• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Russian Best

Russian Life & People Digest

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Questions and Answers
    • History and Politics
    • Culture and Science
    • People and Language
    • Lifestyle and Attributes
    • Russian Sports
    • Food and Drinks
    • Traveling Russia
    • Economy and Geography
    • Russian Military
    • Books & Movies
Browse: Home / Culture and Science

Would you recommend Turgenev or Pushkin to read?

Question by Amanda: Should I read Turgenev or Pushkin next?
This summer, my personal little reading project was to read a basic survey of the great, canonical Russian writers, because, owing to an unfortunate reading of War and Peace at the age of eight (long story, I was offered money, I got through the book but came away with a deep-seated loathing of Tolstoy and Russians in general) it remained a gap in my literary knowledge (except for Nabokov, who I already knew and loved. But he doesn’t REALLY seem to write like a Russian, so I’m not sure he counts). So far, I’ve read Crime and Punishment and Chekhov’s stories. I’m working on Anna Karennina. So my question is: who’s read Turgenev or Pushkin? They are completely different, but I’m adrift in a sea of such meticulous social angst I lack the willpower to decide what to tackle next. I’ve never seen a word of either before.

russian literature photo
Photo Credit: Helder da Rocha/Flickr

Bonus question: are there any particular translations of either you’d recommend?
Oh man, I forgot Gogol completely! I’ve always meant to read him! And I am a short story fiend, so all the better.

Also, the fact that Nabokov didn’t like Dostoyevksy lowers my opinion of him, a bit… Crime and Punishment was possibly the best book I’ve ever read.
Answers and views:

Answer by Zack H
First of all. If you read Constance Garnett’s War & Peace, I’m sorry.

I’ve read Pushkin and that’s it. I’ve always wanted to read Fathers and Sons but I haven’t. I think, though, that you should, instead of them, read Gogol. He is, in my opinion, ..better. Read a book of his short stories or read Dead Souls. He is my second fav. Russian author (Dostoevsky IS the Russian author), slightly ahead of Nabokov, who doesn’t even like Dostoevsky.

I didn’t really answer your question, but I’m too infused with lassitude to edit it. Just read some Gogol. And don’t read Constance Garnett.

EDIT: C&P rules. Best scene’s when Sviddy dies. Powerful chapter.

Answer by cathrl69
How about Solzhenitsyn?

One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch is excellent (and not particularly long).

Answer by Crow
Because of what you like, either should do. I prefer Turgenev. You might also think of reading something by Nikolay Karamzin. Though he isn’t of the canon in the same way, a lot of those authors credited him with starting the 19th century Russian novel. There’s an extensive overview of some of his work here: https://www2.stetson.edu/secure/history/hy10302/Karamzin.pdf

Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?

See other posts in Culture and Science, Featured, Questions and Answers

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Popular Posts

Pushkin's Tatiana writing a letter to Onegin

Onegin’s Tatiana Was Only Thirteen?

Russian shashlik

My Favorite Russian Food

Dacha – Home Away From Home

Subway Dog

Subway Dogs of Moscow

Cape Cod on the Rocks

What is a cocktail with vodka and cranberry juice called?

Categories

Recent Comments

  • Pat on What does Nazdrovia actually mean?
  • Ted on Where can i send free SMS messages to Russian mobiles?
  • PutinPow on What does Nazdrovia actually mean?
  • bigdogg on What does Nazdrovia actually mean?
  • HAMISH A McDONALD on What Russia would be like today if Nicholas II had not been executed?

Copyright RussianBest.com © 2025 · About · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer: RussianBest.com is an informational website, and its content does not constitute professional advice of any kind.