Rudin

I have been undergoing a change in viewpoint with respect to Turgenev.  I love Dostoevsky's novels - powerful, compelling, and full of passionate beliefs and actions.  And I know that Dostoevsky despised Turgenev, believing he had lost his roots in the Russian soil and people, and had become infatuated with Western culture - probably the greatest sin a Russian writer could commit in Dostoevsky's eyes.  Dostoevsky drew a wickedly funny, vitriolic parody of Turgenev in The Possessed.  But I really enjoyed Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, and Turgenev is portrayed as charming and shrewd in Stoppard's Coast of Utopia plays.

Well, like Fathers and Sons, Rudin is lyrical, thoughtful and, finally, sad, though leavened with a little uplifting sentiment.  Like the nihilist Bazarov in Fathers and Sons, Rudin also represents a kind of Russian type - in this case, a lofty intellectual who cannot transform his dreams into action.  When young, he is handsome, articulate and inspiring, attracting the interest and sympathy, particularly, of women.  But he is incapable of realizing his idealistic goals and, ultimately, fails those who placed trust in him.

"You have so often talked of self-sacrifice," she broke in, "but do you know, if you had said to me to-day at once, "I love you, but I cannot marry you, I will not answer for the future, give me your hand and come with me" - do you know, I would have come with you; do you know, I would have risked everything?  But there's all the difference between word and deed, and you were afraid now, just as you were afraid the day before yesterday at dinner of Volintsev."

and

"But up to this time I believed in you, believed in every word you said....For the future, pray keep a watch on your words, do not fling them about at hazard."

This is all terribly sad, but Rudin is redeemed somewhat at the end by an unlikely defender, Lezhnyov, who says:

But as for character, that's just his misfortune, that there's no character in him....But that's not the point.  I want to speak of what is good, of what is rare in him.  He has enthusiasm; and believe me, who am a phlegmatic person enough, that is the most precious quality in our times.  We have all become insufferably reasonable, indifferent, and slothful; we are asleep and cold, and thanks to any one who will wake us up and warm us!  It is high time!  Do you remember, Sasha, once when I was talking to you about him, I blamed him for coldness?  I was right, and wrong too, then.  The coldness is in his blood - that is not his fault - and not in his head.  He is not an actor, as I called him, or a cheat, nor a scoundrel; he lives at other people's expense, not like a swindler, but like a child....Yes; no doubt he will die somewhere in poverty and want; but are we to throw stones at him for that?  He never does anything himself precisely, he has no vital force, no blood; but who has the right to say that he has not been of use?  that his words have not scattered good seeds in young hearts, to whom nature has not denied, as she has to him, powers for action and the faculty of carrying out their own ideas?  Indeed, I myself, to begin with, have gained all that from him..."

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly.

The Coast of Utopia I, II, and III

These three plays by Tom Stoppard bring to life some of the Russian revolutionaries during the period from 1833 to 1866.  Michael Bakunin and Alexander Herzen are particularly featured - Bakunin as a somewhat juvenile, but infectiously enthusiastic inciter of armed revolution and Herzen as a thoughtful, clear-headed intellectual who believes in incremental change.  Herzen to Bakunin:

Stop!- 'Destruction is a creative passion' You're such a . . . child! We have to go to the people, bring them with us, step by step.

Later, Bakunin offers a toast "The liberty of each, for the equality of all!" and Herzen objects "What does that mean?  It doesn't mean anything" and Bakunin replies "It means I am not free unless you, too, are free - and Herzen says "That's nonsense - you were free when I was locked up."  Herzen finally concludes

"I am devoted to you, Bakunin. I delight in the fanfare, no, the funfair of your pronouncements.  I would name my child for you, but equally I would name you for my child, because everything which is simple you make difficult and everything difficult simple.  You've made yourself a European reputation by a kind of revolutionary word-music from which it is impossible to extract an ounce of meaning, let alone a political idea, let alone a course of action". 

Stoppard's dialog is, naturally,  fast and clever, but there are moments of heart-rending tragedy, and the personalities are indelible.

Fathers and Children

Lauren has already reviewed this book by Turgenev , often published under the title Fathers and Sons, providing a nice summary of its depiction of two generations of Russians, the idealists of the 1840's (the Fathers) and the nihilists of the 1860's (the Children).

Turgenev's portrait of the self-proclaimed nihilist Bazarov provoked huge controversy: opponents of the utilitarian nihilists reviled Turgenev, denouncing Bazarov as a villain.  Most nihilists dismissed the portrait as a laughable caricature, though a few actually praised him as a "new man" of the type who would rejuvenate Russia.

