Eugene Onegin: A Novel in Verse (Oxford World's Classics)

Book Description

Eugene Onegin is the master work of the poet whom Russians regard as the fountainhead of their literature. Set in 1820s imperial Russia, Pushkin's novel in verse follows the emotions and destiny of three men - Onegin the bored fop, Lensky the minor elegiast, and a stylized Pushkin himself - and the fates and affections of three women - Tatyana the provincial beauty, her sister Olga, and Pushkin's mercurial Muse. Engaging, full of suspense, and varied in tone, it also portrays a large cast of other characters and offers the reader many literary, philosophical, and autobiographical digressions, often in a highly satirical vein. Eugene Onegin was Pushkin's own favourite work, and it shows him attempting to transform himself from a romantic poet into a realistic novelist. This new translation seeks to retain both the literal sense and the poetic music of the original, and capture the poem's spontaneity and wit. The introduction examines several ways of reading the novel, and text is richly annotated.

Customer Reviews:

A Pure Delight.......2007-08-04

James Falen's stunning translation of Eugene Onegin is a paragon of grace and subtlety. Despite the formidable challenge of converting Russian verse into English, this edition conveys Pushkin's fluidity of language, varied spirit and love for the human heart with precision and artistry. Indeed, as I breezed through this staggering work of genius, I kept marveling at the beauty of an English translation made possible, of course, only through Falen's understanding of the writer's intentions.

So the translation is a technical tour de force: the diction, style and tone are sublime. But the novel itself is also, through frequent transitions between bliss and morbidity, lively dialogue, fast-moving action and devilish wit, a fully-riveting tale. Many American readers, when encountering such Russian literature, might dismiss it as hoary or pessimistic, but this would be facile. Pushkin holds darkness and sadness in relief to a soaring, more soulful encomium of life, and in doing so, presents us with humanity's casual, and often unintentional, profundity.

My Titles
Shadow Fields
Snooker Glen

Really really good.......2007-07-19

The translator deserves a nobel prize for rendering the Russian into an English poetry which stands on its own as first class literature.

