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袝胁谐械薪懈泄 袨薪械谐懈薪
袪芯屑邪薪 胁 褋褌懈褏邪褏, 胁锌械褉胁褘械 芯锌褍斜谢懈泻芯胁邪薪薪褘泄 胁 1833 谐芯写褍. 小芯蟹写邪胁邪谢褋褟 薪邪 锌褉芯褌褟卸械薪懈懈 褋械屑懈 谢械褌 鈥� 褋 1823 锌芯 1831 谐芯写. 袨写薪芯 懈蟹 褋邪屑褘褏 蟹薪邪褔懈褌械谢褜薪褘褏 锌褉芯懈蟹胁械写械薪懈泄 褉褍褋褋泻芯泄 泻谢邪褋褋懈褔械褋泻芯泄 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉褘. 袙褏芯写懈褌 胁 褋锌懈褋芯泻 芯斜褟蟹邪褌械谢褜薪芯泄 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉褘 写谢褟 褋褉械写薪懈褏 褕泻芯谢.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1833
2,046 people are currently reading
65.7k people want to read
About the author
Alexander Pushkin
2,305听books3,308听followersWorks of Russian writer Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin include the verse novel
Eugene Onegin
(1831), the play
Boris Godunov
(1831), and many narrative and lyrical poems and short stories.
See also:
Russian: 袗谢械泻褋邪薪写褉 小械褉谐械械胁懈褔 袩褍褕泻懈薪
French: Alexandre Pouchkine
Norwegian: Aleksander Pusjkin
Spanish:Aleksandr Pushkin
People consider this author the greatest poet and the founder of modern literature. Pushkin pioneered the use of vernacular speech in his poems, creating a style of storytelling鈥攎ixing drama, romance, and satire鈥攁ssociated ever with greatly influential later literature.
Pushkin published his first poem at the age of 15 years in 1814, and the literary establishment widely recognized him before the time of his graduation from the imperial lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. Social reform gradually committed Pushkin, who emerged as a spokesman for literary radicals and in the early 1820s clashed with the government, which sent him into exile in southern Russia. Under the strict surveillance of government censors and unable to travel or publish at will, he wrote his most famous drama but ably published it not until years later. People published his verse serially from 1825 to 1832.
Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova, whom he married in 1831, later became regulars of court society. In 1837, while falling into ever greater debt amidst rumors that his wife started conducting a scandalous affair, Pushkin challenged her alleged lover, Georges d'Anth猫s, to a duel. Pushkin was mortally wounded and died two days later.
Because of his liberal political views and influence on generations of Russian rebels, Pushkin was portrayed by Bolsheviks as an opponent to bourgeois literature and culture and a predecessor of Soviet literature and poetry. Tsarskoe Selo was renamed after him.
See also:
Russian: 袗谢械泻褋邪薪写褉 小械褉谐械械胁懈褔 袩褍褕泻懈薪
French: Alexandre Pouchkine
Norwegian: Aleksander Pusjkin
Spanish:Aleksandr Pushkin
People consider this author the greatest poet and the founder of modern literature. Pushkin pioneered the use of vernacular speech in his poems, creating a style of storytelling鈥攎ixing drama, romance, and satire鈥攁ssociated ever with greatly influential later literature.
Pushkin published his first poem at the age of 15 years in 1814, and the literary establishment widely recognized him before the time of his graduation from the imperial lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. Social reform gradually committed Pushkin, who emerged as a spokesman for literary radicals and in the early 1820s clashed with the government, which sent him into exile in southern Russia. Under the strict surveillance of government censors and unable to travel or publish at will, he wrote his most famous drama but ably published it not until years later. People published his verse serially from 1825 to 1832.
Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova, whom he married in 1831, later became regulars of court society. In 1837, while falling into ever greater debt amidst rumors that his wife started conducting a scandalous affair, Pushkin challenged her alleged lover, Georges d'Anth猫s, to a duel. Pushkin was mortally wounded and died two days later.
Because of his liberal political views and influence on generations of Russian rebels, Pushkin was portrayed by Bolsheviks as an opponent to bourgeois literature and culture and a predecessor of Soviet literature and poetry. Tsarskoe Selo was renamed after him.
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April 25, 2023
I dare you, double-triple-dog dare you鹿, to find a Russian person who has never heard of Evgeniy Onegin.
Yes, the familiarity of Russians with 'Evgeniy Onegin' is quite stunning. And yet I think most of us, when you get to the bottom of things, have only superficial recollections of it, the bits and pieces of storyline (which may or may not feature a love story?), a duel, a passionate letter, a few aphorisms, and a phrase coming from the recesses of the third-grade memory: "Winter! The peasant, triumphant..."
And at the same time most of us, I think, would be hard-pressed to point out exactly why this book is so great - not unexpected given that 200+ pages of verse read at age 15 may not necessarily create a meaningful imprint on teenage minds.
And this is why I embarked on a re-read - and as a result having unintentionally impressed my literature teacher mother (yay, the perks of Pushkin! I wonder - is it a coincidence that my brother and I have the names of Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalie?)
I wanted to discover those gems that critics and teachers see, and which evaded me the first time I read it at seven and then at fifteen. And, reader, I found them!
Did I mention before that this book is over 200 pages of verse, rhyming in a particular stanza structure that came to be known as 'Pushkin sonnet' ("aBaBccDDeFFeGG" with masculine endings in lower case and feminine endings in upper case - for you, literature buffs!). That seems like a huge feat to accomplish - and it did take Pushkin a decade to complete and publish it. And yet, despite the gargantuan effort, this novel reads so incredibly easy and effortlessly that it's almost too easy to overlook its beauty and sophistication under the deceiving cover-up of light simplicity.
These verses are two hundred years old, and yet sound very natural even to a modern Russian ear - a testament to Pushkin's amazing grasp of nuances and dynamics of living Russian language, not the stuffy official one (and that, admirably, was in the era where many educated Russians could speak flawless French, English or German but were often struggling with their native 'peasant' language - just like Tatyana Larina, actually!)
The plot of the novel can be easily seen as a love story - if you strip it down to its most basic elements, of course. A bored rich noble Evgeniy Onegin comes from the capital to a rural part of Russia, meets a young and naively passionate Tatyana Larina, a daughter of a local rural noble, and spurns her naive affections expressed in a passionate letter to him. A misunderstanding over Tatyana's sister leads to a duel between Onegin and his younger poet friend Lensky - and leaves Lensky dead. A few years later, Onegin runs into Tatyana in St Petersburg - now a married sophisticated lady of the higher society - and is smitten; but his affections get spurned by the older and wiser Tatyana who delivers a famous line that although she still loves Evgeniy, she "belong[s] to another and will be forever faithful to him". End of story.
What this simplified version that sticks in the minds of many readers years later lacks is exactly what makes this a great novel as opposed to yet another 19th century romance. What makes it unique is a masterful mockingly sarcastic portrayal of the entire 'cream' of Russian society so familiar to Pushkin, one of its members by birth.
From the very beginning, Pushkin assumes a conversational tone with the reader, breaking the literary fourth wall any chance he gets, emphasizing that the characters and customs he describes are well-known, contemporary and easily recognizable not only to him but also to his audience - the educated 'cream of the society' of whom he's making subtle fun.
Evgeniy is your typical "Byronic" young man, fashionably disenchanted with life, suffering from "褏邪薪写褉邪" - the Russian expression for ennui - and fashionably, as learned from the books (something that enamored with him Tatyana discovers to her distress), showing his tiredness of the world and showing off his trendy cynicism. He's reasonably good-looking, educated 'just enough' and unconsciously playing up a fashionable gothic stereotype, bored with life already at the age of twenty-six, sharply contrasted with Lensky, an eighteen-year-old poet ready to fall in love and sing it endless dithyrambs.
Evgeniy does seem fake in his boredom and despicable in his feeling of superiority and self-righteousness, and therefore his disappointment in pursuit of older, more interesting Tatyana's love comes as a deserved punishment, readers agree. And let's face it - despite the novel being named after Onegin, he in the hearts of the readers plays second fiddle to the one he first rejected and then hopelessly pursued - Tatyana Larina.
Tatyana Larina, in contrast to Evgeniy, has always been the darling of Russian literature. She is viewed as uniquely Russian (the fact that Pushkin himself emphasizes, even when he acknowledges that like many of the Russian nobles of that time, Tatyana had a hard time speaking Russian), the embodiment of what a perfect Russian woman should be - sincere, idealistic and passionate, and yet strong, resilient and faithful to her partner despite the temptations. She can be easily seen as an inspiration to all those noble Decemberists' wives who were willing to leave everything behind and follow their duty and obligation to the depths of Siberia, if need be. Her rejection of Evgeniy is viewed as undeniable integrity and strength of character, and the unwavering ability to self-sacrifice for what is right.
That's how I was taught to think about Tatyana, in any case. She steals the stage from Evgeniy so effortlessly and naturally to become a heroine and not just the girl in love. And yet, as I was reading this novel now, likely at least a decade older than Tatyana when she falls in love, I could not help but notice the bits in her character that made me question her place on the pedestal of ultimate Russian womanhood - and because of that actually made her more dear and more relatable to me.
