Readers of this week’s post have shared some great comments on memories of reading Sholokhov and Sachs. Jeffrey Kaye’s has inspired me to pick up a copy of Quietly Flows the Don.
One of the discoveries of doing this 120 Nobels Challenge is how many memories we store about our reading, and how going back over the Nobels list triggers new insights into our lives.
What are some memories you have reconnected with doing the 120 Nobels challenge?
Hope you enjoy Sholokhov's masterpiece! I've just ordered a copy of his book on WW2, "They Fought For Their Country." For some reason, this particular work was not easy to find. In general, Sholokhov's work, except for "All Quiet on the Don," has fallen out of fashion. As with many of the laureates on your list, that's not particularly unusual. That's what comes from making choices for political, rather than literary, reasons. Then again, literary fashions change too.
If I think it's worth writing about it, I'll do a book review on "They Fought" at my Substack blog, Hidden Histories. Americans seem to have a blank spot when it comes to imagining the suffering of other nations in war, particularly a suffering as extensive and horrific as that of the Soviet Union in the early 1940s. In any case, thanks for the mention, and keep up your interesting work! I look forward to reading more!
I've not reread Quiet Flows the Don, but I remember when I read it in my late teens that it was very engaging. I want to reread it, and have found my old paperbacks of Sholokhov's works. I'm reading Gorbachev's Memoir and Civilization at the moment, both are fascinating reads. I am rereading War and Peace too. I've reread if 5 times now and every time I see more aspects. I have tried to read it several times with a particular character in mind. This time it is Pierre, and last time it was Andrei. As always I'm seeing more. The thing that has struck me this time is how well drawn even minor characters are drawn, for instance Andrei's father's servant is a fascinating yet very minor character who is very upset at the death of his master, who seems a curmudgeon on the surface.
Hope you enjoy Sholokhov's masterpiece! I've just ordered a copy of his book on WW2, "They Fought For Their Country." For some reason, this particular work was not easy to find. In general, Sholokhov's work, except for "All Quiet on the Don," has fallen out of fashion. As with many of the laureates on your list, that's not particularly unusual. That's what comes from making choices for political, rather than literary, reasons. Then again, literary fashions change too.
If I think it's worth writing about it, I'll do a book review on "They Fought" at my Substack blog, Hidden Histories. Americans seem to have a blank spot when it comes to imagining the suffering of other nations in war, particularly a suffering as extensive and horrific as that of the Soviet Union in the early 1940s. In any case, thanks for the mention, and keep up your interesting work! I look forward to reading more!
I've not reread Quiet Flows the Don, but I remember when I read it in my late teens that it was very engaging. I want to reread it, and have found my old paperbacks of Sholokhov's works. I'm reading Gorbachev's Memoir and Civilization at the moment, both are fascinating reads. I am rereading War and Peace too. I've reread if 5 times now and every time I see more aspects. I have tried to read it several times with a particular character in mind. This time it is Pierre, and last time it was Andrei. As always I'm seeing more. The thing that has struck me this time is how well drawn even minor characters are drawn, for instance Andrei's father's servant is a fascinating yet very minor character who is very upset at the death of his master, who seems a curmudgeon on the surface.