The literary works in Eugene Onegin.......2005-06-22

Eugene Onegin of Alexander Pushkin, 19th century Russian author who often has been considered his country's greatest poet and the founder of modern Russian literature, presents different kinds of characters whose personal traits have a great relation with the period's social structure. Their different and remarkable personalities are worked up so profoundly that it is possible to see the reflections of the characters in the literary works which they read throughout their developing and changing lives. Therefore, this gives the reader an excellent insight into the thoughts and beliefs regarding their different behaviours which can also be associated with the deep effects of the time's social life. Throughout the novel, Pushkin illustrates his characters via the three main figures; Eugene Onegin, Vladimir Lensky and Tatyana.
Pushkin starts to portray his main character, Eugene Onegin, at the very beginning of the novel by describing him since his childhood. Even in his descriptions of Onegin's childhood, Pushkin tries to express how extraordinary and different Eugene is although he seems as if he is an ideal figure of 19th century Russian society even from the very beginning of his life. That's why Pushkin remarks; " He was sweet natured, and yet wild," (Chapter 1, III). Then Pushkin goes on describing his main character with his youth by suggesting that he starts to be in with the social requirements of his time by following the Romantic fashion, taking care oof his appearance in a delicate way in terms of his clothes an hair, learning to speak and write in French, and becoming more and more witty and sweet. The Russian society he is living in has such a context that everything is based on affectation, dishonesty, jealousy and ostentation. In such a social context, one has to be intellectual, educated, cunning and witty enough to maintain his/her existence among those kinds of people. The thing Onegin does is just to be one of the successful player of that game by knowing about every theme and learning affectation and to hide his feelings. Yet, he is still different form the others in his youth's readings. To point out this difference, Pushkin suggests that "He cursed Theocritus and Homer, in Adam Smith was his diploma;" ( Chapter 1, VII). Theocritus, who is Hellenistic Greek poet, and Homer are prominent figures of classical period. And as already known, there is a great interest in classical works and a great respect for the ancients in 18th and 19th centuries. It is an indispensable feature for a 19th century cultivated person to read and adore classical works. However, Onegin, different form the others, prefers to read works of Adam Smith, instead of Homer and Theocritus. Adam Smith is Scottish political economist and philosopher of 18th century. He shows how self-interest guides the most efficient use of resources in a nation's economy, with public welfare coming as a by-product (www.britannica.com). 18th century Europe is in favor of clarity, simplicity, science and rational thinking as opposed to sentimentality of 19th century Romantic period. Therefore, Onegin's interest in Adam Smith makes him quite different from 19th century Russian people. This shows us that Onegin, in his youth, is more interested in political and rational thinking than the fancies and emotions of the Romantic age. Although he has a different taste of reading, he definitely leads a fashionable, comfortable life which is in quite in harmony with the lifestyles the other people around him. He is flirting with married women and successfully manages to make friendships with their husbands; it is possible to see Parisian taste in the furnishings of his room; he never rejects to join balls; and thus he is a "child of luxury and delight" (Chapter 1, XXXVI) as Pushkin remarks. But this does not leave Onegin satisfied. Pushkin suggests it with these lines; "He was bored with social noise" and "infidelity proved cloying and friends and friendship, soul-destroying" (Chapter 1, XXXVII). While describing his characters' and the changes in their lives; Pushkin, as apparently seen, is constantly criticizing the social defects of the period such as fake friendships. Because of his boredom, Eugene retreats himself and starts to live in idleness. In this idleness, he look for satisfaction from reading. But he does not manage to get rid of his boredom. Therefore, he gives up reading just like the habits of his past life. Even during the time when he is living in his uncle's house in the countryside upon his uncle's death, he can't escape from being a slave of boredom and idleness. That he is not appealed to reading romances and poetry accounts for his disbelief in real love, marriage and happiness. It is possible to see this in his first meeting with Tatyana after her letter for him when he says to her; "...wedlock for us would be abhorrent./ I'd love you, but inside a day, with custom, love would fade away;" (Chapter 4, XIV). As can be seen apparently, there is a remarkable parallelism between his thoughts and his readings. His thoughts are far from sentimentality of the time's romances and poetry. His views about a universal feeling called love give an impression of excessive strictness, a clear-cut and so-called "rationality" that refuses its permanency too pessimistically, almost in a prejudiced way. It should be discussed whether his views stem from his readings or his readings lead him to think this way. But things are not always as it seems. After Onegin has left the country house upon Lensky's death, Tatyana visits the house and finds a few books by "Don Juan's and the Giaour's creator" (Chapter 7, XXII); that is by Lord George Gordon Byron (1788-1824). Lord Byron creates the concept of the "Byronic hero"- a defiant, melancholy young man, brooding on some unforgivable event in his past. In this sense, Onegin can be associated with a Byronic hero, burned out and unhappy with life. And his rejection of Tatyana's love can be accepted as the unforgivable event in his pastwhich condemns him to an unhappy life forever; just like Pushkin remarks almost in a criticizing tone; "Onegin...with no past, no work, no wife;/ had nothing to employ his life" (Chapter 8, XII). And when he realizes that he is in love with Tatyana after seeing her in a ball as a wife of a prince, he starts reading different kinds of authors such as Gibbon, Rousseau, Manzoni, Chamfort, Madame de Stael, Bichat, Tissot and Bayle. Pushkin describes the situation with these lines; "One more he turned to book, unchoosing,/ devouring Gibbon and Rousseau..." (Chapter 8, XXXV). When looked at the authors he has read, it is possible to see that each of them is from different literary fields. For example, Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) is an 18th century British historian; Manzoni (1785-1873) is an Italian poet and novelist; Bayle is a skeptic especially about human knowledge, Jean Jacques Rousseau is both a political thinker and the creator of the modern genre of autobiography (www.britannica.com). So it is not quite possible to determine the definite effects of those writers on his views and behaviours. But it is possible to infer that along with his love for Tatyana, the idleness and the boredom of his previous life leaves its place for love and at the same time pain and sorrow. Although he suffers from his love for Tatyana, now he has something that makes his life more meaningful. So he starts reading again as he finally manages to get rid of his boredom and idleness.
Vladimir Lensky is entirely different from Eugene although they are close friends. Pushkin describes their friendship with these lines; "So verse and prose, they came together,/ no ice an flame, no storm weather and granite, were so far apart." (Chapter 2, XIII). Lensky is portrayed as a young, stereotypical poet. He is still ambitious and hopeful about the future, quite different from Onegin's world view. Pushkin describes him with these words; "Vladimir Lensky, whose creator was Gottingen...He brought back all the fruits of learning from German realms of mist and steam" (Chapter 2, VI). So we see that his background comjes from German. He reads Goethe and Schiller. It is impossible not to see the effects of these writers on the personality of Lensky. Goethe is 18th century German poet, novelist, playwright, courtier and natural philosopher. In his first novel, Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers (The Sorrow of Young Werther), he creates the prototype pf the Romantic hero. Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) is a German poet, philosopher, historian and dramatist. He is greatly influenced by Rousseau and Goethe (www.britannica.com). It is possible to infer that there are remarkable traces of his readings and German cultural background in Lensky's world view. Like Goethe's romantic hero, Werther's love for beautiful Charlotte, he is in deep love with Olga. As Pushkin remarks, he brings back "freedom's enthusiastic dream, a spirit strange, a spirit burning, an eloquence of fevered strength" (Chapter 2, VI). He is completely a traditional young poet who is burning with the flames of youth and who is a stereotypical romantic lover that can dare to die for his beloved's honour , which is suddenly lost in a dance.
Pushkin portrays Tatyana starting from her childhood just like Onegin's portrait. In her childhood, Tatyana is shy as a savage, silent, tearful, and "wild as a forest deer". As Pushkin suggests, "Reflection was her friend and pleasure," (Chapter 2, XXVI). That's why she has nothing to do with dolls in her childhood and later with needles and fashion like typical country women of the times whose only interests are gossiping, fashion and invitations. In this sense, she is also different from the people around her just like Eugene Onegin. However, although they are different personalities in their own social environment, they are different from each other, too. Tatyana is a completely romantic character full of passion and youth. She likes waking up early and watch the dawn; therefore, we can infer that she loves nature, which is a typical quality of Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth. She likes reading Rousseau and Richardson, Sophie Cuttin, Madame de Krudener and Madame de Stael. Richardson (1689-1701) is an English novelist. He is a verbose and sentimental story teller. Moreover, he emphasizes, in his works, psychological insights into women. While she is in a passionate love for Onegin, she relates him with the main characters of Richardson's novels. One of them is, for example, Grandison, the hero of History of Sir Charles Grandison (1754). Sir Charles, in the novel, is designed to redefine the virtues of the hero as both Christian and sentimental. So, this gives an idea about Tatyana's ideal lover. The other writer she likes reading is Rousseau. He is the first writer to attend closely to childhood and to the formation of his own sexuality. Later, he is adopted by the French Revolution as the martyr of virtue and by Romanticism as the hero of feeling. The most personal, and initially a source of embarrassment, is his epistolary novel Julie or The New Eloisa (1761). This is a story of passion redeemed by virtue. It is possible to infer that Tatyana sees Julie de Wolmar's passion closer to hers. Sophie Cuttin and Madame de Krudener are the French writers once read in Russia as French influence is great on Russian culture at that period. While she is in a passionate love with Onegin, she reads these witers' works and associates herself with the characters of these literary works. This is a sign of her naivety an her innocent and honest feelings unlike the other women of the society who are described best with Pushkin's own words; "Our terror is their (those women's) consolation" (Chapter 3, XXII). Unlike Onegin's rational thinking, Tatyana has a much more romantic, spiritual and sentimental world view so much so that she believes in "olden days in dreams and cards and their prediction" (Chapter 5, V). So as to interpret her dreams, she even reads Martin Zedaka, an interpreter of dreams. After her marriage, she gradually becomes like the ladies around her whom once she has detested; and from then on, Pushkin does not give any information about the books she reads. Most probably, she gives up reading just like Onegin as her life becomes dull and idle.