 "Your sort, you gentry," Bazarov tells Arkady, when the two friends come to the parting of the ways, "can never get beyond refined submission or refined indignation, and that's a mere trifle.  You won't fight.....but we mean to fight.....we want to smash other people!"

Interestingly, one of the few people in Russia who seemed to accurately understand Turgenev's portrayal was Dostoevsky, who saw Bazarov as a tragic character, doomed to unhappiness by the contradiction between his sterile and brutal intellectual beliefs and his human needs and longings. Dostoevsky's praise and understanding helped forge a strong but brief friendship with Turgenev, which, however, was quickly dashed to pieces by their widely divergent views on religion and whether Russia's future lay in adopting western ideas (Turgenev) or seeking guidance from the true Russian character, which, in Dostoevsky's view, derived from a deep faith in Christ.

I really enjoyed the book, which is lyrically written, with great sensitivity to human love and loneliness. Though Bazarov is infuriating in his brutality, he is captivating in his passions and deep emotions.

Notes from Underground

In the 1840's, Dostoevsky was part of an intellectual movement in Russia that was heavily influenced by European thought.  This movement, spearheaded by Belinsky and Herzen, originally endorsed Christian Socialism, but later advocated a very rational and idealistic socialism that denied and denounced religion.  Dostoevsky identified with these intellectuals because of a common commitment to social reform, particularly to liberation of the serfs. He participated in a semi-revolutionary group that aimed for reform, perhaps even via overthrow of Tsarist rule, and in 1849 was arrested, sent before a sham firing squad and then exiled to Siberia for four years in a prison camp, four more in exile in Siberia as a petty military officer, and finally allowed to return to St. Petersburg only after two more years of banishment from that city.  The prison experience had profound effects on him, intensifying his own Christian faith and strengthening his belief in the deep wisdom of the Russian people - which he saw as a direct result of their belief in Christ.  Further, the extremes of behavior of other prisoners that he witnessed during his years in Siberia convinced Dostoevsky that the human need for self-expression, for free will, is stronger than any other human force or need.  Accordingly, he became increasingly distrustful and scornful toward those intellectuals who, in his view, were tainted by Western philosophy, especially when based in atheism and motivated by a belief in determinism.

Dostoevsky came to believe that the westernized, misguided idealism of the 40's, which he had originally shared, led directly to these utilitarian, mechanistic views of radical leaders in the 60's,  Notes from Underground is a powerful attack on the intellectual ideas of the 40's and 50's, forcefully depicted through the complaints and experiences of the Underground Man - but depicted through sharp satire and parody, which were misunderstood by the vast majority of readers.  Such misunderstandings were abetted by changes demanded by the censors that disrupted some of the logic of the presentation. Not a pleasant read, though occasionally punctuated by sharp humor.  Nevertheless, a powerful depiction of how social philosophy can distort character.

REAMDE by Neal Stephenson

Just finished reading Stephenson's 1000-something page novel, REAMDE, which was amazing. (Excellent overview by Colin here: http://blogenburyisreading.blogspot.com/2011/12/neal-stephenson-reamde.html?m=1).

Stephenson has the impressive ability to weave together a host of characters and circumstances which, in the hands of a lesser author, would feel they had been chosen by a random word generator: jihadists, MMORPG, computer virus, British spy, Russian mafia, ski resort, Wikipedia. Well, maybe they do have a theme: it sounds like a James Bond movie, but without the glamour, and set against the new realities of postmodernity: the digital age and the international War on Terror.

Stephenson is truly a great author: each section of the book is told from the perspective of one of a handful of key characters, and each has a distinctive and authentic tone. Although the book plays like an action movie and largely examines the meaning of life as experienced in the scopes of a rifle, the detailed attention to psychology and the richness of the world feel (almost) Tolstoyan. (Making the Acknowledgments page quite interesting, since he lists areas of expertise, such as guns, which are seamlessly integrated into the plot, yet evidently draw heavily upon the knowledge of others.)

Although set in the present (near future?) and so less earthshatteringly visionary than The Diamond Age, I preferred this to Snow Crash and definitely recommend.

