian" but, sadly, could not quite figure out how to achieve that!!

[munnabhai]

hi everyone,
i am niranjan patel, from ahmedabad, india but now in chernivtsi ukraine studying medicine.

i am reading brothers karamazov now and thought to search some group where i can discuss it as i found the book a bit disturbing and depressing.
i had to stop after reading half cause it threw me in a sort of depression but i have started it again and hope to finish it by tomorrow night..

[[deleted user]]

Hello Niranjan! Welcome to the group. We hope to see you around. I'm guessing you're perhaps not a fan of Dostoevsky? Hope you finished it and enjoyed it as well. I'm a huge fan of Dostoevsky. :)

[munnabhai]

Shanez wrote: "Hello Niranjan! Welcome to the group. We hope to see you around. I'm guessing you're perhaps not a fan of Dostoevsky? Hope you finished it and enjoyed it as well. I'm a huge fan of Dostoevsky. :)"
yes i finished it...it was a good book overall, though there were times when it was almost impossible to read, but i liked last few chapters..
particularly i hated the character of Mrs. Kokhlakov, she made me feel like i would smash my head rather than continue reading..

anyways, book was worth reading for its deep psychology and all..

[Marie]

Dostoevsky isn't everyone's cup of chai, Niranjan, the way he plumbs the depths of human psychology & dredges up some not very pleasant aspects of it. That's why I'm a great fan. Also he's prone to rambling & digressing. I'd suggest giving yourself a break & trying Turgenev or Tolstoy as an antidote to depressing Dosters.

[munnabhai]

yes i knew that the book would be little difficult to read but i decided to read it all the same for its deep psychology and analysis of characters..
i have read few short stories of tolstoy and i liked them, i plan to read anna karenina soon..
i dont know any work of tuegenev, but i would add it to the list if someone can suggest me some of his works..

[Marie]

Since you'e a medic, Niranjan, how about Fathers and Sons by Turgenev? About an idealistic doctor.

[munnabhai]

thanks for suggestion, i have added it to my reading list.. :)

[Lemar]

Hi Everybody, I am Lemar, age 50, living in California. I studied Russian language but have not been lucky enough to go there yet. The language is beautiful to the ear and the writers grapple engagingly and fearlessly with themes of existence. My favorites are:Notes from Underground
and The Brothers Karamazov
I am excited to join with others to share the love of this literature and to learn from.

[Chiara]

Hi everyone - after reading and loving Tolstoy, Turgenev, and now Pasternak, I've kind of come to the conclusion that I love Russian literature :) I'm currently about halfway through Doctor Zhivago, and I'm thinking next I will go to Pushkin, to kind of start from the source. I've never been in any kind of book club or reading group, but I will check out Poems of Akhmatova and maybe join in.

Chiara

[D.J.]

I'm Debbi. I stumbled across this group while trying to find more Russian literature books to add to my list. I've read a mixture of old and new Russian literature -- all in English. I'm studying Russian, but I don't know it well enough to read in Russian.

[Kevin]

Hi Amalie, I am not Russian, but German. I am from Colorado, just read some of Tolstoy's short stories, and recently finished Crime and Punishment - which I loved. I am an elementary school teacher and poet who loves to read and write. My goal is to read more Tolstoy and Dostoevsky this year as I recently was turned on to these wonderful authors. I also hope to read more Russian poetry - as I have heard many wonderful things about these Russian poets whom I have never read. I am looking forward to great discussions!

[David]

Hello, my name is David, and I'm starting to really get into Russian literature. I read Crime and Punishment several years ago and enjoyed it; I reread it recently and fell in love with it. I have also read Notes from Underground, and I'm studying Russian literature in general for another one of my classes, with a focus on Dr Zhivago. I look forward to joining your discussions.

[Nina]

Hi I'm Nina I just joined. I love Russian literature, and above all the classics. My favorite author is Dostoevsky and my favorite book is Brothers Karamazov.
What I like the most about his books are his characters and the religious themes that are present in almost all of his books.