You see, the sincerity and passion with which Tatyana embraced her young love on this read-through did not really pass my scrutiny. Let's be honest - she does not fall in love with Onegin; instead, raised on cheap romances, she falls in love with an imagined ideal of him, having glimpsed him only during a single evening he spends in her home. She falls in love with this mysterious handsome haughty stranger because, as the stories have taught her, she's supposed to. She's young and impressionable (her age is never stated, but at some point there's a mention of a thirteen-year-old girl, which to me feels a bit too young to be Tatyana - and so I tend to imagine her about seventeen or eighteen, making her younger sister Olga a 'marriageable material' as well).
She plays the role of a typical quiet, introspective, shy, pale and dreamy young woman very well, having internalized the idea of a romantic heroine. Her love is likely no more real than Onegin's trendy disappointment with life. Her passionate letter, written in French, is open and brave - but yet, on a closer reading, full of cliches that are clearly taken out of romance novels that kept her company throughout adolescence.
So basically what I see here is the meeting of two people both of whom are instinctively and therefore very sincerely playing the exact roles society and culture expect them to play - the world-weary Evgeniy and the romantically passionate Tatyana. None of them is the ultimate Russian hero, let's face it. The conventions they both pander to is what does not allow them to be happy.
Tatyana three years later, having turned into a refined Petersburg married lady commanding respect and admiration, appears a much more interesting character - to Onegin as well, unsurprisingly. But her astounding transformation really seems to be just another role she tries on and fulfills with the same aptitude as she did the role of a romantic provincial young woman in love. Tatyana wears her new expectations as a glove - and so does Evgeniy, madly falling in love with her just as would be expected for a young dandy meeting a refined alluring woman of higher society. Once again both of them play a part that's expected for them, and play it well. And even Tatyana's ultimate rejection of Onegin may not be so much the strength of her character as the expected behavior of a woman in such a situation as portrayed in the romance novels with which she grew up (the alternative to Tatyana's decision decades later was described by Tolstoy in 'Anna Karenina' with all the tragic consequences that followed).
An ideal Russian woman? Perhaps not. A young woman tragically caught in the web of societal and cultural expectations in her youth and now in her adulthood? Perhaps so. And in this, I think, is the strength and the tragedy of this story.
Pushkin seems to have felt the societal conventions very well to so exquisitely poke fun at them while showing very subtly the pain they can lead to. He shows the tragedy of yet another societal convention of establishing masculinity and honor - the duels. Onegin kills his friend Lensky in a duel that both of them know is not necessary but yet expected by the society - and Pushkin is not subtle about showing the wasteful unnecessity of such an act.
And this is why neither me nor my literature teacher mother can even fathom how, in winter of 1837, 37-year-old Alexander Pushkin himself allowed ridiculous societal convention to take his life, losing his life in a duel which supposedly happened over a woman - the duel he described so aptly years prior in his masterpiece.
But even without them, the 200+ pages novel in verse that has been the darling of Russian literature for two centuries now lives up to its hard-to-attain fame.
4.5 stars and extra respect from my mother for having reread it - and that ultimately is priceless.
鹿 If you do somehow manage to find this living-under-the-rock person, I unfortunately cannot provide you with a monetary reward since I have no money to speak of. Instead, I will treat you to the my horrified expression akin to Edvard Munch's 'The Scream'. Sorry.This novel in verse permeates all aspects of Russian culture, lauded both in the tsarist Russia and the USSR. Children read it in literature class and are made to memorize passages from it starting in elementary school. There are operas, ballets, and films. The phrases from it have become aphorisms and are still widely used in the Russian language. It even dragged the name Tatyana out of the obscurity to the heights of long-lasting popularity (now the lines 'Her sister's name was Tatyana./It's the first time we dare/ To grace with such a name/ The tender pages of a novel' seem outright silly).
Yes, the familiarity of Russians with 'Evgeniy Onegin' is quite stunning. And yet I think most of us, when you get to the bottom of things, have only superficial recollections of it, the bits and pieces of storyline (which may or may not feature a love story?), a duel, a passionate letter, a few aphorisms, and a phrase coming from the recesses of the third-grade memory: "Winter! The peasant, triumphant..."
And at the same time most of us, I think, would be hard-pressed to point out exactly why this book is so great - not unexpected given that 200+ pages of verse read at age 15 may not necessarily create a meaningful imprint on teenage minds.
And this is why I embarked on a re-read - and as a result having unintentionally impressed my literature teacher mother (yay, the perks of Pushkin! I wonder - is it a coincidence that my brother and I have the names of Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalie?)
I wanted to discover those gems that critics and teachers see, and which evaded me the first time I read it at seven and then at fifteen. And, reader, I found them!
Did I mention before that this book is over 200 pages of verse, rhyming in a particular stanza structure that came to be known as 'Pushkin sonnet' ("aBaBccDDeFFeGG" with masculine endings in lower case and feminine endings in upper case - for you, literature buffs!). That seems like a huge feat to accomplish - and it did take Pushkin a decade to complete and publish it. And yet, despite the gargantuan effort, this novel reads so incredibly easy and effortlessly that it's almost too easy to overlook its beauty and sophistication under the deceiving cover-up of light simplicity.
These verses are two hundred years old, and yet sound very natural even to a modern Russian ear - a testament to Pushkin's amazing grasp of nuances and dynamics of living Russian language, not the stuffy official one (and that, admirably, was in the era where many educated Russians could speak flawless French, English or German but were often struggling with their native 'peasant' language - just like Tatyana Larina, actually!)
The plot of the novel can be easily seen as a love story - if you strip it down to its most basic elements, of course. A bored rich noble Evgeniy Onegin comes from the capital to a rural part of Russia, meets a young and naively passionate Tatyana Larina, a daughter of a local rural noble, and spurns her naive affections expressed in a passionate letter to him. A misunderstanding over Tatyana's sister leads to a duel between Onegin and his younger poet friend Lensky - and leaves Lensky dead. A few years later, Onegin runs into Tatyana in St Petersburg - now a married sophisticated lady of the higher society - and is smitten; but his affections get spurned by the older and wiser Tatyana who delivers a famous line that although she still loves Evgeniy, she "belong[s] to another and will be forever faithful to him". End of story.
What this simplified version that sticks in the minds of many readers years later lacks is exactly what makes this a great novel as opposed to yet another 19th century romance. What makes it unique is a masterful mockingly sarcastic portrayal of the entire 'cream' of Russian society so familiar to Pushkin, one of its members by birth.
From the very beginning, Pushkin assumes a conversational tone with the reader, breaking the literary fourth wall any chance he gets, emphasizing that the characters and customs he describes are well-known, contemporary and easily recognizable not only to him but also to his audience - the educated 'cream of the society' of whom he's making subtle fun.
Evgeniy is your typical "Byronic" young man, fashionably disenchanted with life, suffering from "褏邪薪写褉邪" - the Russian expression for ennui - and fashionably, as learned from the books (something that enamored with him Tatyana discovers to her distress), showing his tiredness of the world and showing off his trendy cynicism. He's reasonably good-looking, educated 'just enough' and unconsciously playing up a fashionable gothic stereotype, bored with life already at the age of twenty-six, sharply contrasted with Lensky, an eighteen-year-old poet ready to fall in love and sing it endless dithyrambs.
Evgeniy does seem fake in his boredom and despicable in his feeling of superiority and self-righteousness, and therefore his disappointment in pursuit of older, more interesting Tatyana's love comes as a deserved punishment, readers agree. And let's face it - despite the novel being named after Onegin, he in the hearts of the readers plays second fiddle to the one he first rejected and then hopelessly pursued - Tatyana Larina.
Tatyana Larina, in contrast to Evgeniy, has always been the darling of Russian literature. She is viewed as uniquely Russian (the fact that Pushkin himself emphasizes, even when he acknowledges that like many of the Russian nobles of that time, Tatyana had a hard time speaking Russian), the embodiment of what a perfect Russian woman should be - sincere, idealistic and passionate, and yet strong, resilient and faithful to her partner despite the temptations. She can be easily seen as an inspiration to all those noble Decemberists' wives who were willing to leave everything behind and follow their duty and obligation to the depths of Siberia, if need be. Her rejection of Evgeniy is viewed as undeniable integrity and strength of character, and the unwavering ability to self-sacrifice for what is right.
That's how I was taught to think about Tatyana, in any case. She steals the stage from Evgeniy so effortlessly and naturally to become a heroine and not just the girl in love. And yet, as I was reading this novel now, likely at least a decade older than Tatyana when she falls in love, I could not help but notice the bits in her character that made me question her place on the pedestal of ultimate Russian womanhood - and because of that actually made her more dear and more relatable to me.