Eugene Onegin Summary/Comment.......2004-10-20

The book narrates beautifully the tragic love story between Tatyana and the cold, indifferent Eugene Onegin. It portrays the disenchantments, pain and suffering often caused by a one-way love, here represented by Tatyana's devotion and care for Onegin. Through Pushkin's rich descriptions, the intensity of the girl's passion is conveyed to the reader, as well as the pain and misery of his rejection and indifference to her confessions.

The next best thing to Russian.......2003-12-06

James Falen has offered his version of the Russian classic, and has captured both the meaning and the verse. The stanzas flow effortlessly in Falen's hands, it may very well be the best translation yet. Of course, Nabokov is not around to cast his judgement on it. He panned every other translation that had been printed and penned his own in prose, so as not to stray too far from original meaning. But, even he said it was no more than a crib, as what Puskin had achieved in Eugene Onegin was a restructuring of the Russian language, giving it a beauty few had thought it possessed.

Orlando Figes similarly noted that Onegin was the first truly Russian lyrical novel. Pushkin had forsaken the standard French and sought to find the words expressive enough to convey the contradictory nature of the Russian soul. The novel in verse ebbs and flows as Pushkin takes you from St. Petersburg to Moscow to the Russian countryside, weaving a charming tale with many fascinating asides. The texture is so rich and the characters so enduring that this lyrical novel has attained mythological status in Russian literature. No understanding of the subject is complete without having read Eugene Onegin.

But, if language is essential to understanding Onegin then any translation will ultimately come up short. However, Falen has shown great respect for the novel and its language, unlike Douglass Hofstadter's juvenile attempt to translate it. Falen offers copious endnotes and a fascinating introduction. He tips his hat to Nabokov and the others who have translated this novel in the past. The language Falen uses is modern, giving Onegin a freshness lacking in other translations.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Book, New Cond.

Fun Throughout

suggested russian reading

Thrilling Tales of Adventure and Romance!

Russian Literature, Russian Love

The Collected Stories (Everyman's Library)
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375405496
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book, New Cond........2007-09-12

The classy look of the hardback cover is just perfect for the treasures inside the book. Thanks!

Fun Throughout.......2007-08-04

Readers seeking an entrée into Russian literature are prime candidates for this prose collection. Pushkin's stories are well-paced--not a word is wasted--and those who look beneath the surface of the writer's refreshingly lucid, taut and unembellished style will find a world that bristles with energy and life.