[munnabhai]

i recently finished ths book (brothers karamazov), and honestly at the time, it seemed to be the worst book i have ever read only after catch-22,,,and i had to stop reading it for a week, but now that i have finished, it seems to me that i know the book by heart, like i actually exerienced all the torments of the charachters....
this book has really had a deep influence on me..

now i m reading short stories by pushkin n fathers n sons by turgenev..
reading all these books about 1700-1800 in russia and living in west ukraine, its sometimes tormenting for me..
anyone living in post-soviet countries here ??
for me its like, time travelling from modern ukraine to imperial russia of 1700 when i read and i have such a strong urge to live in that time..
its like that movie-midnight in paris

anyone having similar experiences ??

[Nina]

Yes, I would like to live in St. Petersburg of the times of Pushkin and Dostoevsky. :) But I would very much like too visit the todays St. Petersburg too.

[Dave]

Hi all, I'm Dave. I've been enjoying Russian lit (in translation), on and off, for 45 years. My favorite from the 19th century is Tolstoy's Resurrection. I generally prefer the Soviet era; especially the early years, but I also appreciate Socialist Realism and Samizdat lit. I plan to reread some of these earlier works and hope to finally get around to Bulgakov. I'm also looking forward to new insights and recommendations.

[Marie]

Welcome Dave. How refreshing. Not many readers say they prefer the Soviet era & socialist realism. That opens up a whole new discussion thread. Which writers do you like? For me Blok, Mayakovsky, some Sholokhov, some Gorky but there are some very interesting ones writing in the 60's who had to tread very carefully. I also had to read Gladkov, Dudintsev and Furmanov, but can't say I enjoyed them.

[Dave]

Marie wrote: "Welcome Dave. How refreshing. Not many readers say they prefer the Soviet era & socialist realism. That opens up a whole new discussion thread. Which writers do you like? For me Blok, Mayakovsky, s..."

Thank you Marie. Some of my favorite prose writers are Sholokov, Tertz (or whoever he's turned out to have been), Solzhenitsyn, Babel, Simonov, Olesha, Pasternak, Fedin, Ilf/Petrov...the list goes on. I only read one work by most of these writers and that was 20 or more years ago (Solzhenitsyn is the exception in both regards). I'm generally not much for poetry, especially in translation, but I did like Mayakovsky, Yevtushensky and especially Voznesensky. What Gladkov did you read, Cement?

[Marie]

Cement, yes and How the Steel was Tempered, Chapayev...
Lots of interesting short story writers - Tendryakov, Nekrasov, Paustovsky etc.

I particularly liked Tarsis, 'Ward 7, oh and Grossman's Life & Fate.

[Hayley]

Hey all, new to the group and new to Russian Lit. I've just picked up Crime and Punishment and seem to have quite a few of the classics in my 'to -read' shelf in my mind.

I'm here hoping for help, support and suggestions for further reading (I have, of course, War & Peace on my shelf along with The Idiot... there are others but I'm at work so can't remember them rn).

Thank you :)

[Julie]

Hello Everyone - I'm new to the group and to Russia Lit. I read Fathers and Sons a while ago and studied The Cherry Orchard and loved both so much I joined a Russian Lit group :) Am not sure what to read next and hoped to get some recommendations from you guys if you wouldn't mind. Should I dive straight in to something as big as Crime and Punishment or are there short stories that will ease me?
Thanks
Julie

[Marie]

Welcome, Julie. since you've studied a Chekhov play why not try his short stories? He's a master of the art. Also other Turgenev novels especially On the Eve, Home of the Gentry (also trans. as A Nest of Gentlefolk!) and of course Lermontov, A Hero of Our Time.

[Julie]

Thank you Marie - yes, will do!

[John]

Hi Everyone. My name is Jack and I've just joined the group. I have enjoyed reading and studying Russian literature since my high school days, and I'm looking forward to group discussions.