You see, the sincerity and passion with which Tatyana embraced her young love on this read-through did not really pass my scrutiny. Let's be honest - she does not fall in love with Onegin; instead, raised on cheap romances, she falls in love with an imagined ideal of him, having glimpsed him only during a single evening he spends in her home. She falls in love with this mysterious handsome haughty stranger because, as the stories have taught her, she's supposed to. She's young and impressionable (her age is never stated, but at some point there's a mention of a thirteen-year-old girl, which to me feels a bit too young to be Tatyana - and so I tend to imagine her about seventeen or eighteen, making her younger sister Olga a 'marriageable material' as well).
She plays the role of a typical quiet, introspective, shy, pale and dreamy young woman very well, having internalized the idea of a romantic heroine. Her love is likely no more real than Onegin's trendy disappointment with life. Her passionate letter, written in French, is open and brave - but yet, on a closer reading, full of cliches that are clearly taken out of romance novels that kept her company throughout adolescence.
So basically what I see here is the meeting of two people both of whom are instinctively and therefore very sincerely playing the exact roles society and culture expect them to play - the world-weary Evgeniy and the romantically passionate Tatyana. None of them is the ultimate Russian hero, let's face it. The conventions they both pander to is what does not allow them to be happy.
Tatyana three years later, having turned into a refined Petersburg married lady commanding respect and admiration, appears a much more interesting character - to Onegin as well, unsurprisingly. But her astounding transformation really seems to be just another role she tries on and fulfills with the same aptitude as she did the role of a romantic provincial young woman in love. Tatyana wears her new expectations as a glove - and so does Evgeniy, madly falling in love with her just as would be expected for a young dandy meeting a refined alluring woman of higher society. Once again both of them play a part that's expected for them, and play it well. And even Tatyana's ultimate rejection of Onegin may not be so much the strength of her character as the expected behavior of a woman in such a situation as portrayed in the romance novels with which she grew up (the alternative to Tatyana's decision decades later was described by Tolstoy in 'Anna Karenina' with all the tragic consequences that followed).
An ideal Russian woman? Perhaps not. A young woman tragically caught in the web of societal and cultural expectations in her youth and now in her adulthood? Perhaps so. And in this, I think, is the strength and the tragedy of this story.
Pushkin seems to have felt the societal conventions very well to so exquisitely poke fun at them while showing very subtly the pain they can lead to. He shows the tragedy of yet another societal convention of establishing masculinity and honor - the duels. Onegin kills his friend Lensky in a duel that both of them know is not necessary but yet expected by the society - and Pushkin is not subtle about showing the wasteful unnecessity of such an act.
And this is why neither me nor my literature teacher mother can even fathom how, in winter of 1837, 37-year-old Alexander Pushkin himself allowed ridiculous societal convention to take his life, losing his life in a duel which supposedly happened over a woman - the duel he described so aptly years prior in his masterpiece.
Bookworm buffs - check this out. The second greatest Russian poet, young Mikhail Lermontov, who wrote a famous and angry poem upon Pushkin's death in that ill-fated duel, proceeded to write a death-duel scene himself which almost exactly predicted his own death - also in a duel - a few years later.There was more to Onegin's story than we got to see in the finished version. As Pushkin wrote it when he has fallen out of favor, when he was in his Southern exile, he had Onegin travel all over Russia coming in contact with events and sights that the poet had eventually prudently decided were not risking his freedom over publishing and so destroyed those parts. How much do I wish those chapters had survived intact! There may have been some added depth to the character of the ultimate Russian world-weary dandy had they survived.
What was going on with Russian literary geniuses recognizing the futility and tragedy of conventions leading to duels and then dying in the same manner that they described and mocked?
But even without them, the 200+ pages novel in verse that has been the darling of Russian literature for two centuries now lives up to its hard-to-attain fame.
4.5 stars and extra respect from my mother for having reread it - and that ultimately is priceless.
December 20, 2023
December 19th, 2023 - my first re-read
This book is still as breathtaking as I remember it being!
July 18th, 2021 - my first read
鈥淏ut even while his eyes were reading,
His thoughts were far away, as old
Desires, dreams, sorrows kept invading
And crowding deep inside his soul.
Between the lines before him, printed
His inward eye saw others hinted.
On these he concentrated most,
In their decipherment engrossed.
These were the secret legends, fictions
The heart鈥檚 dark story had collected,
The dreams with all else unconnected,
The threats, the rumours, the predictions,
Or else some lengthy, crazy tale
Or letters from a fledgling girl.鈥�
Eugene Onegin
Chapter 8, Stanza 36
Have you ever read a book and asked, 鈥楬ow can words do this?鈥�
I asked myself this question after reading every single stanza of Eugene Onegin.
I believe that the greatest works of literature are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers, more sorrow than joy, and more feelings than you鈥檝e ever felt before.
Eugene Onegin is one of these 鈥済reat works of literature,鈥� and proof of this can be found in the questions I asked myself when reading my very first Pushkin.
鈥楬ow can he write with such ease and fluidity, while staying in the confines of the poetic form?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin make me feel every emotion I鈥檓 capable of feeling?鈥�
鈥楬ow can he paint such a lively and vivid picture in so few words?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin tell such a vast and deep story in less than 200 pages?鈥�
鈥楬ow can he give me so much, without giving me anything at all?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin...just...how?鈥�
The answer is, because he can and he did!
In chapter 8, stanza 36, 鈥渙ur hero鈥� Eugene is found seeking the answers to life鈥檚 unanswerable questions, and he鈥檚 doing so by looking for them in the books on his shelf. Although I said, 鈥淚 believe that the greatest works of literature are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers.鈥� I鈥檝e also realized that the 鈥渕ore questions鈥� I'm left with, are in fact the 鈥渁nswers.鈥�
The answers are in the questions, and the questions are in the books.
Here is a 鈥淧ushkin Stanza鈥� of my own (silly) creation, dedicated to Pushkin (and Tolstoy)...
My dearest Tolstoy I鈥檓 afraid
My heart is no longer only yours.
Alexander Pushkin has paid
A visit to my heart's sweet door.
I wish to keep you both forever,
In that place always together.
I cannot part with either of you,
So here you鈥檒l stay, not one but two.
And in your words I seek to find
Questions in which your words are rife.
Of what is love, and what is life,
The quarries of a sleepless mind.
You have the answers, I can tell.
They鈥檙e in your books, for which I fell.
Carolyn Castagna
This book is still as breathtaking as I remember it being!
July 18th, 2021 - my first read
鈥淏ut even while his eyes were reading,
His thoughts were far away, as old
Desires, dreams, sorrows kept invading
And crowding deep inside his soul.
Between the lines before him, printed
His inward eye saw others hinted.
On these he concentrated most,
In their decipherment engrossed.
These were the secret legends, fictions
The heart鈥檚 dark story had collected,
The dreams with all else unconnected,
The threats, the rumours, the predictions,
Or else some lengthy, crazy tale
Or letters from a fledgling girl.鈥�
Eugene Onegin
Chapter 8, Stanza 36
Have you ever read a book and asked, 鈥楬ow can words do this?鈥�
I asked myself this question after reading every single stanza of Eugene Onegin.
I believe that the greatest works of literature are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers, more sorrow than joy, and more feelings than you鈥檝e ever felt before.
Eugene Onegin is one of these 鈥済reat works of literature,鈥� and proof of this can be found in the questions I asked myself when reading my very first Pushkin.
鈥楬ow can he write with such ease and fluidity, while staying in the confines of the poetic form?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin make me feel every emotion I鈥檓 capable of feeling?鈥�
鈥楬ow can he paint such a lively and vivid picture in so few words?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin tell such a vast and deep story in less than 200 pages?鈥�
鈥楬ow can he give me so much, without giving me anything at all?鈥�
鈥楬ow can Pushkin...just...how?鈥�
The answer is, because he can and he did!
In chapter 8, stanza 36, 鈥渙ur hero鈥� Eugene is found seeking the answers to life鈥檚 unanswerable questions, and he鈥檚 doing so by looking for them in the books on his shelf. Although I said, 鈥淚 believe that the greatest works of literature are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers.鈥� I鈥檝e also realized that the 鈥渕ore questions鈥� I'm left with, are in fact the 鈥渁nswers.鈥�
The answers are in the questions, and the questions are in the books.
Here is a 鈥淧ushkin Stanza鈥� of my own (silly) creation, dedicated to Pushkin (and Tolstoy)...
My dearest Tolstoy I鈥檓 afraid
My heart is no longer only yours.
Alexander Pushkin has paid
A visit to my heart's sweet door.
I wish to keep you both forever,
In that place always together.
I cannot part with either of you,
So here you鈥檒l stay, not one but two.
And in your words I seek to find
Questions in which your words are rife.
Of what is love, and what is life,
The quarries of a sleepless mind.
You have the answers, I can tell.
They鈥檙e in your books, for which I fell.
Carolyn Castagna
January 6, 2024
What to say about this "Eug猫ne Onegin," oh so sublime work, bearing the name of a character oh how apart ... I would like to give thanks for the magnificence of this song with my simple words, and I immediately feel that this will prove to be a difficult task ... But I'm going anyway!
