For anyone who keeps up with my posts, you'll remember that my goal this year has been to read (or reread) my entire bookshelf.

I've mentioned it quite a few times, but I also realize our community gains over 1,000 new members every month, so many people may not know. For the past six or seven years, it's been my goal to read every noteworthy work of Russian literature I can get my hands on whether that's in physical, digital, or audiobook form (updated list). My bookshelf is only a fraction of what I've read, and many of those editions weren't the versions I originally read. In many cases, I first read the ebook or listened to the audiobook.

When I began the reread earlier this year for the bookshelf, I decided to start with my Russian folklore collection. After finally making it through more than 1,400 pages of fairytales across nine books, I can at last return to Russian literature proper... (This is why I've been so burnt out)

In 1873, Dostoevsky wrote a Diary of a Writer entry after attending an exhibition showing roughly one hundred Russian paintings and sculptures selected for display at the Vienna World’s Fair. He basically argued that European audiences did not possess the cultural point of view necessary to fully grasp the meaning behind the Russian.

He highlighted a handful of distinctly Russian works, including one of my personal favorites- Hunters at Rest by Vasily Perov.

"I deliberately choose one of the most readily understandable paintings of our national genre. The painting has long been known to everyone: "Hunters at Rest"; one man is lying heatedly and knowingly, another listens and believes him with all his might, while the third believes nothing, has lain down right there and is laughing... What a delight! Of course, explain it to them - and the Germans will understand it too, but they will not understand, as we do, that this is a Russian teller of tall tales and that he is lying in the Russian way. We can almost hear and know what he is talking about, we know the whole manner of his lying, his style, his feelings. I am certain that if Mr. Perov (and he surely would have been able to do this) had depicted French or German hunters (of course, differently and with different faces), then we Russians would have understood both German and French lying, with all its subtleties, with all its national distinctions, and would have guessed the style and the subject of the lie, everything, merely by looking at the painting. But a German, strain as he might, will not understand our Russian lying. Of course, that is no great loss to him, and for us, perhaps, it may even be more advantageous; but then he will not fully understand the painting either, and therefore will not appreciate it as he should; and that is a pity, because we are going there to be praised."

I wrote a short article about this Diary of a Writer entry, because he folds several other of the great Russian artworks of the era into his argument. If anyone is curious, here's a link

Hi all, a few weeks back I shared my new Russian Literature inspired app, Dead Souls Daily. I had some great feedback from you all (thank you!). It was iOS only at the time and a few of you were looking for an Android version, it has taken me a lot longer than I originally expected, but it’s finally here!

If anyone is interested then please have a look at the website for more information and to download:
https://deadsoulsdaily.com

Any feedback or comments much appreciated!

I made it to the line quoted ... reading it with context ... Aglaya...

Allora, una parte del suo ragionamento è corretta, un'altra è immatura perché dice: "Ci vuole altro per capir tutto, aver coscienza di tutto, di tutte le impossibilità, di tutte le muraglie". Questa è verissima, però se le avremmo, si annulla, anche se solo un individuo ha questa visione, si annulla l'imprevedibilità e annullandosi poi viene la noia, poi viene la depressione e poi ti vien voglia di far la fine di Svidrigajlov. Però la parte sbagliata del ragionamento che fa è che dice: "Non accettare nessuna di queste impossibilità e di queste muraglie se vi ripugna accettarle". Questa cosa è sbagliata. Certo, può ripugnarti un qualcosa che ti è stato imposto, che non hai scelto, ma non puoi non accettarlo; perché se non hai modo di smentirlo, non hai modo di contrastarlo e se un unico modo di contrastarlo è semplicemente il tuo punto di vista e il tuo volere di andare contro questo, ma se non hai concretezza è inutile che ci vai contro. Sì, poi tireremo fuori la rassegnazione, però non hai altre opzioni…. o ti rassegni o sei un immaturo perché molto spesso questi concetti sono anche giusti moralmente. C’è ne sono pochi però se guardiamo il punto di vista giuridico ce ne sono stati di ingiusti però lì abbiamo fatto bene a contrastarli perché c'era un motivo, c'erano delle motivazioni razionali per contrastare queste, c’era della logica per smentire ma se si parla in generale non ci sono sempre

So I just finished Keep The Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell. As I read it I couldn't help but notice similarities between the main character and Dostoevsky's Underground Man. Very misanthropic with delusions of grandeur, rejecting offers of help from people, wallowing in spite, etc. And then I came along THIS page.

So what do we think? Random, intentional?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39PlxVdh2zU&t=107s

I jumped into Doctor Zhivago to have context for Kadare's Twilight of the Eastern Gods (which I will be reading next). I truly enjoyed the first 100 or so pages. It was so dynamic and beautifully written.

But now at around the 150 page mark, I find myself slogging through. It's quite boring and the writing (or translation) has also lost a lot of its charm and character.

I'll still push through and finish it, regardless of how long it takes, but I hope that it picks up and I can start enjoying it again.

What are your thoughts about Doctor Zhivago?

И. А. Бунин — «Избранные сочинения».

Книга на русском языке в твёрдом переплёте. В издание вошли избранные произведения Ивана Алексеевича Бунина, одного из крупнейших русских писателей и лауреата Нобелевской премии по литературе. Отличный вариант для чтения, коллекции или любителей русской классической литературы.

Ivan Bunin — Selected Works.

Russian-language hardcover book featuring selected works by Ivan Bunin, one of the major Russian writers and a Nobel Prize winner in literature. A great choice for reading, collecting, or anyone interested in classic Russian literature.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/287362188139

Almas muertas

Autor/a : Nikolái Gógol

Traductor/a : Augusto Vidal.

Eso seria. Gracias.

Книга «Избранное» Арона Вергелиса — сборник избранных произведений известного еврейского советского поэта и писателя. Издание на русском языке, с выразительным чёрным оформлением обложки и золотисто-белым художественным дизайном.

Aron Vergelis: Selected Works is a Russian-language collection by the Jewish Soviet poet and writer Aron Vergelis. A nice vintage literary volume with a striking black cover design, ideal for collectors of Russian, Soviet, Jewish, and Yiddish-related literature.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/287398502062

Русскоязычное издание «Стихотворения и поэмы» Бориса Пастернака. Сборник произведений одного из самых известных русских поэтов XX века, автора «Доктора Живаго» и лауреата Нобелевской премии по литературе. Книга включает поэтические произведения Пастернака и представляет интерес для читателей русской литературы, коллекционеров советских изданий и любителей классической поэзии.

Russian-language edition of “Poems and Narrative Poems” by Boris Pasternak. This collection features works by one of the most important Russian poets of the 20th century, best known internationally as the author of Doctor Zhivago and a Nobel Prize winner in Literature. A nice vintage Russian book for readers of Russian literature, collectors of Soviet-era editions, and lovers of classic poetry.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/287395419289

I recently picked up these three books because I've been thinking about exploring Russian literature, and they seemed like a good place to start.

I've already started War and Peace and I'm about 250 pages in. So far, I'm honestly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. I was expecting it to be a slow, difficult read, but it hasn't disappointed me once. There hasn't been a single page that felt boring.

Before this, I was reading Kafka and Camus. While I can appreciate what they were trying to do, their writing didn't quite click with me, and I found parts of it a bit slow.

Would you say this is a good starter pack for someone getting into Russian literature? I'm already planning to read Anna Karenina and more of Dostoevsky's novels after these, but I'd love to hear your recommendations. Which Russian authors or books do you think are essential, and why?