Re: Ask a ruski

por **César** 1st agosto 2011, 4:53 pm

We have a fancy reader in here! Welcome, pal!

por Saint Sebastian 2nd agosto 2011, 8:13 am

César

1. Alexander Pushkin is the love of my life. As a child I learnt by heart every fairy tale he wrote and and he is sacred for me since the age of 4 when I started reading his books. His impact to the russian culture can only be compared to what Shakespeare did, yet it's even more as Pushkin is the first solid example of national language, the first truly professional writer which could earn money by writing and turned it onto the profession and even made people treat writers with respect.
His best characters are happy people. the most miserable ones did everything themselves to lose happiness. He has a simple philosophy which is universal and fits every time you apply it to life. He has a strong yet reasonable concept of fate and teaches how to live accepting that.
Pushkin language is the greatest work of art russian literature would ever have. that may sound weird yet every major scientist accepts it. You can love Chekhov better, yet honestly you admit that no one can do better than Sasha, just simply can't.
And the main thing about their books - they take no efforts to read. They seem simple and clear yet he is till the moment is the most studied writer, because in his simpleness he actually said everything. If you find anything you like in russian literature most certainly sure Pushkin did that before. It was never my choice to love him as it never was my choice to drink water and feed my body.

But that's means nothing as he can't bloody be translated. Which is hateful for me.

2. If you want to start ruslit from nothing - Chekhov, Bunin, Belkin tales, Gogol's short stories are simple ways to do that. Clear language, almost impeccable choice of subject makes this things international and likeable. I wouldn't ever advice to start from thick books (Idiot, fathers and sons etc), because that's requires quite a lot of knowledge of history and social movements blahblah, and it's better to go for it after having enough reading experience. Some concepts are quite unique and complex and it takes time to start understanding this stuff.
Eugene Oneging is arguably one of the most complicated reading for a foreigner.

3. mom said hi, honeypie!

por Mat 2nd agosto 2011, 8:24 am

3. mom said hi, honeypie!

Please, now I want a power point presentation about your mom aueaueaueua

por Saint Sebastian 2nd agosto 2011, 8:29 am

Teufel

That's a good question indeed as Saltykov-Shedrin is not the most famous writer my homeland ever produced. Yet he is genius. One of the five greatest megolamaniac writers of the 2/2 of the XIX century (Turgenev, Goncharov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are others). Yet he is the quietest one, who never tried to teach people his own philosophy which is the rare quality between those guys and I love it. And he is celebrated master of satire possibly greatest in the history of literature.
People who like him mostly oppose Tolstoy and Dostoevsky fans for some reasons. My professor once said "The history of a town" is the one book you should read to be intelligent person. He has a lot of haters though. Rosanov once said (and he was somehow right in a way), that Saltykov only died and fell off to his grave only once he drunk enough of russian blood, as he for a satire autor who never explained how to treat the hell society lived in. Yet he is the only writer that actually did things for the state and tried to change the actual conditions of people's living. And that's maybe more important than anything.

por **César** 2nd agosto 2011, 10:53 am

Saint Sebastian escreveu:3. mom said hi, honeypie!

OOOH what she said about me? She told you I'm good looking? She said she misses me?

por Teufel 2nd agosto 2011, 4:45 pm

That was a very interesting answer, Saint Sebastian, thank you!
For me fans are the worst kind of people in the world. They try to be more their idols than the idol is himself. That's craziness. I just like Saltikov because I think his geniality is very subtle and not very known, as you said. But I equally like the others, as Pushkin, Dostoievski, etc.

However, do you live in Russia right now, is it correct? In Moscow? Have you been born there? What is there the feeling about new writers and poets? How is the power of the 'burrocracy', or better bureaucracy, nowadays in Russia? Worst, better? Is it yet how Gogol and Bulgakov described? How is the liberty in University's: can the academics put up with this power?
I know I've made a lot of questions, but I've been stimulated by your great answer! So just one more: how about Meletinsky? Is he acclaimed? People respect him? What do you think about him?

por Saint Sebastian 3rd agosto 2011, 6:26 am

I live in here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan
and this is my university http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan_State_University
My faculty is amazingly good, yet due to reorganization, we are losing a lot of power. I belong to the last wave of student that had a classical form of education which meant you can do whatever you like as long as your exam results show you worth it. Nowadays students have to visit every class which most of them do mechanically and standards change. Things always change yet it's hard to accept that. Professors are no longer the head of university as now we have administrative part, which consists of bureaucrats, of course. And our liberty which made us feel like part of the enlightenment kind of sort of vanishes.
I was born in Baku, but I spend all my life in here, as I am tatar and all my ancestors are from the city, which they have to leave because of the situation created by Stalin's collectivization.
There is no such things as new writers and poets. Of course there are talented people but they are lost in the whole ocean of low-quality works which feels the bookshops all around. I think we need some time to get through all the mess and construct new literature which was ruined several times due to social mess.