[Captain]

Hi my name is Aksana, but I prefer to go by Captain Buckwheat for my devotion to adventure stories and buckwheat. If anybody finds an interesting title among the books on my shelves to read, drop me a note - we could start simultaneously and share our opinions on it as we read it. I am willing to see if it will make my reading time even more exciting.

[Michael]

Hi Guys, I have a real love for Russian Literature, so I thought joining this group would be the best way to help explore that. I hope to discover other great Russian novels and join in on all the group reads. Can't wait to be involved.

[Timothy]

Hey Everyone. I joined this group last week after finishing Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina.' I'm looking to get into Dostoyevsky, Chekhov and others. Anyone willing to "get nerdy with it" and discuss or co-read a work, go ahead and friend me and we can shoot notes back and forth; I also wouldn't mind getting more friends who use Goodreads regularly to keep it interesting. Happy Reading.

[Allie]

Hi everyone, I'm Allie. I'm an American and I currently live in Peru as an infectious disease researcher. I'm starting medical school in the US in August so I'm trying to read as much as possible before my free time is devoured.

I've read some Russian works (Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment; Tolstoy's AK; some Chekov plays), but I would love to read more and to have a community with which to explore the amazing depth and breadth of Russian literature!

[Ömer]

Hi everyone. I'm Omer. I'm Turkish and I don't know Russian. (But I would like to learn) I met Russian Literature with Notes From Underground 2 years ago and now I'm a huge fan of Dostoyevsky. One of my dreams is to visit St. Petersburg one day. I'm here to discover new Russian novels and join this group:)

[Gwen]

Hello everybody!

My name is Gwen. I'm 27 years old and from Belgium.
I have a masters degree in Eastern European Languages & Cultures. Russian Literature was always my favourite subject!
Have read a couple books in Russian but it's not very relaxing for me (especially after several years without practice) so I read most books in Dutch or English translation.
I joined this group in the hopes of finding some "hidden gems" and maybe becoming motivated to tackle some of the classics still on the to do list!

My favourites are:
Lermontov - Hero of our Times
Zamjatin - We
Sologub - The petty demon
Rasputin - Farewell to Matyora
Turgenev - Home of the Gentry
Dostoyevsky - Crime & Punishment

Any suggestions more than welcome!

[Dave]

Here's a suggestion, Gwen, The Peasants, by Wladylaw Reymont, winner of the 1924 Nobel Prize for Lit. Written in Polish, in a sense it's a Russian novel; both the author and the setting were in Russian Poland in 1904 when it was published. It's actually a tetralogy with each volume carrying one of the seasons in its title. Adam Fullerton and I read are currently reading the first volume, The Peasants: Autumn and exchanging notes. It's written in the naturalist style, reminiscent of Zola, Dreiser and Hardy. AND it's available for free from Internet Archive.

[Gwen]

Excellent suggestion! Such a coincidence you would mention it: I've had it sitting around here in my little library for years - untouched.

Just started reading something new a couple of days ago though so that will have to go first :)

[Hendrik]

Hi, my name is Hendrik and i live in Germany. Until a couple of years ago I had no special interest in Russian literature. I abandoned "Crime and Punishment" (got confused by all the different character names) and found "Dead Souls" really boring. The only russian book I instantly liked was Bulgakow's 'Master and Margarita'. But that changed after I took some russian language lessons. Since then I've read classics by Tolstoy, Dostojewskij, Lermontow and Kuprin. But I also enjoy reading contemporary Russian lit, like Viktor Pelewin's "Чапаев и Пустота".

[Olga]

I am a Russian-American. I have lived in the US since 1992. There are so many Russian authors and books that I love. Poetry: Pushkin, Blok, Gumilev, Severyanin... Prose: Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Goncharov, Paustovsky... Books: Brothers Karamazov, We, Twelve Chairs, Poor Folk, Scarlet Sails, Prince Serebryanny, Aelita, Oblomov, short stories by Chekhov,... Growing up I loved kids books by Anatoly Rybakov and the book Golden Key by Alexei Tolstoy. One book that I would really love to read is Sandro from Chegem, but I do not know wether Fazil' Iskander would be considered a Russian writer, probably not. I heard a piece from the above novel read on the radio in Russian and it was hilarious. These days I read a lot of American, English, and Canadian literature because of the access issue. I live in rural North Carolina, so Russian books are not readily available locally.