Let's talk about the plot first. Eug猫ne Onegin is a love story between Onegin and Tatiana; it is an impossible love story. But, even if it is made impossible and lost forever because of the blindness and contempt of Onegin, a jaded character tired by all that constitutes life, particularly by men and especially love. The whole punctuated by the poet's intervention is Pushkin, who delivers to us with delight his wit.
We also have a magnificent encounter through this novel, that of the touching and tender Lenski, a young romantic poet who only responds to the heart's voice and follows this same path, which will make him lose. His precious life for The Love. Thus, he appears as an anti-Onegin in his amorous outpourings and faith in life, and his sacrifice makes him a splendid hero.
As for the form - please don't miss out on so much beauty - I found the verse writing divine and couldn't resist the urge to read aloud. So, this incredible song was offered to us by Pushkin, the Great Alexander Pushkin.
In short, I loved this novel, which is nothing more than a masterpiece of literature in Russian and worldwide.
Let's talk about the plot first. Eug猫ne Onegin is a love story between Onegin and Tatiana; it is an impossible love story. But, even if it is made impossible and lost forever because of the blindness and contempt of Onegin, a jaded character tired by all that constitutes life, particularly by men and especially love. The whole punctuated by the poet's intervention is Pushkin, who delivers to us with delight his wit.
We also have a magnificent encounter through this novel, that of the touching and tender Lenski, a young romantic poet who only responds to the heart's voice and follows this same path, which will make him lose. His precious life for The Love. Thus, he appears as an anti-Onegin in his amorous outpourings and faith in life, and his sacrifice makes him a splendid hero.
As for the form - please don't miss out on so much beauty - I found the verse writing divine and couldn't resist the urge to read aloud. So, this incredible song was offered to us by Pushkin, the Great Alexander Pushkin.
In short, I loved this novel, which is nothing more than a masterpiece of literature in Russian and worldwide.
Read
March 30, 20231
Have you ever dreamt in verses,
Woke to thoughts that tapped in terces,
Units measured in finger tips,
Rhymes recurring on your lips,
Your whole mind on metre bent,
All prose thoughts, elsewhere sent?
That's what comes of reading Pushkin,
Late nights spent with his Onegin.
Scanning lines til eyelids droop,
And all your thoughts are in a loop.
Counting, counting, metres, feet,
Endless tapping, then repeat.
2
Woe to this reader, used to prose
Who seeks to fathom Eugene's pose,
Who daily must exerce her ear
And progress slowly, full of fear.
What if this poem, she can't finish,
In her eyes she will diminish.
But with practice, she gained speed,
And Pushkin's verses, learned to read,
Til soon she saw with failing heart
That she and Eugene soon must part.
The end loomed near, mere pages left,
She knew full well she'd feel bereft.
3
But now let's talk of Pushkin's style
Which she's observing all the while,
As eyes scan lines, and pages turn,
And poet thoughts by midnight burn,
Wondering, wondering, this:
If what she reads is even his?
The story, yes, she knows that is.
The verse form too, most likely, yes.
But oh, how far the language strides
From his chosen words, miles and miles.
But she reads them how she may,
With thanks to Mr Mitchell, Stanley:
But hush! I hear an awesome critic
Cry: 鈥楧rop your wreath of elegies,
So miserable and pathetic,鈥�
And to us rhymesters bellow: 鈥楥ease
Your whimpering and endless croaking
About those times you keep invoking,
Regretting what is past, what鈥檚 gone:
Enough! Sing us another song!鈥�
4
But where鈥檚 Onegin, by the way?
Let's meet the hero of the day.
We've heard the narrator, Mitchell style,
So now with Onegin we'll while
A little time away in verse, and
See him just as Pushkin planned:
Childe Harold to a T, Onegin
Lapsed into pensive indolence
Brooding, brooding, among his books,
Shunning, shunning, other folks,
Guards his heart from all soft feeling,
Tho teaching lessons, not resisting,
False love to his friend revealing,
And keen, harsh truths to introduce
To one whom truth loves far too much.
5
And what of Tatiana, pray?
We'll let the narrator have his say:
A wayward, silent, sad young maiden,
Shy as a doe, in forest hidden,
She seemed inside her family
A stranger, an anomaly.
By children鈥檚 games was not beguiled
To skip or play, but often, rather,
Would at a window silently
Sit on her own throughout the day.
And so we have our brooding pair
Both, loving books and winter's air,
And we know Pushkin will indeed
His Eugene and his Tanya lead
Where truth will love so harshly slay,
And love for truth, drive love away.
6
In praise of both, I do confess,
I, too, am glad to pen a verse,
Secure in my presupposition
That any zealous rot of mine
Will merit a regard benign,
And not the solemn inquisition
Of those, who, with their wicked smile,
Appraise my nonsense by its style.
Have you ever dreamt in verses,
Woke to thoughts that tapped in terces,
Units measured in finger tips,
Rhymes recurring on your lips,
Your whole mind on metre bent,
All prose thoughts, elsewhere sent?
That's what comes of reading Pushkin,
Late nights spent with his Onegin.
Scanning lines til eyelids droop,
And all your thoughts are in a loop.
Counting, counting, metres, feet,
Endless tapping, then repeat.
2
Woe to this reader, used to prose
Who seeks to fathom Eugene's pose,
Who daily must exerce her ear
And progress slowly, full of fear.
What if this poem, she can't finish,
In her eyes she will diminish.
But with practice, she gained speed,
And Pushkin's verses, learned to read,
Til soon she saw with failing heart
That she and Eugene soon must part.
The end loomed near, mere pages left,
She knew full well she'd feel bereft.
3
But now let's talk of Pushkin's style
Which she's observing all the while,
As eyes scan lines, and pages turn,
And poet thoughts by midnight burn,
Wondering, wondering, this:
If what she reads is even his?
The story, yes, she knows that is.
The verse form too, most likely, yes.
But oh, how far the language strides
From his chosen words, miles and miles.
But she reads them how she may,
With thanks to Mr Mitchell, Stanley:
But hush! I hear an awesome critic
Cry: 鈥楧rop your wreath of elegies,
So miserable and pathetic,鈥�
And to us rhymesters bellow: 鈥楥ease
Your whimpering and endless croaking
About those times you keep invoking,
Regretting what is past, what鈥檚 gone:
Enough! Sing us another song!鈥�
4
But where鈥檚 Onegin, by the way?
Let's meet the hero of the day.
We've heard the narrator, Mitchell style,
So now with Onegin we'll while
A little time away in verse, and
See him just as Pushkin planned:
Childe Harold to a T, Onegin
Lapsed into pensive indolence
Brooding, brooding, among his books,
Shunning, shunning, other folks,
Guards his heart from all soft feeling,
Tho teaching lessons, not resisting,
False love to his friend revealing,
And keen, harsh truths to introduce
To one whom truth loves far too much.
5
And what of Tatiana, pray?
We'll let the narrator have his say:
A wayward, silent, sad young maiden,
Shy as a doe, in forest hidden,
She seemed inside her family
A stranger, an anomaly.
By children鈥檚 games was not beguiled
To skip or play, but often, rather,
Would at a window silently
Sit on her own throughout the day.
And so we have our brooding pair
Both, loving books and winter's air,
And we know Pushkin will indeed
His Eugene and his Tanya lead
Where truth will love so harshly slay,
And love for truth, drive love away.
6
In praise of both, I do confess,
I, too, am glad to pen a verse,
Secure in my presupposition
That any zealous rot of mine
Will merit a regard benign,
And not the solemn inquisition
Of those, who, with their wicked smile,
Appraise my nonsense by its style.
October 8, 2021
袝胁谐械薪懈泄 袨薪械谐懈薪 = Yevgeniy Onegin = Eugene Onegin, Alexander Pushkin
Eugene Onegin is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. Onegin is considered a classic of Russian literature, and its eponymous protagonist has served as the model for a number of Russian literary heroes (so-called superfluous men). It was published in serial form between 1825 and 1832. The first complete edition was published in 1833, and the currently accepted version is based on the 1837 publication.
In the 1820's, Eugene Onegin is a bored St. Petersburg dandy, whose life consists of balls, concerts, parties, and nothing more.
Upon the death of a wealthy uncle, he inherits a substantial fortune and a landed estate. When he moves to the country, he strikes up a friendship with his neighbor, a starry-eyed young poet named Vladimir Lensky.
Lensky takes Onegin to dine with the family of his fianc茅e, the sociable but rather thoughtless Olga Larina. At this meeting, he also catches a glimpse of Olga's sister Tatyana.
A quiet, precocious romantic, and the exact opposite of Olga, Tatyana becomes intensely drawn to Onegin. Soon after, she bares her soul to Onegin in a letter professing her love.
Contrary to her expectations, Onegin does not write back. When they meet in person, he rejects her advances politely but dismissively and condescendingly.
This famous speech is often referred to as Onegin's Sermon: he admits that the letter was touching, but says that he would quickly grow bored with marriage and can only offer Tatyana friendship; he coldly advises more emotional control in the future, lest another man take advantage of her innocence.
Later, Lensky mischievously invites Onegin to Tatyana's name day celebration, promising a small gathering with just Tatyana, Olga, and their parents.
