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Re: Well, seeing the expressed interest... The Shrike Send a noteboard - 10/02/2010 12:26:06 AM
...let's discuss it further.

I like the selections you suggested in general, particularly because most of them are not overly long (with War and Peace and The Brothers Karamazov being the exceptions).


Yes, I included the latter especially for you.

Of course, I think that the Pushkin might be lost on anyone who doesn't speak Russian, since Evgeni Onegin is entirely in verse. Perhaps Kapitanskaya Dochka, since it's a prose work, or (a perennial favourite of mine due to its commentary on power in Russia) the play Boris Godunov?


Something of Pushkin's would be good, even if just a poem like The Bronze Horseman
With Gogol, I'd prefer to just bite the bullet and discuss Dead Souls since it's not that long, but The Nose and The Overcoat are good choices as well. Of course, Gogol could/should be read right before Bulgakov's Master and Margarita in my opinion, given the fact that both grew up in the Ukraine and both have a similar style.


Hmmm. I like Dead Souls . I'm just trying to get people interested in the author too. The short stories work as bite-size pieces. I agree about the Gogol/Bulgakov pairing. And there are elements of the fantastical in both.

The Turgenev, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky selections I am in complete agreement on. Bunin is good as well (and a Nobel laureate, for people who care about such things) - Sukhodol is one of his more famous works.

Pasternak and Bulgakov are good as well. I'm tempted to say that we should just get Zamyatin listed as a sci-fi/fantasy read for the month, not because I don't like him, but because there's very little "Russian" about his novel We, in contrast to all the other writers on the list. If you want to put another fantasy or sci-fi book in the list to compete with Bulgakov, you could put Alexei Tolstoy's Aelita. However, I would tend to pick someone else for Zamyatin's place (and Lukyanenko's, honestly - Night Watch isn't worthy to be mentioned in the same list as the others). For Zamyatin's place I would pick someone from the Soviet period - Solzhenitsyn, Shalamov or Rybakov, or even Shvarts or Zoshchenko, though they wrote plays (the former) and very short stories (the latter). For Lukyanenko's place, if you're dead-set on a post-Soviet writer I'd pick Pelevin, and I'd pick his strongest novel, Chapaev i Pustota, or perhaps Pokolenie P.


I like the idea of Aelita . I wonder if we could swing a book/movie discussion. The Zamyatin, though, is an excellent work that a lot of people here would like, I think. As for the Night Watch - you know much more than I do about post Soviet literature. I was trying to think of a Russian author, living, and writing. We could also use something from Ekaterina Sedia The Secret History of Moscow
Also, I'd break it up along a non-chronological basis, something like this:

1. Doctor Zhivago

2. The Pushkin Selection

3. the Pelevin Selection

4. Dostoevsky I (whichever one we decide on)

5. Fathers and Sons

6. Soviet Selection

7. Tolstoy - War and Peace (first half)

8. Tolstoy - War and Peace (second half)

9. Gogol - The Nose and the Overcoat (a welcome break after Tolstoy)

10. Master and Margarita

11. Dostoevsky II

12. Bunin
Reply to message
Dare I ask about the book club's next selection and timing? Tom - 09/02/2010 02:49:56 AM 1527 Views
You dare too much! Larry - 09/02/2010 02:51:48 AM 1267 Views
Based on the length of the last one, why not The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire? Tom - 09/02/2010 01:29:13 PM 1163 Views
At least that one would have a bit more depth to it Larry - 09/02/2010 01:46:29 PM 1177 Views
Does anyone agree with Gibbon's conclusions? Tom - 09/02/2010 06:45:09 PM 1162 Views
Currently, no. Not really. The Shrike - 09/02/2010 06:57:14 PM 1247 Views
I would have thought you would have enjoyed his ironic sendup of Christianity, though. Tom - 10/02/2010 01:58:12 PM 1365 Views
His diction is lovely. The Shrike - 10/02/2010 04:12:09 PM 1211 Views
I'm enjoying it thoroughly. Tom - 10/02/2010 05:54:20 PM 1109 Views
I was wondering myself. Tashmere - 09/02/2010 03:10:55 AM 1092 Views
You know, I thought about doing that a long time ago Tom - 09/02/2010 01:30:40 PM 1201 Views
Oh, go ahead and do it. The Shrike - 09/02/2010 06:51:35 PM 1287 Views
That would be outstanding. *NM* Rebekah - 09/02/2010 07:06:14 PM 565 Views
I'd be on board with it. I think Tom would be too. Sounds like you too. The Shrike - 09/02/2010 07:22:22 PM 1111 Views
I don't think I'd manage to read all of them, but certainly some. *NM* Legolas - 09/02/2010 07:55:44 PM 554 Views
I might be in on at least 2, 4/5, 6,, 7 and 11. Possibly 10, although I haven't read it in a while Camilla - 09/02/2010 08:08:58 PM 1086 Views
No love for Turgenev? Bazarov is one of the greatest characters in 19th century literature. The Shrike - 09/02/2010 08:22:57 PM 1199 Views
There is love, but little time Camilla - 09/02/2010 08:24:33 PM 1101 Views
Turgenev's Bazarov is the first person to say "God is dead" in print. *NM* Tom - 09/02/2010 09:29:19 PM 567 Views
And to this day those words are still shocking to read when I imagine The Shrike - 09/02/2010 11:09:57 PM 1125 Views
Well, seeing the expressed interest... Tom - 09/02/2010 09:28:41 PM 1183 Views
Re: Well, seeing the expressed interest... The Shrike - 10/02/2010 12:26:06 AM 1382 Views
So how about keeping Zamyatin and replacing Lukyanenko with Pelevin? Tom - 10/02/2010 02:45:33 AM 1286 Views
Sounds good. The Shrike - 10/02/2010 01:36:13 PM 1231 Views
Чапаев и Пустота Tom - 10/02/2010 01:44:23 PM 1228 Views
It's called "Buddha's Little Finger" in English for some reason. See the amazon review as well. *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 01:51:02 PM 601 Views
Sounds interesting. I'd be interested in reading it. *NM* The Shrike - 10/02/2010 05:44:20 PM 561 Views
Do we have a final list, then? Tom - 10/02/2010 05:53:46 PM 1217 Views
Well. Rebekah - 10/02/2010 06:36:00 PM 1289 Views
I will totally join in with the Master and Margarita discussion. Whichever book club it's in. *NM* Tim - 10/02/2010 06:49:03 PM 579 Views
We're probably not choosing Master and Margarita for our first selection. Tom - 10/02/2010 08:16:36 PM 1359 Views
Super dooper. *NM* Rebekah - 10/02/2010 09:08:47 PM 562 Views
Ah, I should have looked here first. The Shrike - 10/02/2010 09:34:30 PM 1117 Views
In regards to order, a slightly different proprosal. The Shrike - 10/02/2010 09:41:38 PM 1121 Views
At least I have an idea now of what books to watch for when I am out. Tashmere - 10/02/2010 11:04:26 PM 1112 Views
My gamble has paid off. Tashmere - 21/05/2010 09:57:19 PM 1076 Views
Hmm Camilla - 10/02/2010 12:20:52 PM 1116 Views
The first book is one that I discussed at wotmania - Москва-Петушки Tom - 10/02/2010 01:46:57 PM 1324 Views
I might be able to squeeze that in with my other readings Larry - 10/02/2010 12:53:02 AM 1296 Views