Among my favorite short stories in this collection were: The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, The Captain's Daughter and The Queen of Spades. The epistolatory introduction to Tales of Belkin consists of a wry letter from the publisher, which kicks off a hilarious and sweeping commentary on Russian society. Filled with such characters as an arrogant fop, a wistful maiden and a heartbroken father, these poetic stories were beautifully crafted by a bon vivant who, without a doubt, appreciated the art of entertainment. The only selection I didn't care for was The Undertaker, as it struck me as silly, but the rest of Belkin's tales were page-turners. The Captain's Daughter was a heartwarming and often amusing tale of love, persistence and respect, as well as a not-so-oblique commentary on Tsarist aggression: the subject nearly landed young Pushkin in scalding-hot water, too. The protagonist Petr Andreich, who remains callow and a victim of circumstance throughout much of the story, incidentally, reminded me of Pip from Dickens's Great Expectations (Penguin Classics). Finally, Queen of Spades is a poignantly dark and cynical exploration of greed and treachery.

The images this artist pours into his short stories, as well as the plethora of superb scenes and economy of writing he employs, are reminiscent of modern screenwriting, and I suspect even harried readers who are accustomed to a steady diet of film and television will find themselves welcomed here. To wit, several stories struck me as prime candidates for a short film; I'd especially like to see an adaptation of The Shot, one of the five Tales of Belkin. Too bad this Everyman's Library edition isn't available in paperback, although it's probably small and light enough to fit into a travel bag.

Regardless, it's a fine read.

My Titles
Shadow Fields
Snooker Glen

suggested russian reading.......2007-03-17

would put Pushkin in category with Turgenov and Chekov for a good read with a hot cup of tea in front of a roaring fire. Everyman's Library edition offers a decent look at historical Russian window through stories.

Thrilling Tales of Adventure and Romance!.......2002-06-28

This book contains the major prose works of Aleksandr Pushkin, which include "The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin", "Dubrovskii", "The Queen of Spades", "The Captain's Daughter", and "A History of Pugachev". Also included in the book are many unfinished stories and fragments, which provide some glimpse into what Pushkin was thinking in between the years that he wrote his masterpieces.

Pushkin's stories range from melancholy to humorous to psychological and yet they are all written in a clear, and crisp style that is easy to grasp. Unlike Pushkin's poetry, little is lost in the translation of his prose works from Russian to English and thus we can fully appreciate his genius.

Although all of Pushkin's prose works are excellent, but one that continues to remain in my memory for some reason is "Egyptian Nights". Here the two main characters are Charskii, the nobleman who upholds the aesthetic and personal nature of poetry writing, and the greedy Italian improvisator, who lives by giving public shows and is able to deliver a poem (and quite astonishing at that) on any topic at a moment's notice - but for a fee. Is it possible that Charskii and the Italian both represent different facets of Pushkin's own personality? Anyway, I thought the story ending was erotic and exotic...

Even if you are not interested in Russian literature or in Russian culture in general, I would daresay that you would find it hard to put this collection of stories down after you started reading them.

The only problem that I had was with the publisher. I wish that they had provided a bookcover, because the paint on the outside of the hardcover kept coming off onto my hands!

Russian Literature, Russian Love.......2000-11-29

If you want to sincerely have a happy, fulfilling marriage to a Russian lady then you better not be complacent either. Study the Pimsleur language lessons, read all the books you can, study Russian history and culture, read their literature. The works of Pushkin alone are rewarding for any scholar with or without the motive of a beautiful Russian bride!

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A masterpiece
Quite a good translation of a supreme masterpiece
Great Russian Poetry
Best Translation of an Untranslatable Book
It Can't Be Translated

Eugene Onegin (Penguin Classics)
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140443940

Customer Reviews:

A masterpiece.......2002-04-27

When Russians ask you who your favorite poet is they will often add a "Besides Pushkin, of course." Pushkin has an iconic status in Russia that is maybe unparalleled in the English speaking world. Shakespeare probably comes the closest. Eugene Onegin is a masterpiece and the genius of it's creator is apparent. It is alwasy difficult, however, to read poetry in translation. Others have spoken of the translation difficulties already. As a non-Russian speaker, I won't comment on them except to say that, at some points, the difficulties encountered in translation are obvious and frustrating. Professors have told me, however, that this translation is about as good as they come. Like any other work of genius, Eugen Onegin needs a careful reading. Each layer, and there are many, proves more rewarding then the next. Pushkin is often funny, passionate and has a pretty keen sense of satire. I would advise everybody to read this. Pushkin is doubly important as background to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. He began the Russian literary tradition.

Quite a good translation of a supreme masterpiece.......2000-11-04

Nearly every Russian sees Pushkin as their country's greatest writer. This perception, however, is not shared by many foreigners. The problem, of course, is translation. Pushkin's verse is supremely elegant, witty and musical. Few, if any, great poets are harder to translate.

Charles Johnston's version is not at all bad, and conveys much of Pushkin's wit - though not his lyricism. James Falen's version (Oxford World's Classics) is better still. And Stanley Mitchells's version of the first chapter, published in the journal "Modern Poetry in Translation" vol 11, is truly outstanding. I enjoyed it every bit as much as the original - something I would never have believed possible. This journal is well worth seeking out in libraries!

