#based on short story by lev tolstoy

[lostgoonie1980]

202. A Sonata a Kreutzer (La sonate à Kreutzer, 1956), dir. Éric Rohmer

[samanthasrussialitblog]

10 Interesting Russian Novels

1. Fyodar Dostoevsky, David McDuff (Translator) - Crime and Punishment 

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption. 

2.  Fyodor Dostoevsky,  Richard Pevear (Translation),  Larissa Volokhonsky (Translation) - Notes from a Dead House 

Sentenced to death for advocating socialism in 1849, Dostoevsky served a commuted sentence of four years of hard labor. The account he wrote afterward (sometimes translated as The House of the Dead) is filled with vivid details of brutal punishments, shocking conditions, and the psychological effects of the loss of freedom and hope, but also of the feuds and betrayals, the moments of comedy, and the acts of kindness he observed. As a nobleman and a political prisoner, Dostoevsky was despised by most of his fellow convicts, and his first-person narrator--a nobleman who has killed his wife--experiences a similar struggle to adapt. He also undergoes a transformation over the course of his ordeal, as he discovers that even among the most debased criminals there are strong and beautiful souls. Notes from a Dead House reveals the prison as a tragedy both for the inmates and for Russia. It endures as a monumental meditation on freedom. 

3. Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky,  Richard Pevear (Translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translator),  Fernando Otero (Translator),  Marta Sánchez-Nieves (Translator) - The Brothers

The Brothers Karamazov is a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, and an exploration of erotic rivalry in a series of triangular love affairs involving the “wicked and sentimental” Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons―the impulsive and sensual Dmitri; the coldly rational Ivan; and the healthy, red-cheeked young novice Alyosha. Through the gripping events of their story, Dostoevsky portrays the whole of Russian life, is social and spiritual striving, in what was both the golden age and a tragic turning point in Russian culture.

4. Fyodor Dostoevsky,  Richard Pevear (Translator),  Larissa Volokhonsky (Translator) - Notes from Underground

One of the most remarkable characters in literature, the unnamed narrator is a former official who has defiantly withdrawn into an underground existence. In complete retreat from society, he scrawls a passionate, obsessive, self-contradictory narrative that serves as a devastating attack on social utopianism and an assertion of man’s essentially irrational nature.

5. David Benioff - City of Thieves 

During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

6.  Svetlana Alexievich, Richard Pevear (Translation), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translation) - War's Unwomanly Face 

This book is a confession, a document and a record of people's memory. More than 200 women speak in it, describing how young girls, who dreamed of becoming brides, became soldiers in 1941. More than 500,000 Soviet women participated on a par with men in the Second World War, the most terrible war of the 20th century. Women not only rescued and bandaged the wounded but also fired a sniper's rifle, blew up bridges, went reconnoitering and killed... They killed the enemy who, with unprecedented cruelty, had attacked their land, their homes and their children.

7.  Simon Morrison - Bolshoi Confidential: Secrets of the Russian Ballet from the Rule of the Tsars to Today

Vodka, Tolstoy and ballet are three main stereotypical symbols of Russia. Simon Morrison decided to unveil all the mysteries behind the curtains of Russia’s main ballet stage- the Bolshoi Theater.

8. Ivan Turgenev – Fathers and Sons (1862)

Fathers and Sons did what many other Russian novels did: pit the younger generation against the old. When Bazarov, a strict nihilist, challenges the well-established mores of Provincial life, he lures the naive towards his radical ideas. But when his beliefs get challenged by the unexpected appearance of passionate love and spirituality, he suffers a crisis that will force him to rethink his entire worldview.

9. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

This short, harrowing, yet strangely hopeful masterpiece tells the story of a single day in the life of an ordinary Soviet labor camp inmate, of which there were tens of millions in the Soviet Union. Based on Solzhenitsyn’s personal experience as one of those prisoners, this book is authentic, full of rich detail, and devoid of sentimentality, which intensify its powerful emotional impact.

10. The Funeral Party - Lyudmila Ulitskaya

This English-language debut of one of contemporary Russia’s most important novelists describes the bizarre and touching interactions among a colorful cast of Russian émigrés living in New York who attend the deathbed of Alik, a failed, but well-liked painter. At once quirky and trenchant, The Funeral Party explores two of the biggest “accursed questions” of Russian literature—How to live? How to die?—as they play out in a tiny, muggy Manhattan apartment in the early 1990’s.