Have you read Pelevin? Tom - 10/02/2010 03:16:22 AM 1098 Views
No Larry - 10/02/2010 04:44:18 AM 1141 Views
Strange - several of his books have been published in English and made a splash. Tom - 10/02/2010 01:50:34 PM 1120 Views
My breadth and depth of reading sometimes leaves shallow areas Larry - 10/02/2010 11:32:19 PM 1414 Views
I think you should go for it. Haven't we only been doing the book club every other month anyway? Tashmere - 09/02/2010 09:44:46 PM 1146 Views
I wouldn't want to exclude Russian literature from the main book club, though. Tom - 09/02/2010 10:11:08 PM 1156 Views
I don't think that it would have to exclude Russian literature from the regular book club. Tashmere - 09/02/2010 10:39:41 PM 1185 Views
I suppose that I could just go ahead regardless. Tom - 10/02/2010 03:18:01 AM 1130 Views
I think you should nossy - 10/02/2010 11:44:00 AM 1105 Views
Ehem. This could be a joint collaboration between us. *NM* The Shrike - 10/02/2010 01:37:36 PM 531 Views
That was certainly what I meant, if not what the text of my previous reply implies or states. Tom - 10/02/2010 01:52:36 PM 1129 Views
I wouldn't worry too much about that Larry - 10/02/2010 12:54:31 AM 1252 Views
I was wondering this as well. nossy - 09/02/2010 01:25:09 PM 1132 Views
We'll try to make sure the next book is even longer than this one was. Tom - 09/02/2010 01:31:44 PM 1099 Views
The choice is obvious, then. A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. *NM* Legolas - 09/02/2010 01:48:15 PM 547 Views
Oi, shush you. *NM* nossy - 09/02/2010 02:16:19 PM 545 Views
Oh, that's a good choice. Let's give everyone a week to finish, though. Tom - 09/02/2010 06:42:59 PM 1179 Views
I need more time than that... jh - 09/02/2010 08:45:03 PM 1070 Views
Maybe you'll get a special dispensation, but nine is really as much as we can give. Tom - 09/02/2010 09:30:30 PM 1132 Views
It would have been ok if I had started as soon as I knew the choice. nossy - 09/02/2010 02:17:43 PM 1130 Views
Patience Jacob - 09/02/2010 02:15:14 PM 1084 Views
Is Larry right? Are you ecstatic about the prospect of an independent book club? *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 03:18:44 AM 588 Views
The intent has always been to encourage people to hold and lead discussions. Jacob - 10/02/2010 04:29:23 PM 1175 Views
I think Greg and I are 95% solid on our list. Tom - 10/02/2010 04:33:12 PM 1221 Views
I am fine with whatever order you guys choose. Jacob - 10/02/2010 06:25:31 PM 1231 Views
I'm happy now. *NM* Tashmere - 10/02/2010 08:15:07 PM 561 Views
Amen. Rebekah - 10/02/2010 06:36:49 PM 1170 Views
Lol. I figured it was put off for at least a month to let things cool down. *NM* everynametaken - 10/02/2010 12:32:05 AM 591 Views
Let what cool down? The earth's core? Hell, perhaps? *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 03:19:24 AM 548 Views
No. Just no. *NM* UrsaMajor - 10/02/2010 12:41:51 AM 528 Views
How about the три мушкетёра? everynametaken - 10/02/2010 05:32:55 AM 1078 Views
Wouldn't that be French? Camilla - 10/02/2010 12:21:50 PM 1136 Views
Да The Shrike - 10/02/2010 01:38:36 PM 1043 Views
Yes. Королева Марго is French, too. *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 01:53:41 PM 549 Views
La reine Margot? *NM* Camilla - 10/02/2010 03:18:23 PM 506 Views
Oui. Tom - 10/02/2010 04:34:25 PM 1040 Views
I nominate The Road by Cormac McCarthy! Milla - 10/02/2010 04:55:24 PM 1393 Views
Yeah...uh...I think post this has turned into the inception of the Russian book club. *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 05:55:06 PM 495 Views
Lol... I'll be back once we go west again... *NM* Milla - 10/02/2010 07:11:53 PM 806 Views
What do you have against Russian books? *NM* Tom - 10/02/2010 08:19:16 PM 530 Views
I don't have any, and I only nominated The Road because I had read it... Milla - 10/02/2010 08:33:57 PM 1580 Views
Well I went ahead and ordered Doctor Zhivago and another The Master and Margarita Larry - 13/02/2010 12:13:15 AM 1168 Views
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