Thursday, December 29, 2005

Gogol: Taras Bulba

Taras BulbaTaras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, translated by Peter Constantine.

A Russian crtic wrote this about Gogol, "Seldom has nature created a man so romantic in bent, yet so masterly in portraying all that is unromantic in life."

Ernest Hemingway calls Taras Bulba,"One of the ten greatest books of all time."

My impression of Taras Bulba? Lots of bloodthirsty, carousing Cossacks - an unbridled force of violence. If this is truly Gogol's attempt to portray the Ukrainian/Russian spirit, it's a scary one. I'm not used to Gogol in this light. Not sure I like it.

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