Great Russian Poetry.......2000-06-30

Eugene Onegin is a masterpiece, a precursor to the great 19th century Russian novels. Onegin prefigures the 'superfluous man'. He does not live for an idea, like some of Dostoyevsky's characters, nor does he live content with an idea, like some of Tolstoy's. Onegin simply exists, and it gives him a perspective on life which is overly rationalistic: one sees it in his rejection of a certain lover's letter, his toying with others, and in the cold and calm manner in which he raises his gun during the duel. But the story soon snaps him out of it, but only when it is too late. My attitude to him was largely ambivalent, and I warmed more to Lensky. (Actually, the narrator is an interesting character in himself). The poem skips along beautifully and the rhyme is quite seductive. Lovers of poetry and of Russian literature should enjoy this immensely.

Best Translation of an Untranslatable Book.......2000-04-26

Eugene Onegin is, simply put, a marlevous and unforgettable book. It is also probably the single most-difficult-to-translate book in any language. Pushkin tells his story in verse, rhyming verse no less, and negotiating the sense, style, plot, and charm from one language to another has proved a daunting task. Nabokov failed miserably (although his notes are wonderful: read these and skip the translation). Hofstedler's verse is a bit wooden. Charles Johnson's translation is easily the best of the bunch, so if you don't have time to learn Russian (and who does?) settle for Johnson's translation.

P.S. The closest thing we have to Onegin in English is "Golden Gate" by Vikram Seth. It's a wonderful book to read in tandem with Onegin.

It Can't Be Translated.......2000-03-10

Eugene Onegin has to be read in Russian -- it is poetry: music and intelligence. It is graceful, beautiful, noble, sarcastic AND very funny -- it feels like Pushkin's spirit. I took a look at the first stanza of Nabokov's English translation (if anyone were capable of translating Pushkin it would have been Nabokov) and it was abominably stilted. The words were there, but the elegance and life had simply vanished. Recommendation: Learn Russian well and then read Eugene Onegin in the original.

Distant Pleasures: Alexander Pushkin and the Writing of Exile

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Distant Pleasures: Alexander Pushkin and the Writing of Exile
Stephanie Sandler
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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Great Russian Short Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Who are the translators?

Great Russian Short Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)
Leonid Andreyev , Anton Chekhov , Fyodor Dostoevsky , Vsevolod M. Garshin , Nikolai Gogol , Maxim Gorky , Alexander Kuprin , Nikolai Leskov , and Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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Book Description

Twelve powerful works of fiction, including Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades," Gogol's "The Overcoat," Turgenev's "The District Doctor," Dostoyevsky's "White Nights," Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need?," plus "The Clothes Mender" by Leskov, "The Lady with the Toy Dog" by Chekhov, "Twenty-Six Men and a Girl" by Gorky, "Lazarus" by Andreyev, and more

Customer Reviews:

Who are the translators?.......2006-08-24

This is a nice, cheap collection of Russian stories by a wide range of authors from the 19th and early 20th century, including some very nice tales by authors who are less famous (Garshin, Andreyev, Kuprin), in addition to gems by the well-known masters (Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov.) I would especially recommend "The Queen of Spades", a Pushkin ghost story that was turned into the great opera "Pique Dame" by Tchaikovsky, but one I've seldom seen anthologized.

One problem: I found no information in the book about who translated the stories. There are some pretty bad translations in the public domain, especially by Constance Garnett, which were written long ago (under madly intense deadlines in Garnett's case) with stiff, Victorian dialogue and known to contain inaccuracies. So one should not get this book unless one needs a copy -- any copy -- of the stories in the list, many of which can be obtained for free from Project Gutenberg (Gutenberg.org), where the translator is at least usually listed (again, avoid translations by Garnett, and stick with Maude if possible.) And if money is no object up to $10-$15, then one should seek out more modern translations, which tend to be not only more readable, but also more accurate.

Still, any differences in various translations will be slight, so this is a pretty good buy as a small gift for a casual fan of Russian Literature.

The Queen of Spades and Other Stories : A New Translation

Average customer rating:

Make sure the reviews correspond to the edition!
Six short stories - Good Introduction to Alexander Pushkin
Excellent Introduction to Pushkin
either fantasy or reality
Teachers (and others): Avoid this edition!