People in Russia never actually change. Now you are no longer can be trapped in the department as in Дьаволиада, yet everyone who gains minor power always have a chance to turn tyrant. That's the same. But thanks to god Peter's table of ranks is no longer here, yet state and citizens are so divided it seems we live in different worlds. State satire has always been and should always be the arm of literature in here if you ask me as it always needed.

If you ask about E.M. Meletinsky, he is one of that jews that keep our cultural studies together (Lotman, Tomashevky, Veselovsky that kind of people). Amazing guy, created his own mythological school in which he is very close to Bakhtin and my favourite Lotman. Studies of fairy tales are close to Propp's and Lévi-Strauss'. All kinds of cool. You may like studies of this guy as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Toporov
Mastodons of soviet philosophy/literature science are all amazing. Pity they were so isolated from the rest of the world.

por Mat 3rd agosto 2011, 7:54 am

Elvina, what do you know about brazilian literatura? Any author? Do the russian people read any of our authors?

por **Becco** 3rd agosto 2011, 9:19 am

Good question. Besides Paulo Coelho, of course.
How about Clarice Lispector?

por **César** 3rd agosto 2011, 11:08 am

Já indiquei Machado e Clarice pra ela, só que ela não encontra por lá, apesar de ter traduções.

por Mat 3rd agosto 2011, 9:54 pm

Fale para ela ler em Inglês, dizem que as traduções do Gregory Rabassa são ótimas.

http://www.jornaldepoesia.jor.br/BHAH05rabassa.htm

por **Becco** 4th agosto 2011, 9:18 am

I can't help it, but I'm really curious about her mom. With all due respect.

Mat escreveu:Fale para ela ler em Inglês, dizem que as traduções do Gregory Rabassa são ótimas.

http://www.jornaldepoesia.jor.br/BHAH05rabassa.htm

Nice link. I really enjoy interviews about translation. It's a fascinating subject.

por Saint Sebastian 4th agosto 2011, 4:48 pm

Soviet translators actually translated everything and exceptionally good. But most of the writers were never republished after 1980s. Right now I try to buy used Camoes and Machado. No signs of Spector though. That's quite a job, apart from russian i can only read english or spanish translation , which are not really useful i guess.
Jorge Amado was my only brazilian writer before. And I enjoyed his books. I had a great classes on foreign lit, yet french, english and german took most of the part. I hardly know the history of italian and scandinavian lit (mostly drama here) and have a giant white spot above Portugal. As I had spanish classes I know quite a bit of spanish and south american authors. Brazil was always left out. Luckily Ces gave me some lessons on the subject and helped me. Yet I merely will have enough skills to read original book in year to come (as i am going to start portuguese this year). But I hope after some time I will somehow manage to feel the space.

Indeed there is discrimination in studies and classical european literature traditionally prevails. But on the other hand they can't teach you everything, so they choose something that is really close to our own tradition.

por **Becco** 7th agosto 2011, 6:16 pm

Saint Sebastian escreveu:1. Alexander Pushkin is the love of my life. As a child I learnt by heart every fairy tale he wrote and and he is sacred for me since the age of 4 when I started reading his books. His impact to the russian culture can only be compared to what Shakespeare did, yet it's even more as Pushkin is the first solid example of national language, the first truly professional writer which could earn money by writing and turned it onto the profession and even made people treat writers with respect.
His best characters are happy people. the most miserable ones did everything themselves to lose happiness. He has a simple philosophy which is universal and fits every time you apply it to life. He has a strong yet reasonable concept of fate and teaches how to live accepting that.
Pushkin language is the greatest work of art russian literature would ever have. that may sound weird yet every major scientist accepts it. You can love Chekhov better, yet honestly you admit that no one can do better than Sasha, just simply can't.
And the main thing about their books - they take no efforts to read. They seem simple and clear yet he is till the moment is the most studied writer, because in his simpleness he actually said everything. If you find anything you like in russian literature most certainly sure Pushkin did that before. It was never my choice to love him as it never was my choice to drink water and feed my body.

But that's means nothing as he can't bloody be translated. Which is hateful for me.

How beautiful!
I know exactly how u feel. It's amazing how one can be in love with a writer and his work, language and message.
I was really moved by your text.
I only read some short stories and some poems, but, specially in the poetry field, I know I'm missing much.

Saint Sebastian escreveu:Teufel

That's a good question indeed as Saltykov-Shedrin is not the most famous writer my homeland ever produced. Yet he is genius. One of the five greatest megolamaniac writers of the 2/2 of the XIX century (Turgenev, Goncharov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are others). Yet he is the quietest one, who never tried to teach people his own philosophy which is the rare quality between those guys and I love it. And he is celebrated master of satire possibly greatest in the history of literature.
People who like him mostly oppose Tolstoy and Dostoevsky fans for some reasons. My professor once said "The history of a town" is the one book you should read to be intelligent person. He has a lot of haters though. Rosanov once said (and he was somehow right in a way), that Saltykov only died and fell off to his grave only once he drunk enough of russian blood, as he for a satire autor who never explained how to treat the hell society lived in. Yet he is the only writer that actually did things for the state and tried to change the actual conditions of people's living. And that's maybe more important than anything.

