NYC Russian Novels Book Club

From Goodreads: Resurrection (1899) is the last of Tolstoy's major novels. It tells the story of a nobleman's attempt to redeem the suffering his youthful philandering inflicted on a peasant girl who ends up a prisoner in Siberia. Tolstoy's vision of redemption, achieved through loving forgiveness and his condemnation of violence, dominate the novel. An intimate, psychological tale of guilt, anger, and forgiveness, Resurrection is at the same time a panoramic description of social life in Russia at the end of the nineteenth century, reflecting its author's outrage at the social injustices of the world in which he lived. This edition, which updates a classic translation, has explanatory notes, and a substantial introduction based on the most recent scholarship in the field.

From Goodreads: A masterpiece of black comedy by the author of The Master and Margarita. When Maxudov's novel fails, he attempts suicide. When that fails, he dramatizes his novel. To Maxudov's surprise - and the resentment of literary Moscow - the play is accepted by the legendary Independent Theater, and Maxudov plunges into a vortex of inflated egos. Each rehearsal sees more and more sparks flying higher and higher, and less and less chance of poor Maxudov's play ever being performed. Black Snow is the ultimate backstage novel, and a masterly satire on Mikhail Bulgakov's ten-year love-hate relationship with Stanislavsky, Method acting, and the Moscow Arts Theater.

NOTE: Some editions consist of two separate short parts. If you encounter that, we’ll be reading Parts 1 And 2 From Goodreads: A classic novel arising from the Soviet Union in the thirties, How the Steel Was Tempered is a fictionalized account of author Nikolai Ostrovsky's experiences in fighting for the Bolsheviks during the Civil War and his difficulty in overcoming crippling injuries after the war ended. Centering on a young man named Pavel Korchagin, How the Steel Was Tempered follows his journey from ill-mannered malcontent through to disciplined soldier of the revolution, in the process coming to epitomize the ideal of the New Man. How the Steel Was Tempered is presented here as a special edition by author J.T. Marsh as a means of preserving and disseminating a classic piece of working class literature. As part of the rich history of such literature, How the Steel Was Tempered is invaluable in embodying the constant struggle of the working class to be the masters of their own destiny.

NOTE: This is a week earlier than usual because the last Monday of Sept. is the start of Rosh Hashanah. If there is strong preference for Sep 30, I will re-schedule. From Goodreads: Accused of political subversion as a young man, Fyodor Dostoyevsky was sentenced to four years of hard labor at a Siberian prison camp — a horrifying experience from which he developed this astounding semi-autobiographical memoir of a man condemned to ten years of servitude for murdering his wife. As with a number of the author's other works, this profoundly influential novel brilliantly explores his characters' thoughts while probing the depths of the human soul. Describing in relentless detail the physical and mental suffering of the convicts, Dostoyevsky's character never loses faith in human qualities and the goodness of man. A haunting and remarkable work filled with wonder and resignation, The House of the Dead ranks among the Russian novelist's greatest masterpieces. Of this powerful autobiographical novel, Tolstoy wrote, "I know no better book in all modern literature."