*Note- all summaries were copied from GoodReads.

[chelseafav]

Your Top-7 books?

omg why would you even ask?!! i’m such a bookworm, you have no idea! i have a list of at least 20 my favourite books, but i’ll try fit into top-7. I’ll be listing in no particular order tho! 

“East of Eden” by John Steinbeck. It’s a beautiful new interpretation of the biblical story story of Cain and Abel. Family drama, love, hate everything is in this book. But those biblical allusions that the author uses...oh my days. 

“Arch of Triumph” (Arc de Triomphe) by Erich Maria Remarque. so if you've read any of Remarque's books, you've read every single one of them (except from “Spark of Life” i guess). But this one stands out for me because of the intense love story that was based on the true love story of Remarque and Marlene Dietrich (she was german and american movie star in 20s). I think i underlined every single word Joan Madou said in the book coz I found myself in her character. 

“Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy. What can I say? Lev Nicolaevich dissects all kinds of love with such precision that is difficult for me to describe it. The moral choice that the author puts you at the end of the novel remains unresolved for me. (Levin + Kitty are the best) 

“Catch-22″ by Joseph Heller. i haven’t read better satire on a military theme yet. Captain John Yossarian is (i think) the only sane person in the whole novel. You’d be crying, you’d be hysterically laughing reading this book. If you’re not into reading, you can watch the show directed by George Clooney (it’s pretty close to the original). It’s hilarious (but you’ll cry anyway).

“Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. well, firstly, this is a story about selfishness, pain, pure love and repentance. secondly, every fifth page I switched from hatred to pity for the main character. such emotional roller coasters are rare for a classic book. i don’t think any of the books had me question my morals more than this one. thirdly, the language. Nabokov's language is beautiful and it doesn't matter if you read the book in Russian or English. 

“The Collector” by John Fowles. it is a thriller novel written in 1963. I love Fowles to pieces. I read every single book he wrote, but his debut novel stands out to my by its intensity (even tho his “Magnus” is the golden classic for me). But this one keeps you tense till the last page. this is not only a thriller with an unexpected (for me expected) end. the book clearly reflects on the difference in the classes of English society, also the difference between a man and a woman. Golden detective classic. 

“9 stories” by  J. D. Salinger. if you’ve read this book and you’re familiar with zen buddhism you definitely know whats up. But what really got me in this book is that in each story you can find three subtexts, so any story can be interpreted in three different ways and they all match up. Bonus: Glasses’ Saga (short pieces about Glass family take place in different Salinger’s books) wrecked my world upside down, no lies. 

[shinylitwick94]

Best/Worst Reads of 2020

My life got turned upside down in 2020 and not just for the same reasons as everyone else, so it’s been an odd year and my reading(or lack thereof) kind of reflects that.

As usual, there’s a mix of SFF titles and some good old classics, with some random stuff thrown in.

I tried to read a lot of Big Name Fantasy Authors this year, to keep up with the times a bit. Some I liked, some I didn’t, but overall it proved to be a fun exercise.

Going back over previous comments/reviews I’d made on specific books really made it stand out to me that feminism was kind of a theme this year. Both because I ran into a lot of bizarrely sexist sixties stuff and because I tried reading a couple of more explicitly feminist essays/books at a friend’s recommendation. It was ok, I suppose, but I don’t think it’s my thing.

The best/worst thing is, of course, completely based on my personal enjoyment of these books and nothing else.

Worst

5.Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier

This wasn’t so much a bad book as a complete mismatch for my reading tastes. I ended up DNFing it fairly early on because I realised I was going to hate it.

4.Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I had high expectations for this book and it lived up to almost none of them. Yes, burning books bad, we get it. Very flat characters, a prose that drove me up the walls and a premise that was interesting enough for about 5 minutes.

3.Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

Another colossal disappointment. This one hurts especially because I’d looked forward to it for so long. The story seemed interesting enough at surface level, but I couldn’t stand the characters or the writing. DNF’d

2.The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

LOTR for kids too young or too dumb to read LOTR, I guess. Or LOTR with all the interesting bits taken out and all the great characters replaced by whiny 12 year olds. The only reason I finished this at all was because it was so short. Wanted to strangle those stupid kids.

