Russian Literature Recs

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to get more acquainted with Russian lit. I'm looking for approachable, perhaps on the shorter side novels - if anyone has any recommendations?

Thank you!

Hi Sol from the University of Suffolk here I studied English for my Degree and also studied Creative and Critical Writing as a Masters Degree.

I'd recommend anything by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Vladamir Nabakov.

Dostoevsky's shortest work is Notes from the Underground or his most famous (and in my opinion his best) is Crime and Punishment.

Nabakov's books are shorter and arguably more accessible. He wrote in both English and Russian. Lolita is his most famous, but all of them are brilliant!

Anton Chekov is also definitely worth a look, he has a huge collection of short stories, as well as longer works, his short stories are very good if you are looking for an introduction to Russian Literature.

I hope this helps.

-Sol from the University of Suffolk

Tolstoy's short stories are fantastic (he can seem overly moralistic but I enjoy that as part of his psychology).

Tolstoy's short stories are fantastic (he can seem overly moralistic but I enjoy that as part of his psychology).

I know he is God to many people but I couldn't stand the nausiating moralistic preaching, I can't read him at all. Tolstoy and Gandhi must have been an utter nightmare to meet in person. At least Chesterton made some attempt at humor and entertainment, and did not end his stories with "though shalt not covet thy neighbor's ass".

There is Ivan Bunin who wrote short stories?

However, it is difficult in the present political climate to even discuss russian literature. Some of the old master were great craftsmen, and then they have a very neglected scifi tradition. Maybe some day things will normalize..?

I think the 'nauseating moralistic preaching' thing is greatly overstated, no offence. I didn't really find it much of an issue at all, it's just part of the fabric in the same way guns and oversized cars are to American culture. There's a religious, existential undercurrent to all of that era of Russian lit, he just made it an explicit focus in various was (i think quite clever ways, generally - with the exception of Resurrection, though I still enjoyed it). In my experience the people most bothered by it are people who don't want to think about it - I'm not saying that is you, but that has broadly been the rub of it for me, especially among academics.