Stephenson's Novels

• The Big U (1984)
• Zodiac (1988)
• Snow Crash (1992)
• Interface (1994) 
• The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (1995)
• The Cobweb (1996) 
• Cryptonomicon (1999)
• The Baroque Cycle
• Quicksilver (2003), volume I
• The Confusion (2004), volume II
• The System of the World (2004), volume III
• Anathem (2008)
• The Mongoliad (2010–2012)
• Reamde + Colin's review (2011)

Dostoevsky: A Writer in his Time

This book is a condensed version of a five-volume examination of the life, world and works of Dostoevsky, by Joseph Frank.  The condensed version still runs to over 900 pages.  But Frank writes beautifully and the condensation (by Mary Petrusewicz) is outstanding - so it is a pleasure to read.  Frank weaves together the story of Dostoevsky's life, the literary and political history of Russia from about 1830 to the early 1880's, and the development of Dostoevsky's thought,  in such a way as to illuminate clearly and forcefully the underlying beliefs and philosophical "arguments" that Dostoevsky converted so brilliantly into gripping characters and stories.  Frank's books have been described as magisterial, because, in addition to the thorough research and literary insight,  Frank also writes with tremendous empathy for human struggles and aspirations and the ability of artists to distill  these currents into profound works that stir the soul.  It is truly ennobling to read this book and feel the power of great art.  I have read several books by Dostoevsky, and found them to be thrilling, but always felt there were underlying currents I was missing.  Frank's work filled in these gaps for me - I have come to understand that each of Dostoevsky's books portrays political, religious, moral and philosophical ideas through the actions of the characters.  Dostoevsky led a tremendously dramatic and passionate life.  He was arrested along with other intellectuals for revolutionary ideas, sent before a firing squad, but saved by the Tsar at the last minute; imprisoned in Siberia for four years, and exiled from St. Petersburg for another six; suffered from frequent and debilitating bouts of epilepsy; was crushed by the early death of children; was terribly addicted to gambling for many years; but was a loving and devoted husband and father.  Late in life, he was revered as a virtual saint by all classes of Russians. But Frank's work is not hagiography - Frank depicts Dostoevsky's virulent anti-semitism and nationalistic fervor with honesty and censure.  More than any book I have read recently, this comes close to being life-changing.

Our Kind of Traitor

Just finished “Our Kind of Traitor” by John le Carre – I thought it was brand new, as I picked it up off the New Books shelf of our Library, but it was actually published in 2010. Well, it was excellent, as usual, but as I have seen in Le Carre’s other recent books, he increasingly indicts major distortions of society caused by massively outsized greed, corruption and international criminality.

In this book, a British academic and his lawyer girlfriend are drawn into helping Dima, a Russian vor or mafia-type, who wishes to defect to Britain to save himself and achieve revenge on a criminal kingpin who has killed Dima’s right-hand man. Dima is “the greatest money launderer in the world” and crusaders within the British Secret Service attempt to use his defection to clean up the financially corrupted British establishment, but they are naturally opposed by those who benefit from the corruption. The novel, intensely readable and absorbing, ends powerfully and unhappily.

le Carre asserts in comments on The Constant Gardener and Our Kind of Traitor that he does not exaggerate the extent of corruption, but if anything, understates it. Interested? Here’s a lengthy and very thoughtful interview, from Democracynow.com in which he discusses these views (http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/11/exclusive_british_novelist_john_le_carr)

A quick, thought-provoking read - highly recommended.

Plays by Lee Blessing

I should have updated more frequently here, but as I have not, I'll give a quick rundown with this. I've been looking at a lot of plays by a very little-known playwright named Lee Blessing, and so I'll list each and give a quick rundown.

A Walk in the Woods-- This is Blessing's most well-known play. In fact, if anyone has heard of him, it would be because of this play. The play is awesome! It's about two negotiators, one from Russia, one from America, who, over a long period, try to develop agreements for arms reductions. All the scenes take place while they walk in the woods after negotiations, which explains the title. The play was great-- very thinly disguised commentary, but great despite that. Recommended for people who like plays or talk about arms reduction.

Down the Road-- This one is not one of Blessing's well-known plays. This is easily the creepiest play I have read in a long time, but I found it extremely interesting. It's about a couple who interviews a serial killer for a book about him. The play concerns how our writing of such books from the murderers perspective glamorizes serial killing and other such crimes, though, for the most part, the play leads one to see how they might not be as different from serial killers as they might think. Scarrrrryyyyy. If you'd like something to make you really think, go for this one.