When Onegin arrives, he finds instead a boisterous country ball, a rural parody of and contrast to the society balls of St. Petersburg of which he has grown tired.
Onegin is irritated with the guests who gossip about him and Tatyana, and with Lensky for persuading him to come.
He decides to avenge himself by dancing and flirting with Olga. Olga is insensitive to her fianc茅 and apparently attracted to Onegin.
Earnest and inexperienced, Lensky is wounded to the core and challenges Onegin to fight a duel; Onegin reluctantly accepts, feeling compelled by social convention. During the duel, Onegin unwillingly kills Lensky.
Afterwards, he quits his country estate, traveling abroad to deaden his feelings of remorse. Tatyana visits Onegin's mansion, where she looks through his books and his notes in the margins, and begins to question whether Onegin's character is merely a collage of different literary heroes, and if there is, in fact, no "real Onegin".
Tatyana, still brokenhearted by the loss of Onegin, is convinced by her parents to live with her aunt in Moscow in order to find a suitor. Several years pass, and the scene shifts to St. Petersburg. Onegin has come to attend the most prominent balls and interact with the leaders of old Russian society.
He sees the most beautiful woman, who captures the attention of all and is central to society's whirl, and he realizes that it is the same Tatyana whose love he had once spurned. Now she is married to an aged prince (a general).
Upon seeing Tatyana again, he becomes obsessed with winning her affection, despite the fact that she is married. However, his attempts are rebuffed.
He writes her several letters, but receives no reply. Eventually Onegin manages to see Tatyana and offers her the opportunity to finally elope after they have become reacquainted.
She recalls the days when they might have been happy, but concludes that that time has passed. Onegin repeats his love for her.
Faltering for a moment, she admits that she still loves him, but she will not allow him to ruin her and declares her determination to remain faithful to her husband. She leaves him regretting his bitter destiny.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 卮卮賲 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 1970賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 蹖賽賵诏賽賳蹖 丌賳賽賴 诏蹖賳 - 丕賵跇賳 丕賵賳賴 诏蹖賳貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕賱讴爻丕賳丿乇 倬賵卮讴蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 賲賳賵趩賴乇 賵孬賵賯蹖 賳蹖丕貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 1348貙 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1357貨 丿乇434氐貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 乇賵爻蹖賴 - 爻丿賴 19賲
卮丕賴讴丕乇蹖 卮賵乇丕賳诏蹖夭貙 丕夭 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 卮丕毓乇 賳丕亘睾賴 蹖 賳蹖賲賴 蹖 賳禺爻鬲 爻丿賴 賳賵夭丿賴賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 爻亘讴 乇賵賲丕賳鬲蹖讴 乇賵爻蹖賴 亘賵丿賳丿貙 賵 賴爻鬲賳丿貨 賯賱賲 爻丨乇丕賳诏蹖夭 倬賵卮讴蹖賳貙 丿乇 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇 賴賲丕乇賴 丕孬乇蹖 卮诏乇賮 亘乇 噩丕蹖 賲蹖诏匕丕乇丿
丿乇 芦蹖賵诏賳蹖 丌賳诏蹖賳禄貙 丕夭 睾賲 賲毓卮賵賯 (鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕)貙 賵 禺賵丿亘蹖賳蹖 卮亘賴 毓丕卮賯丕賳賴貙 倬乇丿賴 亘乇賲蹖丿丕乇丿貙 賵 芦蹖賵诏賳蹖 丌賳诏蹖賳禄 讴賴 倬爻 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 毓賲賵蹖卮貙 亘賴 賲丕賱 賵 賲賳丕賱 賮乇丕賵丕賳 乇爻蹖丿賴貙 賵 亘丕 爻賳賾鬲賴丕蹖 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 乇賵爻貙 亘夭乇诏 卮丿賴貙 亘乇丕蹖 賮乇丕乇 丕夭 乇賵夭賲乇賾诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 夭賳丿诏蹖貙 亘賴 乇賵爻鬲丕蹖 丿賵乇 丕賮鬲丕丿賴鈥� 丕蹖 賲蹖鈥屫辟堌� 賵 丌賳噩丕 亘賴 丿禺鬲乇 夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄貙 亘乇 賲蹖禺賵乇丿.貨 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄 禺賵丕賴乇夭賳 丿賵爻鬲 卮丕毓乇卮 芦賵賱丕丿蹖賲蹖乇 賱賳爻讴蹖禄貙 亘賵丿...貨
賳诏丕乇賴 賴丕蹖 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 亘乇丕蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 趩賳蹖賳 丌睾丕夭 賲蹖卮賵丿: (賮讴乇 賲賳 亘乇丕蹖 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 噩丕賲毓賴 賲鬲讴亘乇 丕卮乇丕賮 賳蹖爻鬲貙 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 毓賱丕賯賴 丕蹖 爻鬲貙 讴賴 亘賴 賲丨亘鬲 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賴 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賴 丕賲貨 倬爻 讴賳賵賳 賲蹖禺賵丕賴賲 丕乇賲睾丕賳 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 鬲乇蹖貙 讴賴 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 蹖 乇賵丨 毓丕賱蹖 亘丕卮丿貙 乇賵丨 毓丕賱蹖 讴賴 賲賲賱賵 丕夭 丌乇夭賵賴丕蹖 賲賯丿爻貙 賮讴乇 亘賱賳丿 賵 亘蹖 丌賱丕蹖卮貙 毓賵丕賱賲 夭賳丿賴 賵 乇賵卮賳 卮丕毓乇丕賳賴 丕爻鬲貙 鬲賯丿蹖賲 鬲賵 讴賳賲
賴乇趩賴 亘丕丿丕亘丕丿 - 亘丕 丿爻鬲 賲賱鬲賴亘 賵 禺賵丕爻鬲丕乇貙 丕蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 賮氐賵賱 乇賳诏丕乇賳诏 乇丕貙 亘倬匕蹖乇貙 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 賲囟丨讴 賵 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 鬲丕孬乇丌賵乇貙 毓丕賲蹖丕賳賴貙 賲賲鬲丕夭 賵 丕蹖丿賴 丌賱貙 孬賲乇丕鬲 賳丕賯丕亘賱 鬲賮賳賳貙 亘蹖禺賵丕亘蹖賴丕貙 丕賱賴丕賲丕鬲 爻亘讴 丕蹖丕賲 賳丕乇爻蹖 賵 噩賵丕賳蹖貙 賵 倬蹖乇蹖 賵 倬跇賲乇丿诏蹖 賲賳貙 亘乇乇爻蹖賴丕 賵 賲卮賴賵丿丕鬲 毓丕乇蹖 丕夭 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 毓賯賱貙 賵 賴蹖噩丕賳丕鬲 賵 鬲丕孬乇丕鬲 鬲賱禺 丿賱 賵 噩丕賳
爻倬爻 賮氐賱 賳禺爻鬲
賴賲 丿乇 夭蹖爻鬲賳 毓噩賱賴 丿丕乇丿 賵 賴賲 丿乇 丕丨爻丕爻貙 卮鬲丕亘 毓賲賵蹖 賲賳 賯賵丕賳蹖賳 賯丕亘賱 丕丨鬲乇丕賲蹖 丿丕卮鬲 賵 ...)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
丕诏乇 賴賳賵夭 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 賳禺賵丕賳丿賴 丕蹖丿貙 禺賵丕賳卮 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘蹖卮 丕夭 蹖讴亘丕乇 爻賮丕乇卮 賵 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 賲蹖讴賳賲貙 鬲丕 賱亘禺賳丿 賳蹖夭貙 賴賲趩賵賳 亘賴丕乇貙 賴賲丕乇賴 亘乇 賱亘鬲丕賳 卮讴賵賮賴 亘蹖丕乇丕蹖丿貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 09/08/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Eugene Onegin is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. Onegin is considered a classic of Russian literature, and its eponymous protagonist has served as the model for a number of Russian literary heroes (so-called superfluous men). It was published in serial form between 1825 and 1832. The first complete edition was published in 1833, and the currently accepted version is based on the 1837 publication.
In the 1820's, Eugene Onegin is a bored St. Petersburg dandy, whose life consists of balls, concerts, parties, and nothing more.
Upon the death of a wealthy uncle, he inherits a substantial fortune and a landed estate. When he moves to the country, he strikes up a friendship with his neighbor, a starry-eyed young poet named Vladimir Lensky.
Lensky takes Onegin to dine with the family of his fianc茅e, the sociable but rather thoughtless Olga Larina. At this meeting, he also catches a glimpse of Olga's sister Tatyana.
A quiet, precocious romantic, and the exact opposite of Olga, Tatyana becomes intensely drawn to Onegin. Soon after, she bares her soul to Onegin in a letter professing her love.
Contrary to her expectations, Onegin does not write back. When they meet in person, he rejects her advances politely but dismissively and condescendingly.
This famous speech is often referred to as Onegin's Sermon: he admits that the letter was touching, but says that he would quickly grow bored with marriage and can only offer Tatyana friendship; he coldly advises more emotional control in the future, lest another man take advantage of her innocence.