1.The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

I hated this thing so much. I wrote a pretty detailed rant as to why when I decided to DNF it, but in a nutshell I detest the way it’s written. To quote myself:

“It’s just a jumbled mess of unnecessary metaphors and similes and puttogetherwords and Unnecessary Capitalization and (parenthesis) that drove me completely up the wall.”

It just stinks of r/iamverysmart and I couldn’t stand it. Doesn’t help that the prose was so annoying I could barely make out the characters and the plot through it.

Best

I’m doing 8 of these, because I can.

8.The Satyricon by Petronius

I had so much fun reading this. It’s ridiculous, it’s insane, it’s debauched, it makes me want to cook decadent roman food, and I had a great time.

7.The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula le Guin

Very different from the previous Earthsea book, but I loved the atmosphere in this, its characters and the fairly simple story.

6.Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart

Another one that was just fun to read. It’s a sort of fairytale adventure that has us running through ancient China. It’s sometimes silly, sometimes touching, and I quite liked how it ended.

5.Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

I read this at one of my lowest points in the year, and thank goodness I did. It’s quiet, relaxing, the story and characters are easy to follow and their kindness and compassion was just something I needed at that time.

4.The Shadow of the Wind/La sombra del viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Another great fun read. Not usually my genre, but I got completely sucked into the story and its characters. Reading it in the original was also definitely worth the effort.

3.O Gato Malhado e a Andorinha Sinhá by Jorge Amado

I’m embarrassed that it took me this long to read this. @ my fifth grade portuguese teacher: fine, you win, it’s really good

Mind you, I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it nearly as much back then, but I’m glad I’ve read it now. Jorge Amado’s writing is just too pretty.

2.Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy

I’d been meaning to read this for a while, but let’s face it, it was peer pressure that finally did it (thanks @frederick-the-great).

And of course I loved it. I do think I still prefer W&P, but there’s something about the way Tolstoy writes his characters that resonates SO MUCH with me and I’m left in awe every single time.

1.Novos Contos da Montanha by Miguel Torga

I didn’t expect this to be my favorite book of the year, but thinking on it, yeah, it definitely is. It’s a collection of short stories set in rural Portugal. Most of them are fairly dark, but in a way that feels meaningful, and not grimdark, if that makes sense. Some are also quite beautiful and uplifting. I remembered reading Torga when I was younger and liking his writing, but looking at it now, I definitely need more Torga in my life.

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures 09 September [O.S. 28 August] 1828 – 20 November [O.S. 07 November] 1910 Count Lev Nikolayevich ‘Leo’ Tolstoy

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (/ˈtoʊlstɔɪ, ˈtɒl-/; Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой, tr. Lev Nikoláyevich Tolstóy; [lʲef nʲɪkɐˈlaɪvʲɪtɕ tɐlˈstoj] (listen), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902 to 1906 and nominations for Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902 and 1910 and the fact that he never won is a major Nobel prize controversy.

Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, he is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (1852–1856), and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based upon his experiences in the Crimean War. Tolstoy's fiction includes dozens of short stories and several novellas such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), and Hadji Murad (1912). He also wrote plays and numerous philosophical essays.

In the 1870′s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession (1882). His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist. Tolstoy's ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894), had a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Tolstoy also became a dedicated advocate of Georgism, the economic philosophy of Henry George, which he incorporated into his writing, particularly Resurrection (1899).

[silentheorist]

Thoughts on “The Devil” by Lev Tolstoy

This novella is quite short, so I recommend reading it. If you don’t want to, just read the summary on Wikipedia lol https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Devil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_(novel)

