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Where to start with Russian Lit. & tips for beginners (as a beginner myself) // CarolinaMaryaReads

CarolynMarieReads

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Dear Class ;)

Because you all seemed to enjoy last classes "lecture," I thought I'd provide more "course material" discussing Russian Literature for beginners!

I did NOT get my degree in Russian lit, but I am a very passionate reader of Russian lit!!! I thought I'd share with you some tips and recommendations that have helped me on my Russian lit. journey (as a beginner myself)!

Myself and my homeboy Tolstoy are sending you our best wishes,
Carolina :)

***"Course Material" ;P - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l...

***Classic Lit. for beginners video - Classic Lit. - The Ultimate Beginners Guid...

***All Of My Russian Lit. Videos / Playlist - CarolinaMaryaReads

***Videos Mentioned -
Jordan Peterson: "Men are not piano keys" Jordan Peterson o...
Anna Akhmatova: Anna Akhmatova - Queen of the Silver Age
History of Russia: History of Russia - Rurik to Revolution
Where Did Russia Come From? Where did Russia come from? - Alex Gendler
Irwin Weil: Irwin Weil on Dostoevsky
Maxim Gorky and Stalin: Maxim Gorky and Stalin
Why should you read War and Peace - Why should you read Tolstoy's "War and Pea...
Pevear and Volokhonsky discuss Tolstoy in translation: Pevear and Volokhonsky discuss Tolstoy in ...
Dickens vs Tolstoy featuring Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton: Dickens vs Tolstoy featuring Tom Hiddlesto...
Why is Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina still so popular today?: Why is Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina still so po...

My Social Media: CarolynMarieReads
***My Website/Portfolio - https://carolyncastagnaart.wixsite.co...
***Art/Book Instagram - Instagram: carolynmariereads
***GoodReads - Goodreads: carolynmariereads
***Business inquiries: carolyncastagna.artist@gmail.com

***My Etsy Shop (some sold out, but more still available!!!) - https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolynMari...

***Want to write to me or send something?
Carolyn Castagna
P. O. Box 773
Greenlawn NY 11740
United States
**Please don't feel like you need to send me anything, but if you'd like to I would be honored!!!** :)

***About me -
I just graduated from college at the Fashion Institute of Technology with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in English/Writing.
My greatest passion in life is combining my two loves, literature and art!

Happy Reading :)

#russianlit #classicscommunity

20 Comments

@jojodogface898 4 years ago (edited)

Anna Karenina blew my mind, but The Brothers Karamazov changed the way I think.
--Also, I can't recomend The Master and Margarita enough

@marthabalaag4254 4 years ago

You and Emma has been one of the main reason why I started reading classics and I am so grateful that you encourage us all to try it though it might be quite overwhelming at first. I am definitely enjoying my adventures with Anna Karennina and Count Dracula, and Im excited to read more and hear from you about books.

@malachiconstant26 4 years ago

"There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature." P.G. Wodehouse

@amodiekka 4 years ago

I just have finished another Russian classic book, which is called “Oblomov” by Goncharov….and for me it was just a mind-blowing book. So, I really recommend it to all. I was surprised a lot about the finish of the book and I cried a lot. All of us must read this book

@DeadnWoon 1 year ago (edited)

As a native Russian speaker & reader I may add some more authors and books to your lists - though I'm not sure about the existence and availability of their translations in English.

There were two famous in Russia 19th century satirists: Saltykov-Shchedrin and Kozma Prutkov. The latter one being a fictional person, by the way. Both are considered legendary classics among the native Russian readers.

The 20th century gave such personalities as Daniil Kharms and Mikhail Zoshchenko. Both are also considered classics inside the Russian-reading post-Soviet cultural space. Also, Andrei Platonov.

The USSR and Russia itself as its core had its share of great writers and poets. There was a "Russian Bob Dylan", poet, songwriter, singer of his own songs, actor Vladimir Vysotsky. His poems were massively translated in many languages of the world - not sure about the exact paper books in English, but you may easily find tons of his translations in English on YouTube and elsewhere on the Net. Nice and easy to read poetry. He deserves the Nobel Prize, as well - unfortunately he died in 1980, he would never get one.

There was a Russian writer Mikhail Ancharov who wrote some decent poems but was more famous inside the USSR for his stream-of-consciousness-meets-slight-madness style of novels, of which at least one titled "The Boxwood Forest" became cult among the young Soviet intellectuals in the early 1980s. Soviet students of the time adored it.

