Demons (formerly translated as The Possessed)

Finished reading Dostoevsky's "Demons" (1872) for my Russian lit class. I am huge fan of Dostoevsky, and although this is not my favorite of his works, it was still highly enjoyable. Set in a provincial Russian town in the late 19th century, "Demons" chronicles the banal intrigues of a band of revolutionary conspirators and the madness they incite in the townspeople. The novel is based in part on the real-life political murder of Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov and seeks to deride the various ideologies prominent at the time. Written about 50 years before the October Revolution, Dostoevsky's characterization of the revolutionaries is shockingly prophetic in some places.

Definitely recommend, particularly if you liked:
--"The Master and Margarita" (1940), by Mikhail Bulgakov, which is heavily influenced by this work
--"Petersburg" (1913, 1922), by Andrei Bely, also heavily influenced by Demons

The Life of Archpriest Avvakum by Himself

Autobiography of Avvakum (1621-1682), "a Russian protopope of Kazan Cathedral on Red Square who led the opposition to Patriarch Nikon's reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church. His autobiography and letters to the tsar, Boyarynya Morozova and other Old Believers are considered masterpieces of 17th-century Russian literature." (excerpted from the Wikipedia article).

(The painting is The Burning of Avvakum (1897), by Grigoriy Myasoyedov.)

This autobiography is short and truly delightful to read. It is unique among old Russian literature for the "vigorous, clear, and laconic style." Avvakum's opposition to the reforms of Nikon is incredibly strong, and at one point he refers to Nikon as the "anti-Christ." This probably doesn't sound that appealing to most people, but I really highly recommend it to all!!

Satan in Goray

Just finished reading Isaac Bashevis Singer's "Satan in Goray" for my Russian lit class, Literature of Destruction. The novel was written in Yiddish in 1955.

This apocalyptic novel takes place in 1648 in Goray, Poland. Goray is a small Jewish town "at the end of the world" (a deliberately ambiguous phrase, it can mean either temporally or spatially or both). Many of the Orthodox residents become convinced that the end of the world is at hand after hearing news of Sabbatai Zevi, a rabbi who has proclaimed himself the Messiah. Zeal for the end of days leads Goray into depravity and madness.

This book is fantastic, I highly recommend it! I particularly recommend it if you liked:

-- "Everything is Illuminated," (2002) by Jonathon Safran Foer, which clearly took a lot from this work.
-- "One Hundred Years of Solitude," (1967) by Gabriel García Márquez. (Jesse, don't be deterred.)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Just received, and quickly re-read, Tinker Tailor.. by John Le Carre, from the Folio Society. It has probably been 25 years since I first read it - it's still wonderful. My favorite spy book of all time. Of course, I can only visualize the characters in terms of the BBC series, which starred Alec Guiness as Smiley. Wonder if that's available in DVD somewhere...have to go check....AHA! (see lower left). Wonderful book about betrayal with highly memorable characters!

The Protest Singer: An Intimate Portrait of Pete Seeger

Alec Wilkerson, a writer for the New Yorker, has truly given us an intimate portrait of Seeger - not in the sense of "revealing all" but of sketching the feel of Seeger as a person, framed by some of the major events of Seeger's life. A very striking incident is a concert-turned-riot that featured Paul Robeson - later, the description of the primitive house on a cliff above the Hudson that Seeger built by hand reveals that the stonework contains two grapefruit-sized rocks that had been thrown forcefully through the windows of Seeger's car while he was driving away from the concert.

Wilkerson describes Seeger's experiences singing with the Weavers, who at one point had a regular, nationally-broadcast television show. Seeger was personally uncomfortable with this level of fame, and believed the attention given to prominent people slighted the more significant achievements of "ordinary" people. The book describes Seeger's testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee, an amazing display of idealism and integrity. Seeger was blacklisted and took his family on an extended "world tour" to escape the lack of work and hostile political climate in the US.

I particularly enjoyed this book because of the connections with events I had experienced (at a distance) when I was growing up, but also because it depicted Seeger in real life - rather than larger-then-life terms. A very likable, interesting, and unusual man portrayed in a quick (199 small pages) and very enjoyable read.

The Zookeeper's Wife

I just finished reading The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman, for this season's kickoff meeting of my local Book Club. This was a very affecting read for me. It is an engaging account of the events of World War II in Warsaw from the perspective of a strong, non-Jewish, Polish woman named Antonina Zabinski. It is a true story, developed from her writings and those of her husband, from diaries of the Jews who she "saved", and other historical accounts. Antonina's life as the wife of the keeper of the Warsaw Zoo was extremely colorful; there was much humor in the behavior of the animals, especially those she reared in her house. She seemed to have special gifts in communicating not only with the animals, but with people too. This quality really helped her defuse the dangerous situations that developed because she kept Jews hidden in her villa. I particularly admired her ability to communicate calm in the face of terror and to both take and give any joy that could be found in the day. This book also appealed to me for a couple of other reasons. Clearly, the author is fond of word origins and I enjoyed the explanation of a number of expressions, such as "screaming meemees" and "Molotov cocktails", that arose during wars. Also, the author uses a number of Polish words that I used to hear at home, so seeing them brought connection and comfort. Additionally, the description of attempts to resurrect extinct tarpans, aurochsen, and European bison, by back-breeding, appealed to the scientist in me. Finally, to know the story of World War II is to be sickened by the relentless suffering of so many, but I knew too little of the events in Poland and the story was so engagingly told that I learned a great deal. It's a great read.