The Queen of Spades and Other Stories : A New Translation
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192839543

Book Description

The Queen of Spades has long been acknowledged as one of the world's greatest short stories. In this classic literary representation of gambling, Alexander Pushkin explores the nature of obsession. Hints of the occult and gothic alternate with scenes of St Petersburg high-society in the story of the passionate Hermann's quest to master chance and make his fortune at the card-table. Underlying the taut plot is an ironical treatment of the romantic dreamer and social outcast. This volume contains three other major works of Pushkin's fiction, moving from the witty parodies of sentimentalism and high melodrama in The Tales of Belkin to an early experiment with recreating the past in Peter the Great's Blackamoor. It concludes with the novel-length masterpiece The Captain's Daughter, which combines historical fiction in the manner of Sir Walter Scott with the colour and devices of the Russian fairy-tale in a narrative of rebellion and romance. These new translations, as well as being meticulously faithful to the original, do full justice to the elegance and fluency of Pushkin's prose. The Introduction provides insightful readings of the stories and places them in their European literary context. A chronology of the Pugachov Uprising illuminates the events in The Captain's Daughter.

Customer Reviews:

Make sure the reviews correspond to the edition!.......2007-09-01

I wish to make it clear that the 2001 review published below when I was at Oberlin College is NOT of this Oxford World Classics edition-- with which I am unfamiliar-- but rather of a previous Dover Thrift Edition.

I am shocked that Amazon places reviews of different translated editions of the same title(s) interchangably.

-David Shengold
Philadelphia PA

Six short stories - Good Introduction to Alexander Pushkin.......2007-08-11

This Dover Thrift edition - The Queen of Spades and Other Stories - offers an enjoyable introduction to Alexander Pushkin, an early nineteenth century Russian poet and writer. This collection includes Pushkin's popular The Queen of Spades and his five short stories published under the title The Tales of the Late P. Belkin. The translation was by T. Keane, originally published in 1894 by G. Bell & Sons, London.

The Queen of Spades is a haunting story of one man's obsession with gambling. Hermann, German by birth but a young officer in the Russian military, is notable among his fellow officers in St. Petersburg for his restraint: "He has never had a card in his hand in his life; he never in his life had a wager, and yet he sits here till five o'clock in the morning watching our play". Hermann becomes intrigued with a tale of a closely held secret, one that reveals a bidding sequence that always wins.

Unlike the title story, the other five stories have settings in rural Russia at great distance from cosmopolitan Moscow and St. Petersburg. Apparently Pushkin originally published these stories under a pseudonym. P. Belkin, supposedly a somewhat mysterious individual that liked to collect tales.

An Amateur Peasant Girl: The wealthy landowner Ivan Petrovitch Berestoff, feuds with his nearest neighbor, Gregory Ivanovitch Mouromsky. Unknown to either, Mouromsky's daughter, Lizaveta Gregorievna, while dressed as a peasant girl, has attracted the attention of Berestoff's son, leading to considerable confusion.

The Shot: In a formal Russian duel one duelist, chosen by chance, fires first from a fixed distance at the other. If the first duelist misses his opponent (or does not critically wound him), the second duelist now fires. In this tale the second duelist, a superb marksman, holds his fire, but with the understanding that at some future time he will return and kill his opponent.

The Snowstorm: This highly contrived story is singularly Russian. Love, chance, and honor ultimately mitigate the unexpected consequences of a senseless prank by a young military officer.

The Postmaster: This story is perhaps less contrived, and yet it still relies heavily on coincidences. The postmaster is not a postman, but is one that manages a way station for resting horses and travelers.

The Coffin Maker: In what appears to be a dream, an undertaker is harassed by his previous clients, now all dead and buried, who return to his home for festivities. The ending is somewhat ambiguous.

Excellent Introduction to Pushkin.......2006-04-16

From what I can learn this present volume ISBN 0192839543 from 1999 replaces ISBN 0192832131 from 1997.That volume is almost identical but is just 273 pages versus the present. I am not clear on all the changes but the books contains similar material and identical covers.

Roughly, here is the contents:

Introduction
Bibliography
Life of Pushkin
Milestones of the Pugachev Uprising

The Puskin Stories:

Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin
- The Shot, 12 pages
- The Snowstorm, 12 pages
- The Undertaker, 7 pages
- The Stationmaster, 12 pages
- The Lady Peasant, 18 pages

The Queen of Spades, 29 pages

The Captain's Daughter: a novella, 108 pages

Peter The Great's Blackamoor, 35 pages, an unfinshed work.

Then summary Notes.

Comments:

The book contains a very long introduction to the works and has many notes at the end. In reading just the present book, you will receive a good idea of the general works of Pushkin - abbreviated - and a lot of detail on the present works.

The stories are excellent, well written, and one is instantly converted to being a Pushkin fan. I am not a literary expert but I have read works by Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc, and clearly one sees the connection in style and subject matter. It is easy to see how Tolstoy drew inspiration from these works.

The stories are grounded mostly in realism and 18th and 19th century historical events although there are romantic touches and Queen of Spades has elements of the supernatural.

Overall, these are excellent stories that bring a smile to one's face.

either fantasy or reality.......2003-06-06

If someone comes to me and asks what I think true Russian

spirit is, I would say, "duel" is. Russian duel is very reckless

and even absurd because the percentage of survival is only 50%.

Each load their gun and go to the opposite end and they shoot

from distance in turn until either one is shot.

