Crime and Punishment

[stackpole]

If that Russian nonsense is supposed to be "intellectual reading", then I'm glad I'm a thicko.

What a load of rubbish.

Back to Viz for me.

You've flushed out the pseudo-intellectuals on here FD!

I'm obviously not clever enough for all that russian bollocks, because its Viz for me too! I'm proud to say that I was there when the dirty thieving gypos story first hit the streets!

[wendigo100]

Peter And The Wolf was good.

[To BI or not to BI?]

Andrey Kurkov and his penguin (the animal, not the publishing company) books are hilarious.

[To BI or not to BI?]

Russian lit is odd because it's the only canon where books can qualify as bing massively great without having any sense of humour at all.

Dostoevsky's all about the characterisation. Sort of Jane Austen with a beard and scabies. The only really impressive thing is how he makes all the characters immediately realistic and engaging whilst giving them a story that's dull and a situation that's wretched. "Notes from Underground" is the textbook example: toss all happens but in a mysteriously engaging way.

Don't let him put you off War and Peace. It's much more of a page-turner. Take one of those glitzy but preposterous American soap operas, add the Battle of Austerlitz and some confused historical essays and you're nearly there.

And, of course, you can always watch the Woody Allen version. Much funnier than the original

[thunderlizard]

Russian lit is odd because it's the only canon where books can qualify as bing massively great without having any sense of humour at all.

Dostoevsky's all about the characterisation. Sort of Jane Austen with a beard and scabies. The only really impressive thing is how he makes all the characters immediately realistic and engaging whilst giving them a story that's dull and a situation that's wretched. "Notes from Underground" is the textbook example: toss all happens but in a mysteriously engaging way.

Don't let him put you off War and Peace. It's much more of a page-turner. Take one of those glitzy but preposterous American soap operas, add the Battle of Austerlitz and some confused historical essays and you're nearly there.

[DaveB]

For a quick and easily digestible bit of Russian Literature have a read of "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

If that wets your appetite then take a bash at Gulag Archipelego, also by Solzhenitsyn. Historical, informative, and does a very competent hatchet job on Lenin to boot. Not what most western readers would call "High Literature", as it leans more to factual accounts and a journalistic style. But the definitions are a lot closer and the lines a lot fuzzier in Russian literary custom.

You can find the complete text of "One Day" online here

[xoggoth]

Never managed to finish it, but I did read The Idiot long ago which was ok. Russian novels are always difficult cos I can never remember who is who due to the names. Gulag Archipeligo by Solzinetstin, now that really was pooh, not just names but the characters of the characters all seemed the same.

[To BI or not to BI?]

I am currently working my way through Mikhail Bulgakovs works, like HC Andersen, the original language is so much better than the translatinos.

I don't agree. Translatinos are much more fun for a night out. El duder would even accept a BJ from one of them

[threaded]

I am currently working my way through Mikhail Bulgakovs works, like HC Andersen, the original language is so much better than the translatinos.

[To BI or not to BI?]

Took me over a year to read it (Crime and Punishment not Viz). I had this idea that I would try some Russian literature. I still have War and Peace to get through but after C&P I am in no hurry to start it.

Try Gogol for Russian literature, it's much funnier (in a Russian way)

[Gonzo]

If that Russian nonsense is supposed to be "intellectual reading", then I'm glad I'm a thicko.

What a load of rubbish.

Back to Viz for me.

Took me over a year to read it (Crime and Punishment not Viz). I had this idea that I would try some Russian literature. I still have War and Peace to get through but after C&P I am in no hurry to start it.

[freakydancer]

Yes, I prefer Viz. There's a moral in every story.

Exactly.

Everytime I finish reading one of Viz's topical, hard-hitting stories, I feel that I can offer more to my fellow man with my newly acquired perspective of life.

And it's funny as **** too.

[wendigo100]

Yes, I prefer Viz. There's a moral in every story.

[freakydancer]

If that Russian nonsense is supposed to be "intellectual reading", then I'm glad I'm a thicko.

What a load of rubbish.

Back to Viz for me.