@bunnymoon9130 4 years ago

As a russian, who was obliged to read all these books during school, I find it so inspiring to watch videos like this and discover people, who love russian classics. I’m so happy that you truly enjoy reading them! Found this channel 10 minutes ago and it’s already one of my fav❤️

@lawwithshirin 4 years ago

would love if you delved into Indian literature (especially Bengali writers like Rabindranath Tagore) I promise you won't be disappointed . Due to India's colonial history, we have amazing English literature written by Indians.

@johnsaxongitno4life588 4 years ago

All I can say is that I am really really sorry for being a hour late for this lecture and I am really excited about watching this video please stay safe and enjoy your reading love your Australia fan John xx

@daily_29 4 years ago

My first Russian classic was The Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy and it was GOOD !

@spencerburke 2 years ago (edited)

A tip that has helped me - avoid cheap editions of Russian classics. Wordsworth, Dover / Thrift Editions etc. Not for snobby reasons, but just because of the typeface. The print is tiny, and can strain the eye. For me, at least. Of course, for the price of them you cannot complain, and the publishers have to economize somewhere. But, I have struggled to finish many of those editions in the past, so they are a false economy really. Better off even with an ebook format than some of them.

'Hadji Murat' is a great gateway Tolstoy book. It's at its heart an adventure story, full of derring do. Exotic locales (Chechniya) - even for the Russian readership, great characterisation, and importantly for beginners it is quite short, just 150 pages. Brilliant atmospheric writing.

@sarat.8162 4 years ago

Russian Literature is special to me when I read it , it just grasps me into the story and I am never let down by Russian authors. This year I read Anna Karenina, Eugene Onegin, The Kreutzer Sonata , I also just finished "The Torrents of Spring" by Turgenev and it was incredible. Everytime I finish a good book it just holds a special place in my heart. I will read even more books from Russian Literature like "War and Peace", "The Gambler", "White Nights" etc.

@algorithmimplementer415 4 years ago (edited)

Start small does not go with me. I picked up the grandest of the grands. My first Russian classic was The Brothers Karamazov. 🤩 The rest is history.

@neverbored 4 years ago

Great recomendations! I can listen forever to Jordan Peterson speaking about Dostoyevsky.

@kristinerodriguez5310 4 years ago

I’m so excited for this!! I just bought my copy of Crime & Punishment and am looking forward to getting into it!

@ronaldowilliams7456 4 years ago

Lmao love those School intros and that t-shirt 10/10

@MF11235_e 2 years ago

I hope you become insanely wealthy doing videos. THIS (imo) is what the internet should be used for. It was you who started me reading Russian literature. I have not read the comments section and I am sure you get a lot of compliments, so I will just say thank you. I know how much work you have invested in your videos 🌷

@murraykriner9425 1 year ago

It was required reading in the Academy that I attended as a youth, which led me to read the entire history of that nation, in many reincarnations. This all had a deep impact on my mind, which drove me to learn about the dynamics of their language, even though I am conversationally illiterate in Russian, it made the pronunciation far easier. I am very glad that younger readers are finally tuning into these amazing works of fiction, with all their life lessons, and inferred folklore lent within. Please take care.

@knigolyubizdanii 4 years ago

You are such a wonderful person, Carolyn. The way you talk about different kind of books is so interesting to listen. I have read a lot of Russian books in school (I was studying in Russian school) and after that as well, and I have same feelings about Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Michailovich Dostoevsy, Bulgagov and etc.. All those writers had so much to say and share with the World! You are absolutely right, when you say about the history of Russia - it is well written in the pages of Russian books.
Im not quite sure what tips could be given to those who never read or afraid for some reason to read Russian literature, but I can just say one thing - give it a shot! Try it! Im quite sure that you will love it. Of course, I will not point on each Russian writer and say that he or she is amazing, but there are a lot of them who can be called - outstanding writers.
The explanation about "slap in the face" was the best, makes me laugh - amazing)))) Ones again, thank you Carolyn for being such an amazing person and thank you for talking about Russian authors on your channel. Good luck to those who just started the journey around Russian literature. Enjoy every moment! :)
P.S. Im thinking now to add Akhmatova to my collection.

@Karamazov12 3 years ago

Love your enthusiasm, reading Russian literature is not a walk in the park. But when you pull through, when you do salami tactics which is one slice at a time…. A whole world will open up.
Reading for instance Turgenev means actually being then and there. Thats what is does, many thanks from the Netherlands.

@amodiekka 4 years ago (edited)

I don’t know if I can call myself “an expert”,but I’m Russian and I read a lot of classics(they’re all in school program, so I couldn’t not to do it). If smb have any question about Russian literature(not only classic), Russian language, pronunciation or some book, i think that I can help you:D