In the book, German,the main character, is a half-bood of

Russian and Germany. Due to his birth,mixed with German blood,

he is usually very realistic and doesn't believe in magic or

tricks. In numerous gatherings German never participates in the

card games but always watches people play. When he hears that

an old woman knows how to win the game he sniffs and ignores

it. But ironically it is he who arrives at the gate of her

house. However, it is not his intention but he himself is

dragged by some magical power.

As quite an ordinary and poor man, German believes in

diligence and reason, but not fantasy or fate. That's why he

never participates in any games. Their game is like a duel. The

players say some number and they take cards until either of

them get to reach the number and he wins. Then a new game

starts as if they already forgot about the former game. Usually

the loser loses a huge sum of money, which means that the

winner becomes enormous rich. In other words, the game actually

changes their lives in totally different ways.

Everyone who has read this book would never forget the last

scene of the Queen of Spades. Perhaps she really does say so,

or he only dreams or imagins. No one knows except Pushkin.

Bytheway, he is not telling something moral to persuade or

teach us. All he shows is something like Matrix, I guess. Maybe

the whole story is just a trick or magic or some parts are. The

judgement is up to the reader. We all are German in a way.

Teachers (and others): Avoid this edition!.......2001-03-13

I had been happy to read about a supposedly unabridged and very inexpensive edition of "Queen of Spades" and the Belkin tales, as (as a college instructor) I often assign "Queen of Spades" in courses on opera or Petersburg, or in which one would not neces sarily need the student to order a whole compilation of Pushkin's fiction, such as Norton's very solid COMPLETE PROSE TALES.

However, this edition is *far* from unabridged. The editor has taken it upon himself to cut not only ALL the epigraphs from ALL t he stories (an absurd economy which distorts the tone of these parodic stories) but also fails to provide the two-page "From the Editor" frame without which the purpose of the Belkin tales is obscured.

I would not recommend this edition even to the casua l reader who wished to get the true flavor of Pushkin's Sternean, self-referential prose works. 'eo

Average customer rating:

the cesear if russia

Boris Godunov
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Slavic Cultural Central Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Continental European | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Miser and Other Plays: A New Selection (Penguin Classics)

Cavalleria Rusticana and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

Manon Lescaut (Penguin Classics)

Tosca's Rome: The Play and the Opera in Historical Perspective

Goethe's Faust

ASIN: 0967839300

Book Description

Alexander Pushkin's masterful tragedy, intrinsic to Russian culture and major inspiration for theater, art, and opera. Nicholas Rzhevsky, the editor and translator, provides a vibrant new translation, faithful to the original, yet suitable for modern readers and contemporary performance on the stage. Pushkin's themes of moral compromise and political expediency reach out to the new millennium with the force of Shakespeare's great texts.

Download Description

TSAR. Is it possible? An unfrocked monk against us Leads rascal troops, a truant friar dares write Threats to us! Then 'tis time to tame the madman! Trubetskoy, set thou forth, and thou Basmanov; My zealous governors need help. Chernigov Already by the rebel is besieged; Rescue the city and citizens.

Customer Reviews:

the cesear if russia.......2000-07-19

Of course, I loved the book. It's well paced, entertaining, and insightful to a moment in russian history. Pushkin's charm as an dramatist is as well done as shakespeare. There aren't as many quotable lines, but that only makes it more fluent to read. The poetry is also nothing shy of great and the characters are well written, notably boris and the impostor. It's always tough to find russian literiture that doesn't bore a person, but pushkin's drama has enough romance (i.e. Romantic era), action, jokes, and touching speeches to move the reader to bite their nails, laugh out loud, and cry.

Eugene Onegin and Other Poems: and Other Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)

Average customer rating:

As Good As It Gets
Wonderful Book
A Classic Best Read in Russian
a book of a master piece

Eugene Onegin and Other Poems: and Other Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375406727
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Customer Reviews:

As Good As It Gets.......2003-12-08

Though not written in Alexander Pushkin's native Russian, this edition of his immortal classic "Eugene Onegin" is as near to perfection as it could possibly be. This particular translation is eloquent and full of the lighthearted humor and poetry that I believe to be an integral part of Pushkin himself. Yet the novel in poetry is also able to evoke a melancholy sadness, and it leaves the reader with feelings that aren't easily shaken.

Wonderful Book.......2003-07-16

It is written by one of the famous russian writers of the 19 century. I love reading his poems and novelizatiosn to no end.

A Classic Best Read in Russian.......2002-06-26

"Eugene Onegin" was the first major work written in Russian, helping to establish that language's illustrious literary tradition. This novel in verse brought to fame Aleksandr Pushkin, who later turned his talents from poetry on to prose fiction with such titles as "The Captain's Daughter", "The Queen of Spades", and "Dubrovskii".

Briefly, the story concerns the encounter between two landed gentry, Eugene, who is disillusioned by his former experiences of St. Petersburg, and Tatyana, a provincial girl who sees the world through her English romance poetry. Obviously, the meeting is an ugly one. The ending is left for the reader to discover, but we all get to see how pitiful Onegin really is.