Later, Lensky mischievously invites Onegin to Tatyana's name day celebration, promising a small gathering with just Tatyana, Olga, and their parents.
When Onegin arrives, he finds instead a boisterous country ball, a rural parody of and contrast to the society balls of St. Petersburg of which he has grown tired.
Onegin is irritated with the guests who gossip about him and Tatyana, and with Lensky for persuading him to come.
He decides to avenge himself by dancing and flirting with Olga. Olga is insensitive to her fianc茅 and apparently attracted to Onegin.
Earnest and inexperienced, Lensky is wounded to the core and challenges Onegin to fight a duel; Onegin reluctantly accepts, feeling compelled by social convention. During the duel, Onegin unwillingly kills Lensky.
Afterwards, he quits his country estate, traveling abroad to deaden his feelings of remorse. Tatyana visits Onegin's mansion, where she looks through his books and his notes in the margins, and begins to question whether Onegin's character is merely a collage of different literary heroes, and if there is, in fact, no "real Onegin".
Tatyana, still brokenhearted by the loss of Onegin, is convinced by her parents to live with her aunt in Moscow in order to find a suitor. Several years pass, and the scene shifts to St. Petersburg. Onegin has come to attend the most prominent balls and interact with the leaders of old Russian society.
He sees the most beautiful woman, who captures the attention of all and is central to society's whirl, and he realizes that it is the same Tatyana whose love he had once spurned. Now she is married to an aged prince (a general).
Upon seeing Tatyana again, he becomes obsessed with winning her affection, despite the fact that she is married. However, his attempts are rebuffed.
He writes her several letters, but receives no reply. Eventually Onegin manages to see Tatyana and offers her the opportunity to finally elope after they have become reacquainted.
She recalls the days when they might have been happy, but concludes that that time has passed. Onegin repeats his love for her.
Faltering for a moment, she admits that she still loves him, but she will not allow him to ruin her and declares her determination to remain faithful to her husband. She leaves him regretting his bitter destiny.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 卮卮賲 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 1970賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 蹖賽賵诏賽賳蹖 丌賳賽賴 诏蹖賳 - 丕賵跇賳 丕賵賳賴 诏蹖賳貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丕賱讴爻丕賳丿乇 倬賵卮讴蹖賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲 賲賳賵趩賴乇 賵孬賵賯蹖 賳蹖丕貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 诏賵鬲賳亘乇诏貙 1348貙 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1357貨 丿乇434氐貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 乇賵爻蹖賴 - 爻丿賴 19賲
卮丕賴讴丕乇蹖 卮賵乇丕賳诏蹖夭貙 丕夭 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 卮丕毓乇 賳丕亘睾賴 蹖 賳蹖賲賴 蹖 賳禺爻鬲 爻丿賴 賳賵夭丿賴賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 爻亘讴 乇賵賲丕賳鬲蹖讴 乇賵爻蹖賴 亘賵丿賳丿貙 賵 賴爻鬲賳丿貨 賯賱賲 爻丨乇丕賳诏蹖夭 倬賵卮讴蹖賳貙 丿乇 禺賵丕賳卮诏乇 賴賲丕乇賴 丕孬乇蹖 卮诏乇賮 亘乇 噩丕蹖 賲蹖诏匕丕乇丿
丿乇 芦蹖賵诏賳蹖 丌賳诏蹖賳禄貙 丕夭 睾賲 賲毓卮賵賯 (鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕)貙 賵 禺賵丿亘蹖賳蹖 卮亘賴 毓丕卮賯丕賳賴貙 倬乇丿賴 亘乇賲蹖丿丕乇丿貙 賵 芦蹖賵诏賳蹖 丌賳诏蹖賳禄 讴賴 倬爻 丕夭 丿乇诏匕卮鬲 毓賲賵蹖卮貙 亘賴 賲丕賱 賵 賲賳丕賱 賮乇丕賵丕賳 乇爻蹖丿賴貙 賵 亘丕 爻賳賾鬲賴丕蹖 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 乇賵爻貙 亘夭乇诏 卮丿賴貙 亘乇丕蹖 賮乇丕乇 丕夭 乇賵夭賲乇賾诏蹖鈥屬囏й� 夭賳丿诏蹖貙 亘賴 乇賵爻鬲丕蹖 丿賵乇 丕賮鬲丕丿賴鈥� 丕蹖 賲蹖鈥屫辟堌� 賵 丌賳噩丕 亘賴 丿禺鬲乇 夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄貙 亘乇 賲蹖禺賵乇丿.貨 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄 禺賵丕賴乇夭賳 丿賵爻鬲 卮丕毓乇卮 芦賵賱丕丿蹖賲蹖乇 賱賳爻讴蹖禄貙 亘賵丿...貨
賳诏丕乇賴 賴丕蹖 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 亘乇丕蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 趩賳蹖賳 丌睾丕夭 賲蹖卮賵丿: (賮讴乇 賲賳 亘乇丕蹖 爻乇诏乇賲蹖 噩丕賲毓賴 賲鬲讴亘乇 丕卮乇丕賮 賳蹖爻鬲貙 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 毓賱丕賯賴 丕蹖 爻鬲貙 讴賴 亘賴 賲丨亘鬲 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賴 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賴 丕賲貨 倬爻 讴賳賵賳 賲蹖禺賵丕賴賲 丕乇賲睾丕賳 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 鬲乇蹖貙 讴賴 卮丕蹖爻鬲賴 蹖 乇賵丨 毓丕賱蹖 亘丕卮丿貙 乇賵丨 毓丕賱蹖 讴賴 賲賲賱賵 丕夭 丌乇夭賵賴丕蹖 賲賯丿爻貙 賮讴乇 亘賱賳丿 賵 亘蹖 丌賱丕蹖卮貙 毓賵丕賱賲 夭賳丿賴 賵 乇賵卮賳 卮丕毓乇丕賳賴 丕爻鬲貙 鬲賯丿蹖賲 鬲賵 讴賳賲
賴乇趩賴 亘丕丿丕亘丕丿 - 亘丕 丿爻鬲 賲賱鬲賴亘 賵 禺賵丕爻鬲丕乇貙 丕蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 賮氐賵賱 乇賳诏丕乇賳诏 乇丕貙 亘倬匕蹖乇貙 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 賲囟丨讴 賵 鬲賯乇蹖亘丕 鬲丕孬乇丌賵乇貙 毓丕賲蹖丕賳賴貙 賲賲鬲丕夭 賵 丕蹖丿賴 丌賱貙 孬賲乇丕鬲 賳丕賯丕亘賱 鬲賮賳賳貙 亘蹖禺賵丕亘蹖賴丕貙 丕賱賴丕賲丕鬲 爻亘讴 丕蹖丕賲 賳丕乇爻蹖 賵 噩賵丕賳蹖貙 賵 倬蹖乇蹖 賵 倬跇賲乇丿诏蹖 賲賳貙 亘乇乇爻蹖賴丕 賵 賲卮賴賵丿丕鬲 毓丕乇蹖 丕夭 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 毓賯賱貙 賵 賴蹖噩丕賳丕鬲 賵 鬲丕孬乇丕鬲 鬲賱禺 丿賱 賵 噩丕賳
爻倬爻 賮氐賱 賳禺爻鬲
賴賲 丿乇 夭蹖爻鬲賳 毓噩賱賴 丿丕乇丿 賵 賴賲 丿乇 丕丨爻丕爻貙 卮鬲丕亘 毓賲賵蹖 賲賳 賯賵丕賳蹖賳 賯丕亘賱 丕丨鬲乇丕賲蹖 丿丕卮鬲 賵 ...)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
丕诏乇 賴賳賵夭 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 賳禺賵丕賳丿賴 丕蹖丿貙 禺賵丕賳卮 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘蹖卮 丕夭 蹖讴亘丕乇 爻賮丕乇卮 賵 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 賲蹖讴賳賲貙 鬲丕 賱亘禺賳丿 賳蹖夭貙 賴賲趩賵賳 亘賴丕乇貙 賴賲丕乇賴 亘乇 賱亘鬲丕賳 卮讴賵賮賴 亘蹖丕乇丕蹖丿貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 09/08/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
August 22, 2024
Pushkin es un fen贸meno extraordinario, tal vez un fen贸meno 煤nico del alma rusa, tal como lo expres贸 G贸gol... Pushkin aparece precisamente en el despertar de nuestra autoconciencia...y, en este sentido es un gu铆a y un profeta." Fi贸dor Dostoievski
Me encanta este libro. Alexandr Pushkin, como dice el genial escritor ruso supo entender como nadie la idiosincrasia del pueblo ruso y recomiendo fuertemente leer el 鈥淒iscurso sobre Pushkin鈥�, que Dostoievski pronunciara el 8 de junio de 1880 ante la "Sociedad de amigos de la Literatura Rusa" pocos meses antes de su muerte.
