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You don't necessarily need to know the history. The Shrike Send a noteboard - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM

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But I'm also particularly interested in Tolstoy and his brand of Christianity.

Classics are classics for a number of reasons. They have universal themes that transcend time and place. Go ahead and read the Wikipedia entry for Russian history if you want to give yourself a bit of background, but ultimately you will enjoy Dostoyevsky or you won't. Funnily enough, I read a bunch of him while in my late teens/early twenties. I didn't read the majority of my books on Russian history until later

As for Tolstoy, I began with War and Peace. And only last year. Did I know everything about the reign of Alexander I and about Napoleonic Europe? No. But I knew enough for the background to make sense. Tolstoy will fill you in on what you need to know.

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The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity The Shrike - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 678 Views
Fascinating stuff damookster - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 320 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. The Shrike - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 412 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 356 Views
Lenin. A monster. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 386 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 186 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 409 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 321 Views
Start with a general history of Russia The Shrike - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 432 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 390 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 393 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. Tom - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 347 Views
Thanks, Tom. I've been putting off reading good literature because of my unfamiliarity with Russia. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:12:10 AM 177 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 164 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 330 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 368 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 320 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 340 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 299 Views
Hmmmm. The Shrike - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 335 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being Tom - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 321 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 339 Views
Here's one example: Tom - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 333 Views
Good lord. The man sounds deranged. But that's fascinating! Is there a good biography on him? *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 07:50:10 AM 166 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best Tom - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 486 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 169 Views
For what it's worth, I read Lenin & Trotsky as genuine idealists, while Stalin as just a thug Cannoli - 15/03/2017 11:16:36 AM 376 Views
Didn't the 40k authors mainly crib from the Nazis, commissariat excepted? *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:00:17 PM 167 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. Tom - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 376 Views
Fascinating post. I so need to read up on Soviet history. And Russian history. *NM* Legolas - 15/03/2017 11:10:29 PM 174 Views
I didn't mean stupid or brutish, I meant more like a mafia don than a statesman Cannoli - 16/03/2017 12:18:34 PM 285 Views
Well if you want to completely redefine the phrase "just a thug", perhaps you're right Tom - 16/03/2017 02:43:38 PM 328 Views
Good point Cannoli - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 413 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... Tom - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 345 Views
Yeah, it doesn't really matter if the motive is purely power seeking, or revenge. *NM* Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:57:19 AM 224 Views
Attempt at clarification Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 407 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" Tom - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 349 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 423 Views
Good reply. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 403 Views
They weren't really wrong Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 428 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. LiterateDog - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 348 Views
Hi there. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 308 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely Joel - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 341 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? damookster - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 341 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government Joel - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 364 Views
Really? damookster - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 358 Views
Look, we both know I consider your knowledge of Russia to be non-existent and that your own bias The Shrike - 14/03/2017 03:27:05 PM 389 Views
You are just stunningly stupid. Not merely ignorant, but stupid. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:35:00 PM 451 Views
Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... Legolas - 14/03/2017 06:34:14 PM 448 Views
Kerensky risked a revolution if he pulled Russia out of the war Tom - 14/03/2017 08:21:05 PM 325 Views
Re: Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... The Shrike - 15/03/2017 11:58:01 AM 301 Views
What a terrible article Tom - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 311 Views
Your criticisms of the scholarship found in posted articles never fail to make me laugh. damookster - 14/03/2017 09:02:54 PM 360 Views
I don't think anyone's ever gotten an open peer review from me *NM* Tom - 14/03/2017 11:54:45 PM 160 Views
Too bad. I would seek it out just for the amusement factor. *NM* damookster - 15/03/2017 02:18:33 AM 163 Views
I thought you would think this way. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 395 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans Tom - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 313 Views
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