Classics of Russian literature

This book is perfect for everyone who wants to get to know the Slavic culture better and to look into the past of it. Village Evenings Near Dikanka takes place during the winter celebrations. The blacksmith, a simple boy, falls in love with the most beautiful girl of the village. At the same time the devil visits this village and offers several people his services if they are willing to give him their souls and the Oksana, the beautiful girl gives the poor blacksmith a hard challenge. He is determined to succeed, but therefore the blacksmith need the help of the devil. Slavic celebrations, the nature of this people, everything is shown very realistically in this book. The dialogues are quick-witted, especially the devil and the book is full of humor. The plot is exciting, although this book is not an easy read. This book is one that can widen horizons and show an old life-stlye; it belongs to the Russian classics. The characters are all round and funny; while reading I always feel like I am inside a fairy tale. - Liz on goodreads.com This book is a collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol, written from 1831--1832. They appeared in various magazines and were published in book form when Gogol, who had spent his life in today's Ukraine up to the age of nineteen, was twenty-two. He put his early impressions and memories of childhood into these pictures of peasant life. In a series of letters to his mother, he asked her to write down descriptions of village customs, dress, superstitions, and old stories. These were also used as primary sources. This was Gogol's groundbreaking work, though not his first, and formed the core of his style, especially his sense of the macabre. It was this collection that proved he was a new power in Russian literature with unique innovation and a carefully arranged mingling of the horrifying and the humorous. Alexander Pushkin had a heavy influence on the writing of the collection, which features references to Ukraine, at that time referred to as Little Russia, where Gogol spent the early years of his life. The stories are heavily laced with Ukrainian folklore and cultural references, offering a unique perspective into life in the country during Gogol's time period. The structure found in this collection became characteristic of Gogol's writing later on, found in works such as Dead Souls. "Evenings" gained Gogol the fame that would lead him to a prominent placement in the Russian literary circle, as well as opening the doors for future works. - Wikipedia.

"The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" (Russian: Сон смешного человека, Son smeshnovo cheloveka) is a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky written in 1877. It chronicles the experiences of a man who decides that there is nothing of any value in the world. Slipping into nihilism with the “terrible anguish” he is determined to commit suicide. A chance encounter with a young girl, however, begins the man on a journey that re-instills a love for his fellow man. It was first published in A Writer's Diary.

This collection comprises three short stories, all set in and around Sebastopol in Crimea, ‘Sebastopol in December’, ‘Sebastopol in May’ and ‘Sebastopol in August’. Collectively they pose a moving argument for the senselessness and brutality of war.

Hidden in the forest, the poet Trirodov attempts to secede from the troubled society of early twentieth century Russia to build his own utopia: a school for the quiet children he cares for. Nothing is ever that easy though, and his personal connections to the outside world tie him into the political whirlwind of agitators, factions and power struggles that threaten his solitude. The Created Legend portrays a stark contrast to the protagonists of Sologub’s earlier work The Little Demon, even though the setting is the same town of Skorodozh. There, they varied from at best well-meaning to actively malignant; here the lead characters are idealistic, and isolate themselves from the trials of Russian society in an attempt to maintain their idealism. Trirodov sees beauty and mystery everywhere he looks, and (following the title) works to create his own legend. This volume, originally titled “Drops of Blood,” is the first of the “Created Legend” trilogy and the only one translated contemporaneously into English. It was received with some bewilderment by critics: the combination of current affairs and magical events proved too strange for many. However, treated as an early example of magic realism and with the benefit of hindsight, the setting and symbolism is less shocking and more readily accessible to the modern reader.

"In The Precipice Goncharov combines various genres: novel about the artist, political novel, and romance. This work contrasts the then new ideas of philosophical positivism, utilitarianism and atheism with romantic idealism and traditional values. These various views are examined through the characters of three men laboring to win the love of the heroine, Vera: Boris Raisky, an artist-dilettant; Mark Volokhov, a nihilist in the tradition of Turgenev's Bazarov; and Ivan Tushin, a traditional, yet enlightened landowner.". "The Precipice is especially notable for its women. The heroine, Vera, is one of Russian literature's most independent and intelligent female characters, and the full-blooded portrait of Raisky's wise and strong grandmother is no less remarkable."--BOOK JACKET.

A young woman's love transforms a monster into a handsome prince in this retelling of a classic Russian folktale, a version of "Beauty and the Beast."

Vers l'annee 1840, St-Petersbourg fut bouleverse par un evenement dont tous resterent stupefaits: le beau prince Kassatski, chef de l'escadron d'elite du regiment des cuirassiers, futur aide de camp de l'empereur Nicolas 1er, etait alors fiance a une haute dame de la cour, non seulement celebre pour sa beaute, mais encore en grande faveur aupres de l'Imperatrice. Soudain, un mois avant le mariage, Kassatski auquel on pouvait predire la plus brillante carriere aupres de Nicolas Ier, brisa ses fiancailles, donna sa demission et ayant legue son bien a sa sur, partit pour un monastere avec la volonte de se faire moine.

Arina Petrova, matriarch of the Golovlyov family, runs a large estate (4,000 serfs) in Russia. She learns that her first born son, Stepan/Styopka/The Dolt has squandered the land and house she gave to him. She was a practical and strict noblewoman, and she banished her drunken husband Vladmir Mihailitch to his room for several decades while she ran the estate. Arina sent Stepan to college, where he was the class clown. He worked in a series of government jobs, but lost them all due to laziness. He returns home after losing his estate. Arina's second child is Anna, who ran off and married a musician named Ulanov. Anna has twin girls Anninka and Lubinka. Ulanov soon abandons his family, and Anna dies of an illness 3 months later. Arina hoped to be rid of her children by giving them estates. She was very upset when Anna died ("throwing her two brats on to my shoulders") and when Stepan returned. Her third son is Porphyry/Iudushka/Bloodsucker; he is an obsequious, scheming son. Her fourth son is Pavel; he is normal and unremarkable in any way. She keeps her family on a very tight financial leash, and they live at poverty level despite their wealth. Stepan, having nowhere to go, sadly travels back home. Arina declares that she hates him, and says "he has been nothing but a worry and a disgrace to me all his life." She wonders who she is saving her money for. Stepan is let back into the estate, but becomes depressed and runs away one winter evening. He is found alive but never speaks again; he dies shortly thereafter.