Es la manera de entender todo lo que Pushkin le dio a Rusia, sobre todo acerca de la importancia que este autor le dio a las Letras rusas durante el siglo XIX. En los siglos XVII y XVIII la literatura rusa estaba reci茅n en formaci贸n y m谩s all谩 de los esfuerzos de autores como Gavrila Derzhavin, Nikol谩i Karamz铆n, Iv谩n Krylov o Den铆s Fonvizin quienes pudieron sentar algunas bases literarias importantes, fue reci茅n a trav茅s del aire renovador de Pushkin -G贸gol fue el otro gran pionero, aunque proven铆a de Ucrania-, que Rusia comienza a ser considerada una naci贸n de letras fuertes, algo que finalmente iba a tener su despegue final con grandes como el mismo Dostoievski, Nik贸lai G贸gol (ya nombrado), Lev Tolst贸i, Iv谩n Turgu茅niev, Iv谩n Gonch谩rov, y posteriormente Ant贸n Ch茅jov, M谩xim Gorki y Mija铆l Bug谩kov, s贸lo por nombrar a los m谩s ilustres.
La aparici贸n de Pushkin en las letras no puede ser m谩s exacta. Y logra definir claramente el concepto de Rusia como naci贸n y de dar a conocer a Europa las caracter铆sticas m谩s emblem谩ticas del hombre ruso.
La gran mayor铆a de sus novelas y cuentos dan prueba de ello: "Dubrovsky", "La hija del Capit谩n", "Boris Godunov" y "Los Cuentos del difunto Iv谩n Petr贸vich Belkin. En estas narraciones logra retratar las distintas capas sociales de la Rusia de su 茅poca, algo que tambi茅n desarrollar铆an en profundidad G贸gol y Dostoievski.
Respecto a Eugenio Onieguin, el hecho en que est茅 narrado en verso con un vuelo po茅tico tan elevado hace que mi admiraci贸n por Pushkin equipare a la que le ten铆a el mism铆simo Dostoievski, quien lo consider贸 "el primero de los hombres rusos". Los versos de Pushkin adquieren brillo sin necesidad de utilizar retru茅canos superfluos y la manera en que el narrador (que es 茅l mismo, aportando muchos pensamientos y verdades de su propia vida) se aleja de la acci贸n para narrarla sin obstaculiar la historia, le da a este peque帽o libro un brillo especial.
Casualmente tanto en la 辫辞别蝉铆补 como en la prosa Pushkin utilizaba las palabras justas. A veces menos tambi茅n es m谩s para que las palabras lleguen al coraz贸n. Pushkin fue el m谩s rom谩ntico de los rusos, y esto se percibe claramente en la novela con los continuos estados de 谩nimo de los personajes -especialmente del pr铆ncipe Lenski y de Tatiana, no tanto de Olga y reci茅n al final de la novela, de Eugenio Onieguin.
El Romanticismo, ese g茅nero tan apasionado, es reflejado por Pushkin a trav茅s de los autores del movimiento que tanto admiraba, como Schiller, Goethe (los impulsores del "Sturm und Drang" que dispar贸 al Romanticismo), Ren茅 de Chateaubriand y especialmente Lord Byron, el escritor preferido y una tanto imitado de Pushkin. Si hasta dice en un momento de la novela que un cuadro del m铆tico poeta ingl茅s cuelga de una pared.
La historia entre Eugenio Onieguin y Tatiana tiene todos los ribetes necesarios para que el lector se entere de las pasiones desenfrenadas a las que son sometidas este tipo de personajes, pero a la vez narradas de manera genial, po茅tica, apasionada, como s贸lo Pushkin pod铆a hacerlo.
Creo que es Lenski el m谩s rom谩ntico de todos los personajes, mientras que Onieguin y Tatiana sufren altibajos emocionales, producto de tanta ebullici贸n sentimental. De todos modos, considero a Tatiana, m谩s rom谩ntica que la sufrida Emma Bovary, otra famosa rom谩ntica que para variar, vive en un mundo completamente realista.
Otro punto a destacar es la notable similitud entre Eugenio Onieguin y Alexandr Pushkin, lo que demuestra las convicciones e ideales rom谩nticas del escritor ruso y el tema del duelo entre Onieguin con el Pr铆ncipe Lenski es realmente prof茅tico, pero con resultados dis铆miles entre ficci贸n y realidad: en el caso de Onieguin, lo llevar谩 a un estado de conmoci贸n para el resto de la novela, pero casualmente, es ficci贸n.
A Pushkin le fue peor. Casado con una hermosa mujer, Natalia Goncharova, sufri贸 conscientemente el acoso de un franc茅s desertor, el capit谩n Georges d'Anth猫s sobre su esposa a quien cortejaba (incluso se caso con la hermana de Natalia).
Como mandaban los c贸digos de su 茅poca, Pushkin, cansado de la situaci贸n lo ret贸 a duelo, pero d'Anth猫s dispar贸 primero.
Sin saberlo y con ese disparo, d'Anth猫s envi贸 a Pushkin a una inmediata inmortalidad transform谩ndolo en el Padre de las letras rusas y en uno de los m谩s aclamados escritores que nos leg贸 el siglo XIX.
Me encanta este libro. Alexandr Pushkin, como dice el genial escritor ruso supo entender como nadie la idiosincrasia del pueblo ruso y recomiendo fuertemente leer el 鈥淒iscurso sobre Pushkin鈥�, que Dostoievski pronunciara el 8 de junio de 1880 ante la "Sociedad de amigos de la Literatura Rusa" pocos meses antes de su muerte.
Es la manera de entender todo lo que Pushkin le dio a Rusia, sobre todo acerca de la importancia que este autor le dio a las Letras rusas durante el siglo XIX. En los siglos XVII y XVIII la literatura rusa estaba reci茅n en formaci贸n y m谩s all谩 de los esfuerzos de autores como Gavrila Derzhavin, Nikol谩i Karamz铆n, Iv谩n Krylov o Den铆s Fonvizin quienes pudieron sentar algunas bases literarias importantes, fue reci茅n a trav茅s del aire renovador de Pushkin -G贸gol fue el otro gran pionero, aunque proven铆a de Ucrania-, que Rusia comienza a ser considerada una naci贸n de letras fuertes, algo que finalmente iba a tener su despegue final con grandes como el mismo Dostoievski, Nik贸lai G贸gol (ya nombrado), Lev Tolst贸i, Iv谩n Turgu茅niev, Iv谩n Gonch谩rov, y posteriormente Ant贸n Ch茅jov, M谩xim Gorki y Mija铆l Bug谩kov, s贸lo por nombrar a los m谩s ilustres.
La aparici贸n de Pushkin en las letras no puede ser m谩s exacta. Y logra definir claramente el concepto de Rusia como naci贸n y de dar a conocer a Europa las caracter铆sticas m谩s emblem谩ticas del hombre ruso.
La gran mayor铆a de sus novelas y cuentos dan prueba de ello: "Dubrovsky", "La hija del Capit谩n", "Boris Godunov" y "Los Cuentos del difunto Iv谩n Petr贸vich Belkin. En estas narraciones logra retratar las distintas capas sociales de la Rusia de su 茅poca, algo que tambi茅n desarrollar铆an en profundidad G贸gol y Dostoievski.
Respecto a Eugenio Onieguin, el hecho en que est茅 narrado en verso con un vuelo po茅tico tan elevado hace que mi admiraci贸n por Pushkin equipare a la que le ten铆a el mism铆simo Dostoievski, quien lo consider贸 "el primero de los hombres rusos". Los versos de Pushkin adquieren brillo sin necesidad de utilizar retru茅canos superfluos y la manera en que el narrador (que es 茅l mismo, aportando muchos pensamientos y verdades de su propia vida) se aleja de la acci贸n para narrarla sin obstaculiar la historia, le da a este peque帽o libro un brillo especial.
Casualmente tanto en la 辫辞别蝉铆补 como en la prosa Pushkin utilizaba las palabras justas. A veces menos tambi茅n es m谩s para que las palabras lleguen al coraz贸n. Pushkin fue el m谩s rom谩ntico de los rusos, y esto se percibe claramente en la novela con los continuos estados de 谩nimo de los personajes -especialmente del pr铆ncipe Lenski y de Tatiana, no tanto de Olga y reci茅n al final de la novela, de Eugenio Onieguin.
El Romanticismo, ese g茅nero tan apasionado, es reflejado por Pushkin a trav茅s de los autores del movimiento que tanto admiraba, como Schiller, Goethe (los impulsores del "Sturm und Drang" que dispar贸 al Romanticismo), Ren茅 de Chateaubriand y especialmente Lord Byron, el escritor preferido y una tanto imitado de Pushkin. Si hasta dice en un momento de la novela que un cuadro del m铆tico poeta ingl茅s cuelga de una pared.
La historia entre Eugenio Onieguin y Tatiana tiene todos los ribetes necesarios para que el lector se entere de las pasiones desenfrenadas a las que son sometidas este tipo de personajes, pero a la vez narradas de manera genial, po茅tica, apasionada, como s贸lo Pushkin pod铆a hacerlo.
