Calling lovers of the Russian novel

[lewelma]

My older ds has apparently fallen in love with the Russian novelists.  He has read Brother's Karamazov and is almost done with War and Peace.  I asked him what his next book would be and he said Crime and Punishment.  For English credits, ds can do a comparison of 4 texts, and I'm thinking he should use these.  He has *definitely* overshot the mark with the required level of reading material, but I would like for him to get some credit for all the long hours he has put into getting through these books. 

 

So my questions.

1) What can he compare in these books?  Is this a doable group? Or just too tricky? I haven't read them, so I am having a hard time judging.

2) What should be his 4th book?  He has read Master and Margrita but that is of a different era (not that it matters I guess).  He has also read some Chekhov.  Could he make either of those work?  I'm kind of thinking that it will be hard to get in another full novel given his time frame to write this paper.

 

Suggestions?

 

Ruth in NZ

Edited April 24, 2016 by lewelma

[Loesje22000]

I should ask this dh.

But that would become tuesday before he is available.

 

Fathers and Sons from Turgenev is shorter and so far the only one I liked after all....

 

I'm working on War & Peace and read Karamazov and I think that it might be obviously to write about the father and son theme?

Or would that be to heavy?

[Brad S]

Perhaps your son should have a big role in deciding the theme.  What attracts him to those Russian novelists?  What does he find intriguing? 

 

I would be concerned about selecting a writing topic which is manageable.  My DS, who may be less advanced in writing than yours, spends a fair bit of time going back to books for material or to clarify a point when he's writing papers; with Brothers K and War and Peace, if that were necessary to any extent, it would be very time consuming.

 

Perhaps he could compare those two classics he's read recently to two other novels he hasn't used for a class and which don't have the depth your DS enjoys.

 

One last thought: there's a chance that the person reading the essay won't have read those works or may not have enjoyed them.  Although far less common among lit buffs, there is a common question of "why would someone write such a long book?" or "why do those Russians write so long, why is it worth writing so long?"  (well, character development, deeper examination of issues, etc., but the idea is maybe to explore something simpler and of somewhat more popular interest -- deeper is certainly great, too, and perhaps more appropriate for a university level class, but I'm tossing out the popular alternative)

[lewelma]

I'm going to go look up the exact requirements of the paper.  DS is particularly interested in the religious conversions in War and Peace (which he finds very thin) and and how they compare to the depth he saw in Brother's Karamazov. Not sure if that wouldn't be seriously over his head. 

Edited April 24, 2016 by lewelma

[SparklyUnicorn]

No advice about that.  I got into Russian lit at one point and read a few things from Maxim Gorky.  He stands out as one of my favorites.  That might not work out for your needs, but later on if your son just wants more to read it might.

 

 

[lewelma]

 

I would be concerned about selecting a writing topic which is manageable.  My DS, who may be less advanced in writing than yours, spends a fair bit of time going back to books for material or to clarify a point when he's writing papers; with Brothers K and War and Peace, if that were necessary to any extent, it would be very time consuming.

 

 

Very good point.  Perhaps just pick a chapter in each book to focus on.  

 

Looked at the assessment, it only requires 1 novel and the other 3 can be short stories, poems, plays, film, etc. It requires one connecting aspect between the texts, and definitely requires supporting quotes. To get a merit (B) he needs "to demonstrate developed understanding of the connections as the relate to the wider world."  To get an excellence (A) he needs "to make reasoned points that show some insight or originality in thought or interpretation."  DS has always found it easier to be original or insightful with more difficult texts.  Harry Potter just leaves him stumped. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

James Stavridis had an article a year ago that suggested reading Russian novels.  What Russian Literature Teaches Us About Vladimir Putin's Russia.  

 

Other writers were opposed to the idea of a canon of Russian literature that might give any particular insights.  You Can't Understand How Russians Think by Reading Russian Literature.

 

Maybe he could explore the idea of the works he's read revealing something about Russia or Russians.  Does the world of The Master and Margarita seem like the same world as that of War and Peace? or has it been completely altered by the Revolution?  Could these works be set outside Russia and still work?  Would War and Peace work just as well in England?  Would One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich work in China?  Would The Master and Margarita fit in South America alongside Gabriel Garcia Marquez' work?

 

Just some ideas to throw out.  

 

Other thoughts are the role of class structure and hierarchy (and its overturning).  

[Carol in Cal.]

Instead of another long novel (although if he wants one, I strongly suggest 'Anna Karenena' because it is awesome), he might consider the short story, "God Sees the Truth, But Waits", by Tolstoy, since he is interested in a Christian theme, or "One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch", which is a short novel that poses some very interesting questions about what makes a day good or what makes a life good.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Carol in Cal.

[3andme]

Somewhat off topic, but if your son continues to be interested in Russian literature, he might enjoy these online Russian lit classes. No personal experience but I've read positive reviews from others.

Edited April 25, 2016 by 3andme

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Somewhat off topic, but if your son continues to be interested in Russian literature, he might enjoy these online Russian lit classes. No personal experience but I've read positive reviews from others.

 

These look really good, even if only as a reading list.  

 

edit: found it

Edited April 25, 2016 by Sebastian (a lady)

[TammyS]

If he's really interested in Russian novels, I think he has to read The Death of Ivan Illyich.  It's not too long and is an important part of the canon.

[madteaparty]

If he loved War and Peace he may want to close the loop with Life and Fate. It's not an easy read, ime

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_and_Fate

[MariaT]

My younger son took the War and Peace class through By the Onion Sea. Julia Denne is the instructor, and she is fabulous. The classes are weekly live lecture, discussion and student presentations, with weekly writing assignments and a final paper. My older son also took her W&P class, as well as a class in 20th Century Soviet Literature and Film. She includes quite a bit of Russian history in all her classes to give students the historical context in which the books were written, as well as a listing of all the characters and all their different names in the text, which really helps in keeping straight who is who. These classes really give a perspective that is quite different from typical English & American literature, obviously, and they stand out on a transcript.

 

Julia's passion for the literature of her country really inspired my older son to read as much Nabokov as possible. He is currently taking a class with a well-known Nabokov instructor at his uni, and it is his favorite class.

 

Maria

[tuesdayschild]

Wondering how you're  getting on with a theme for your Ds investigative paper Ruth....

And seconding a PP's suggestion about pulling in some short stories; if your Ds is needing extra texts to pull from.

Could your course 'teacher' help with theme ideas?

 

(Sounds like our Ds's are, possibly, reading and writing for the same English credits course this year.  Ds is reading dystopian and WW's based lit; and, he has a few themes he's considering.)

 

All the best,

Chelle

Edited May 3, 2016 by Tuesdays Child