[Amanda]

I am a Brazilian and I fell in love with Russian Literature after Crime and Punishment... it was striking! I also tasted a little bit of Tolstoi (not War and Peace, though), Tchekhov and Gogol (Not Dead Souls... yet). I am a little tired of just reading short stories, so now I want a full-lenghted good old novel. I have Brothers Karamazov, Anna Karenina and War and Peace in my priority list. I am open to suggestions of more modern books!

[Lex]

Olga wrote: "I am a Russian-American. I have lived in the US since 1992. There are so many Russian authors and books that I love. Poetry: Pushkin, Blok, Gumilev, Severyanin... Prose: Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Goncha..."

I like Iskander as well. And thanks for the suggestions I will go and check them out. And you are right it has hard to find books. My source is Amazon. I recently bought two Russian books from their site.

[Verity]

Greetings all from the warm summer desert of New Mexico! Russian was my way of teenage rebellion: my father really dislike it, so I had to see if it was truly all that bad. Now I cannot seem to stay away, from the language or the literature. I love Pushkin, Yevtushenko and many others. Hoping this group will help motivate me to get to the 5+ books waiting on my shelf.

[Todd]

Hello. I'm Todd from the US. Been reading Russian lit for around 10 years now after I randomly picked up Crime and Punishment one day and loved everything about it, including figuring out eventually that all the names and patronymics and nicknames weren't all different characters:). Currently hooked on Checkhov and just can't get enough of how wonderfully he conveys these incredible thoughts and characters and the words just flow so perfectly...

[Francesca]

Hi everybody! I'm Francesca and I'm italian. I'm actually new to russian lit. (I've read only The Masteer and Margarita) Hope this group will give me good advices ti enter in the russian world! :)

[Tigran]

Hi I'm Tigran and I'm from armenia,my favorite authors are japenese,but I also like russian literature,I'm reading it in original language(actually I know russian much better than english) & I can say that it is very rich and beautiful language

[Mariya]

Hello everyone! My name is Masha. I am 27 years old. I live in Norway.
I have always loved Russian Literature! My favourite authors are Alexander Pushkin, Ivan Bunin, and Anton Chekhov.
I'm glad to be a member of this group. It's amazing how many people from all over the world love Russian Literature!

[Lisa]

Hi Im Lisa, Im a Doctor from South Africa. I've read and Anna Karenina and have tried to read The Brothers Karamazov. I would like to broaden my horizons by exploring more Russian literature.

[Michelle]

Hello,
My name is Michelle, I live in Edinburgh and I'm trying to learn Russian at the moment so I'm reading Russian literature, history, watching Russian films and documentaries... Really just anything to try and submerse myself in Russian culture because I have the attention span of a fly and really want to learn the language!
I don't have any friends with similar interests in the language (or any friends who are avid readers come to think of it) so I'm very happy I spotted this group!

[Randy]

Hello all, I'm Randy, a married lawyer with 3 kids from America. I love Russian Literature so I thought I would give your group a try. Best.

[Jay]

Hi all,

I just joined the group and am looking forward to reading through the different discussions. I have been reading more in the last few years, and have been trying to get in a lot of classics/great works. I've found that the few Russina lit books I've read (Brothers K, Master & Margarita, etc) I've really enjoyed. So, I'm interested in pursuing more great Russian lit reads, and hearing discussions on them. I'm currently reading Eugene Onegin, and I have The Twelve Chairs on deck :).

[Mariya]

Michelle wrote: "Hello,
My name is Michelle, I live in Edinburgh and I'm trying to learn Russian at the moment so I'm reading Russian literature, history, watching Russian films and documentaries... Really just an..."

Приятно познакомиться, Мишель! :-) Какую книгу Вы сейчас читаете?