What author(s) really "get it?" Get you?

[Sweet Jones]

Yeah I have to agree with what 1800GJ said about Dostoevsky, I have been making my way through his stuff gradually... started with Demons and then Crime & Punishment (probably either of those would be my favourite to date), The Idiot, I have read some of his shorter stuff like Notes from the Underground, and at the moment I am halfway through Brothers Karamazov. He is definitely on another level, as far as novel writers go. I have some Tolstoy lined up, like with most books I have 'lined up' though it could be months or a year even before I get round to it haha, is War and Peace the best place to start, or do you have any other recommendations? Perhaps a shorter novel of his I can get into first?

 

[1800-GOT-JUNK]

Nice post 1-800

Spot on with Dostoyevsky. Complete and total insight to the human psych. Have you read crime and punishment?

And also, are you reading them in Russian?

I started on the idiot which literally changed my life. Then crime and punishment, also superb but didn't effect me in the same way. Then karamazov which is my favorite. My parents are both fluent Russian speakers who majored in Russian lit. I was a foreign service brat growing up and my moms first post was Moscow where I lived for some years. When my parents wanted to talk without me understanding they would speak Russian so I started learning it behind their backs to foil them Lol. I can read Russian enough to slowly work through a novel, but I prefer a Good translation. There is a new husband wife team that is setting a new standard for russian ---> english anslation. Pevear and volkhonsky (spelling?) Also David magarshak has very skillful if slightly dated translation of the idiot which is still my favorite.

Also my bad sweet Jones I meant to say Gogol not Tolstoy. Actually like Gogol way better. Check out taras bulba by him its really short and a wonderful and thrilling little novel.there's a movie made from it with Tony Curtis back in the 60's too. If u like that then read dead souls. One of the best novels ever Imo. But def check out Tolstoy Anna karennina and W&P are pretty much his best stuff and both make great door stops if ur not gonna read em Lol. Sorry I cant suggest something a lil easier to start with but Tolstoy isn't good at brevity u gotta dive into him.

Finally, I implore anyone reading this to read a fantastic novel called Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov. Imo the most underappreciated Russian novel ever. I have an ebook copy if u PM me I can send it ur way. And anything u read u gotta realize the translator makes or breaks it. DO NO READ CONSTANCE GARNETT TRANSLATIONS. She wasn't even fluent in Russian and if she didn't understand something she would just skip it. Her transletions are everywhere just cause she got to them first. Pevear and volkhonsky all the way they've translated just about every Russian classic by now.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Nice. Tanks for the advice. Pretty sweet your parents speak fluent Russian, and that you lived in Moscow. I started teaching myself Russian a while back, and then was getting tutored but stopped. I should pick it back up. For some reason I have a fascination with anything Russian. Would love to go there someday.