This edition includes the unfinished poem, "Onegin's Journey", and the classic "The Bronze Horseman", which is famous for describing the unstoppable and cruel will of Peter the Great in modernizing Russia.

The only problem that I had was in the English translation of "Eugene Onegin". Translating a poem from one lanaguage to another, while still maintaining proper meter and rhyme is no mean feat. Nevertheless, something is lost in the delivery of the poem and unfortunately, we can appreciate only part of Pushkin's genius by reading the English translation. I'd like to learn Russian well enough to be able to read Pushkin's poetry in order to appreciate his work more fully. Well I'm working on it!

a book of a master piece.......2001-04-11

once you get in this book you get lost in depth of their characters like yevgeni onegin and tanya.I have really developed a great admiration for the write a.s.pushkin of how he played with the characters in some way ý beleive that y.onegin was himself and tanya was his one of those gales that writer flirted with them in a sensual way.

ý am pretty sure the writer had a deep sensual feeling for tanya and was trying to put her in a role at his wife's position where she was never ever had a sexual object in his real lifetime marriage with her.

Book Description

Translated by Charles Johnston with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Basker.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Verse Classic from Russia's Foremost Poet.......2007-06-12

Eugene Onegin, capably translated by Charles Johnston is a simply amazing piece of literature. Possibly Pushkin's most well known work, it maintains enormous influence in Russia today, with Pushkin often considered to be the 'Russian Shakespeare'. Any fan of Russian literature should take the time to read this or any of Pushkin's other works, as so many of the great Russian writers that are so well known were inspired and influenced by this great poet's work.

The novel is written in verse format, in a style that has come to be known as the "Onegin Stanza". This 14 line format allows for a range of emotions and reading experience over the course of the novel. Sometimes light and playful, other times deadly serious, the verse format of the novel adds a lyrical readability to the novel, while at the same time making the many shifts in subject potentially disconcerting. These shifts in focus (to literary conventions and precedents, women's feet, and various other confessions and tidbits) along with the novel's scope of focus and time make it many times complicated to understand. However, this is one of the novel's great achievements as it provides insight and exploration in a wide range of topics, while maintaining a literary self-awareness. The guiding plot is thoughtful, surprising and enjoyable as it (again) explores a vast range of life experiences, hinging on a couple of vicissitudes.

The Penguin edition with its introduction and further reading recommendations is helpful in understanding the role that this novel has had in Russian culture as well as critical studies. The notes are helpful throughout the novel - the fact that they are not denoted in the text and are instead attributed to each stanza makes it easy to read the notes either concurrent with the novel or as a nice addition after having completed the novel.

Eugene Onegin is truly deserving of all the praise and attention that it has received over the years - I highly recommend it as a literary experience that will not be soon forgotten.

Boris Godunov and Other Dramatic Works (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

Pushkin- poet or dramatist?

Boris Godunov and Other Dramatic Works (Oxford World's Classics)
Alexander Pushkin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Russian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0199211302

Book Description

'The people are silent' So ends Pushkin's great historical drama Boris Godunov, in which Boris's reign as Tsar witnesses civil strife and intrigue, brutality and misery. Its legacy is an uncertain future for the new Tsar whose inauguration is met with devastating silence by the people. Pushkin's dramatic work displays a scintillating variety of forms, from the historical to the metaphysical and folkloric. After Boris Godunov, they evolved into Pushkin's own unique, condensed transformations of Western European themes and traditions. The fearful amorality of A Scene from Faust is followed by the four Little Tragedies which confront greed, envy, lust, and blasphemy , while Rusalka is a tragedy of a different kind - a lyric fairytale of despair and transformation. James E. Falen's verse translations of Pushkin's dramas are here accompanied by an Introduction by Caryl Emerson on Russia's most cosmopolitan playwright.

Customer Reviews:

Pushkin- poet or dramatist?.......2007-05-14

For those of us who enjoy Pushkin but are necessarily restricted to translations, it is a boon to have the dramatic works now conveniently available in one volume.The liveliness of the translation, which was such a feature of Falen's translation of Eugene Onegin, makes these works a delight to read.It is said that the five dramatic works contain some of the author's most famous lines, which generations of Russian students have learnt by heart, but they are rarely performed, and are seriously flawed as stage productions.
Briggs has argued that the received criticism of the dramas-that Boris Godonov,because of its structure, which seems to be no more than a random collection of disjointed scenes, is unstageable;and that the four "Little Tragedies"are among Pushkin's finest works- has got it the wrong way around.He finds unifying elements in Boris Godonov, which he says should commend it to producers. The Little Tragedies, on the other hand,have in his opinion been extravgently praised, and notwithstanding their poetic heights, as dramatic works they are experiments that ended in failure.
Buy this Falen translation and enjoy testing Briggs's literary criticism for yourself.

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