U made me curious about this one. Never heard of him. Embarassed

Saint Sebastian escreveu:I live in here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan
and this is my university http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan_State_University

It's really beautiful where u live and study.
I wish I could live and study there myself.

Saint Sebastian escreveu:There is no such things as new writers and poets. Of course there are talented people but they are lost in the whole ocean of low-quality works which feels the bookshops all around. I think we need some time to get through all the mess and construct new literature which was ruined several times due to social mess.

Oh, boy, that's really a pity and a shame.

Saint Sebastian escreveu:Soviet translators actually translated everything and exceptionally good. But most of the writers were never republished after 1980s. Right now I try to buy used Camoes and Machado. No signs of Spector though. That's quite a job, apart from russian i can only read english or spanish translation , which are not really useful i guess.

(...)

Indeed there is discrimination in studies and classical european literature traditionally prevails. But on the other hand they can't teach you everything, so they choose something that is really close to our own tradition.

That's also a shame.
There are so many amazing Brazilian writers, such as Lispector, Machado, Guimarães Rosa, Rubem Fonseca and Lima Barreto [very much influenced by Gogol] among many, many others.

Good luck on your classes. Portuguese is not an easy language, but it's a very beautiful one.

por Saint Sebastian 10th agosto 2011, 3:57 pm

Lorenzo Becco

Thank you for your feedback. Actually it's pleasure to share things you know with those who are interested in it. Almost as pleasant as to learn something.

I was really surprised people in Brazil are interested and care. You guys are simple brilliant

por Mat 11th agosto 2011, 8:01 am

Elvina

Which russian author do you consider the worst one?

Do you think russian poetry is so good as french poetry?

por Teufel 11th agosto 2011, 10:34 am

I was really surprised people in Brazil are interested and care. You guys are simple brilliant

With the new translations of the Russian writings here in Brazil I think we've been more interested, although we have yet a lot of bad translations and several books that are still waiting for being translated. Italy, France, Germany and the English language countries have much more tradition on Russian literature.

por Saint Sebastian 18th agosto 2011, 3:23 pm

Mat

Your questions are hard to answer.
I don't really think there is such thing as worst writer. most of the writers are bad, if they wouldn't they won't disappear in past as they did. Only good ones survive.
Yet we had plenty of bad ones. I myself have a feeling against some of beloved writers - like this couple http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Merezhkovsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinaida_Gippius
Also i am consider most of Tolstoy's works total bullshit, coz guy turned mental in one point. And i think i am not alone in my unpopular opinion.

What about poetry. Russian poetry is actually a hard work, as language has quite a difficult rhyme and rhythm system. Yet sound very pleasant. But as i haven't read french poetry in french and can't imagine how russian poetry sounds in most of the languages, I can't really give an answer to that. But we have amazing poets round here, like Silver Age ones, Batyushkov, Tutchev, lots really.

por **César** 18th agosto 2011, 5:51 pm

Saint Sebastian escreveu:Also i am consider most of Tolstoy's works total bullshit, coz guy turned mental in one point. And i think i am not alone in my unpopular opinion.

What about poetry. Russian poetry is actually a hard work, as language has quite a difficult rhyme and rhythm system. Yet sound very pleasant. But as i haven't read french poetry in french and can't imagine how russian poetry sounds in most of the languages, I can't really give an answer to that. But we have amazing poets round here, like Silver Age ones, Batyushkov, Tutchev, lots really.

<3333

Well, french poetry opens a lot of legs around the world. Russian poetry around the world means what?

por Saint Sebastian 19th agosto 2011, 6:20 am

I hook up with a help of Pushkin's love poems btw.

por **César** 21st setembro 2011, 1:59 pm

Elvina, my dear, what's the best Puchkin work in your opinion?

por Saint Sebastian 21st setembro 2011, 2:06 pm

His greatest creation was his life.

His most important work - Евгений Онегин.
His most sophisticated one - Повести Белкина, as it is so smart it became hardest book to get the whole idea of, though it is my opinion.
His poetry can be recognised as a novel, as it is pretty much connected to the life of one character, he created. Other examples of that kind are poetry of Akhmatova, who also introduced someone else to write about, so she could be safe, and Pasternak's poetry of Zhivago. If you know a bit about Pushkin's life then parallel between his real life experience and reflection of it would amaze you. Coz this is is whole giant, sceptical and ironical novel. Which is may be his greatest creation.

por Mat 28th setembro 2011, 11:20 am

Elvina, TAKE ME TO RUSSIA Surprised

What's your favorite character of russian and universal lit? Tell us why.

por **Becco** 28th setembro 2011, 4:59 pm

Mat escreveu:Elvina, TAKE ME TO RUSSIA

César and myself too!!!!

por Mat 29th setembro 2011, 10:44 am

Lorenzo Becco escreveu:
Mat escreveu:Elvina, TAKE ME TO RUSSIA

César and myself too!!!!

YOU WISH

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