Fortinbras-- This was my favorite of all of them. The play takes place right after the death scene in Hamlet, and basically discusses what happens once Fortinbras takes over. The play is hilarious for the first part, and then interesting for the second part. The play flows nicely within the two, and so I found it to be ultra awesome, and I now yearn to play Fortinbras in this production some day. If you want to laugh, read this one.

Cobb-- This play is an interesting look at the first baseball player inducted into the hall of fame, Tyler Cobb. This play is the least distinctive of all of them, since it's mostly biographical, but it manages to tell Cobb's story in a way that really engages the reader (or audience, hopefully). Read this one if you want a quick read for fun and to learn a bit about Tyler Cobb.

Theater, admittedly, is meant to be performed, not read. I think all of these, however, lend themselves to reading, so take your pick. If any of them are performed near you, though, go for it and check it out. You will enjoy.

Dr. Zhivago

I really enjoyed this book - wonderfully descriptive and imaginative writing and thoughtful reflections upon the individual versus the state.  Strange that I didn't care much for Zhivago....or for any of the other characters, really!  Well, the one main character I liked was Russia - vividly and lovingly portrayed.

Fathers and Sons

I realized I never made this post, even though I read the work last Christmas, so here goes: my thoughts on Turgenev's (1862) Fathers and Sons (Отцы и дети is actually Fathers and Children, although it's true that I don't recall any daughters in the novel).

This book is truly genius. I think of it often. The two generations under discussion are the Fathers (1840s) and Sons (1860s). The book describes (primarily male) family and friend relationships and the way that these interactions evolved during a time of major social change: the emancipation of the serfs occurred in 1861 and freed millions of people from serfdom, causing great upheaval in landed/aristocratic families and in society. The Fathers and Sons represent conflicting ideologies which are very interesting to consider, because their opposition foreshadows the 1917 revolution.

One of the two primary Sons in the book is Arkady Nikolaevich Kirsanov. He has recently graduated from St. Petersburg University where he became friends with a man named Bazarov. The Sons' values are boldly and at times offensively embodied by the larger-than-life Bazarov, a loud-mouthed, frog-dissecting, arrogant nihilist. These values include: egalitarianism, nihilism, and rejection of sentimentality and of bourgeois values.

The book begins with Arkady taking his friend Bazarov home to meet his father, the sensitive land-owner Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. Although Nikolai is one of the Fathers, he is liberal for his generation, and as an educated and thoughtful man is trying to make sense of and in some ways assimilate the liberal values of the youth while holding onto his appreciation of literature, the arts and the beauty of nature.

The conflicts in this book are fascinatingly timeless and really bear thought. Although I was not bowled over when I first read the book a year ago, it has been on my mind very frequently since and I have come to appreciate it very much.

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!!

Moscow Diary

Finished reading Benjamin's Moscow Diary. Very interesting and pleasurable to read. It is the chronicle of Benjamin's visit to Moscow and his frustrated desire for Asja Lacis, his internal struggle over whether or not to join the Communist party, and his attempts to get by in a difficult Soviet society despite speaking almost no Russian. It is also filled with colorful and beautiful descriptions of the city, its churches, museums, culture and inhabitants.

In one passage Benjamin records his friend Reich's observation that

"in great writing the proportion between the total number of sentences and those sentences whose formulation was especially striking or pregnant was about one to thirty - whereas it was more like one to two in my [Benjamin's] case."

This density of style is apparent in Benjamin's works, but I had not thought of it as a flaw in his writing...the style just requires more time spent decoding. However, I can see that it could discourage some from reading him. However, Moscow Diary is direct and fresh, as well as insightful and interesting, making it a good choice for someone who is interested in trying Benjamin but wants an easier read. I highly recommend.


Further reading: In my Russian lit class, The Soviet Experience, we read an essay Benjamin had written that was based on his Moscow diary. I don't remember the name of the essay, but we read an analysis of it by my prof Zhenya called "The Withering of Private Life: Walter Benjamin in Moscow." I recommend both.

The Master and Margarita

A while ago I read Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, which is great. A wild caper in which the devil and his friends come to Moscow and wreak havoc. The protagonist, the Master, is thought by most to be largely autobiographical.

Bulgakov worked on the book from 1928 until his death in 1940. In 1930, after a campaign denouncing him as anti-Soviet, Bulgakov burnt the first manuscript. He later returned to the novel, although he did not live to see it published. The uncensored version of the novel was not published in the Soviet Union until 1973.

It is a fantastic work, and many quotes are famous in Russia even today (according to my Russian lit prof, Zhenya Bershtein). I highly recommend it!!