Oftentimes in literature, suicide is depicted as an act of repentance for a crime, a death sentence brought about by oneself.  But in the case of Eugene, even moral misconduct seems to fit this punishment. Why? In spite of his extramarital sexual urges, Eugene does not commit adultery, the does not cheat on his wife. Only to himself his marriage seems over; reason being that another woman has hold of his heart. Even though the hadn’t broken any kind of legislation, the has acted against his own moral law. Eugene's sexual urges seemed natural and fine, as long as they were under his control. But as he faces those urges outside of marriage, they become unnatural and foul, they are no longer controllable. As sexual urges are bound to the body, the only way to escape his sin and ultimately, to pay for it, is the destruction of its origin - his body. Suicide in this case is depicted as a way to separate the soul from the body. This is based on the idea of an undying soul; if the body dies, the soul lives on. So death by suicide could be a way to achieve this separation. Free from the body, the soul can be pure. Interestingly enough, Tolstoy cites the bible in the introduction of this novel; so the moral grounds of this story are seemingly based in christian faith. But neither christianity nor any other religion is mentioned in the story itself. It is to assume that Tolstoy, by citing the bible beforehand, is laying the moral ground for the protagonist, but the protagonist never mentions christianity himself. Suicide is considered a sin in christianity, so it is safe to assume that Eugene’s moral law is not based on christianity, even though Tolstoy makes it seem that way with this introduction.

[journeyintotheshelves]

Published: Simon & Schuster, 2017 (Hardcover - US) Pages: 367 Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQIA+

Add it to your Goodreads shelf! Buy a copy from Book Depository (Free International Shipping)!

**I received an eARC of this book courtesy of Simon & Schuster from NetGalley. This has had no bearing on this review.

Summary:

After a shout-out from one of the Internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust into the limelight: She’s gone viral. Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the forty thousand new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr GIFs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever. And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with Thom Causer, a fellow award nominee, suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual. Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do?

(Summary from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

The only thing that Natasha “Tash” Zelenka knows is that Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (a.k.a. Leo Tolstoy) is the love of her life. Which kind of sucks since he’s dead. So she honors him the only way she knows how: by creating a web series based off of his novel Anna Karenina called “Unhappy Families.” At first, the series has small following, but once a huge vlogger gushes about the series on her channel, Tash and her friends are shoved into the internet spotlight, and all that entails. Dealing with fame, family problems, love, and identity, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is funny, honest, and a great story about the importance of being true to yourself.

The characters are what really made this novel special. Even though Tash got a bit self-centered and annoying at points, she was true to herself, funny, and, when it came down to it, a great friend. Her relationship with her two best friends, Jack and Paul, was the best part of the entire novel. Each had their own distinct personality, but they balanced each other incredibly well. The character development that Ormsbee was able to smush into a short novel, dealing with several different topics, allows the reader to connect with these characters in a way that makes them feel remarkably real.

With Tash, Ormsbee also included great ace representation. Tash’s struggle with explaining her feelings and coming to terms with what asexuality meant to her was well done, thorough, and convincing. Ace representation is sparse in literature, and this is a great addition to the canon.

The one downfall of this novel was the pacing. Like in real life, Tash is dealing with a lot at the same time: her family problems, the sudden popularity of her web series, her crush and possible meeting with a fellow video maker, and friends. That’s just how life works. However, sometimes the timeline of events would be out of order, and caused a bit of disorientation For example, Tash would be going through something with her family and days would pass. But then, the narrative would jump back a few days to start talking about something else. This constant back and forth made the plot seem jumpy at times, but also stagnant in others.

Overall, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is a fun, diverse novel; perfect for the moments when you’re looking for a light contemporary that deals with real issues.

Recommend to a Friend?

Yes, especially if they enjoy:

Realistic stories with believable characters

Honest, dynamic portrayals of real people

[bm2ab]

Arrivals & Departures - 09 September 1828 Celebrate  Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy [Leo Tolstoy] Day!

A Thought For Today - Janet F. Marano There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. - Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher  

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (/ˈtoʊlstɔɪ, ˈtɒl-/; Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой, tr. Lev Nikoláyevich Tolstóy; [lʲef nʲɪkɐˈlaɪvʲɪtɕ tɐlˈstoj] (listen); 9 September [O.S. 28 August] 1828 – 20 November [O.S. 7 November] 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received multiple nominations for Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902 to 1906, and nominations for Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902 and 1910, and his miss of the prize is a major Nobel prize controversy.

Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, he is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (1852–1856), and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based upon his experiences in the Crimean War. Tolstoy's fiction includes dozens of short stories and several novellas such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), and Hadji Murad (1912). He also wrote plays and numerous philosophical essays.

In the 1870′s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession (1882). His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist. Tolstoy's ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894), were to have a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Tolstoy also became a dedicated advocate of Georgism, the economic philosophy of Henry George, which he incorporated into his writing, particularly Resurrection (1899).