Creo que es Lenski el m谩s rom谩ntico de todos los personajes, mientras que Onieguin y Tatiana sufren altibajos emocionales, producto de tanta ebullici贸n sentimental. De todos modos, considero a Tatiana, m谩s rom谩ntica que la sufrida Emma Bovary, otra famosa rom谩ntica que para variar, vive en un mundo completamente realista.
Otro punto a destacar es la notable similitud entre Eugenio Onieguin y Alexandr Pushkin, lo que demuestra las convicciones e ideales rom谩nticas del escritor ruso y el tema del duelo entre Onieguin con el Pr铆ncipe Lenski es realmente prof茅tico, pero con resultados dis铆miles entre ficci贸n y realidad: en el caso de Onieguin, lo llevar谩 a un estado de conmoci贸n para el resto de la novela, pero casualmente, es ficci贸n.
A Pushkin le fue peor. Casado con una hermosa mujer, Natalia Goncharova, sufri贸 conscientemente el acoso de un franc茅s desertor, el capit谩n Georges d'Anth猫s sobre su esposa a quien cortejaba (incluso se caso con la hermana de Natalia).
Como mandaban los c贸digos de su 茅poca, Pushkin, cansado de la situaci贸n lo ret贸 a duelo, pero d'Anth猫s dispar贸 primero.
Sin saberlo y con ese disparo, d'Anth猫s envi贸 a Pushkin a una inmediata inmortalidad transform谩ndolo en el Padre de las letras rusas y en uno de los m谩s aclamados escritores que nos leg贸 el siglo XIX.
June 30, 2021
And then, from all a heart finds tender
I tore my own; an alien soul,
Without allegiances, I vanished,
Thinking that liberty and peace
Could take the place of happiness.
My God, how wrong, how I鈥檝e been punished!
- Alexander Pushkin, Chapter VIII
Contradictions. We are made of dreams and contradictions. We want something and after getting it, we don't want it anymore. But there's an even more bitter reality: we often want what we can't have. We compare our lives with the lives of the characters we love, and we long for that. The literary universe created by another human being fits our desires. The real world doesn't. And there's nothing we can do about that. The more we spend our time yearning for a fictional life, the more we lose our own.
I always enjoy reading about marvellous cities and great people I'll never meet; I usually find them more interesting than people I've actually met. But I should set boundaries. I don't want to miss getting to know wonderful people in real life鈥攖hey certainly exist somewhere鈥攆or a life full of fiction. The world of books is a rewarding one that I'll never leave behind; however, the world I see out there is the only one I can fully experience, inhabited by people who can indeed answer my questions, soothe pain and be happy because of my own happiness.
This is a book where real life and fiction are too close to distinguish one from the other. This novel in verse tells the story of Eugene Onegin, a man who doesn't seem to be quite excited about taking care of his dying uncle.
But, oh my God, what desolation
To tend a sick man day and night
And not to venture from his sight!
What shameful cunning to be cheerful
With someone who is halfway dead,
To prop up pillows by his head,
To bring him medicine, looking tearful,
To sigh 鈥� while inwardly you think:
When will the devil let him sink?
(Chapter I, Stanza I)
Through Pushkin's witty and ironic writing, we learn that Eugene is not exactly a person full of integrity and generosity. Following the death of his uncle, he inherited his land and moved to the country.
Eugene is portrayed as a dandy: perfect hair and clothes, fond of dances and everything that characterized high society. A young man with charm and mind... A pedant, yet an able lad. In conclusion, an arrogant fool. There's a clear difference between Pushkin's words and mine and that leads me to my next point.
I always say I prefer writing over plot. I can deal with an undemanding storyline if it's wonderfully written. And this book is a fine example of that. The plot is quite simple (therefore, I shouldn't talk about it if I want to avoid spoilers); it's all about Pushkin's talent: his beautiful writing which can mesmerize even the most impassive human being on Earth. However, do not get the wrong idea. The plot may be simple, but the author managed to deal鈥攊n few pages鈥攚ith both sublime and debased aspects of human nature. In this book, I found: an arrogant and shallow protagonist, a strong female character that loved to read, an interesting twist, numerous references to other authors and books (literary anxiety levels are increasing rapidly), a complex ending and Pushkin's superb writing style and clever insights. I can't ask for anything more. I loved this book.
I recommend this edition. I've always been fascinated with the translation process. One's subjectivity can create an entirely different work. Between respecting the structure and preserving the actual meaning the author intended to convey... rough work. I read Spalding's translation, and鈥攊n my opinion鈥攖his one is by far more superior. Both kept a correct rhyming, but Mitchell's flows like water, having lost all archaisms. Moreover, his notes are rather helpful. By the way, Nabokov's translation is coming soon. And then, I shall meet Mr Arndt. I can't imagine what reading Pushkin's poetry in the original language must be like.
Pushkin's words should end this review鈥攂eautiful words that irradiate hope. Because that's the thing about Pushkin: regardless of how unpleasant a situation may be or the pain a character may be going through, I can always find hope in his words.
Whatever, reader, your opinion,
A friend or foe, I wish to part
With you today like a companion.
Farewell. Whatever you may chart
Among these careless lines, reflections 鈥�
Whether tumultuous recollections
Or light relief from labour鈥檚 yoke,
The lively image, witty joke
Or the mistakes I鈥檝e made in grammar 鈥�
God grant you find here just a grain
To warm the heart, to entertain,
To feed a dream, and cause a clamour
With journals and their clientele,
Upon which, let us part, farewell!
(Chapter VIII, Stanza 49)
March 24, 14-June 30, 21
* Later on .
January 2, 2015
This foundation stone of Russian literature is a smashing, lilting read - and it's only 200 pages to boot, so it's less of a commitment than all those later Russians who thought editing was for assholes.
It's a "novel in verse," which means epic poem, wtf, in iambic tetrameter. It's organized in stanzas that are almost sonnets, but far enough off to kindof fuck with your head, or mine anyway. The scheme is abab, ccdd, effe, gg, so he's switching it up in each quatrain, which leaves me constantly off-balance. But in a good way! Tetrameter has a dangerous tendency to sound sing-songy to me, and this helps counterbalance that somehow.
It also makes a tough challenge for a translator, and for a long time Onegin was considered untranslatable. Stanley Mitchell has done what feels like an admirable job; I'm sure if I knew Russian I'd say he brutalized it, but one takes what one can get and this version felt readable and elegant. He's no Mos Def, but he's pretty good with the rhymes.
The story ends abruptly at Chapter VIII; Pushkin had to do some last-minute rearranging, by which I mean burning most of a chapter that was critical of the government, which really throws the pace off there. The version I have includes some fragments after VIII - stuff that survived the flames for whatever reason - but it's really not enough to be more than a curiosity.
Tolstoy called this the major influence for Anna Karenina, and you can see it. He kinda took this story and said what if, at a crucial moment, things had gone differently? (The point I'm thinking of, if you're interested, is the duel. ) So if you read these two together it's basically like a really long Choose Your Own Adventure with only one choice. Rad!
And as an added bonus, Pushkin includes what I'm cheerfully going to assume is the most beautiful ode to foot fetishes ever written. It's five stanzas long, so that's 70 lines of foot fetishing, including hits like this:
I used to know a dude like that. His nickname was seriously "Sniffer."
Anyway, but in case you're not Sniffer, here's a stanza that's not about feet, so you can get a feel for how good this shit is:
Frankly, even if it does we're probably not friends. But we could be, if you want.
It's a "novel in verse," which means epic poem, wtf, in iambic tetrameter. It's organized in stanzas that are almost sonnets, but far enough off to kindof fuck with your head, or mine anyway. The scheme is abab, ccdd, effe, gg, so he's switching it up in each quatrain, which leaves me constantly off-balance. But in a good way! Tetrameter has a dangerous tendency to sound sing-songy to me, and this helps counterbalance that somehow.
It also makes a tough challenge for a translator, and for a long time Onegin was considered untranslatable. Stanley Mitchell has done what feels like an admirable job; I'm sure if I knew Russian I'd say he brutalized it, but one takes what one can get and this version felt readable and elegant. He's no Mos Def, but he's pretty good with the rhymes.
The story ends abruptly at Chapter VIII; Pushkin had to do some last-minute rearranging, by which I mean burning most of a chapter that was critical of the government, which really throws the pace off there. The version I have includes some fragments after VIII - stuff that survived the flames for whatever reason - but it's really not enough to be more than a curiosity.
Tolstoy called this the major influence for Anna Karenina, and you can see it. He kinda took this story and said what if, at a crucial moment, things had gone differently? (The point I'm thinking of, if you're interested, is the duel. ) So if you read these two together it's basically like a really long Choose Your Own Adventure with only one choice. Rad!
And as an added bonus, Pushkin includes what I'm cheerfully going to assume is the most beautiful ode to foot fetishes ever written. It's five stanzas long, so that's 70 lines of foot fetishing, including hits like this:
Once by the sea, a storm impending,Almost makes you wish had a foot fetish so you could really get into that bit.
I recollect my envy of
The waves, successively descending,,
Collapsing at her feet with love.
Oh how I wished to join their races
And catch her feet in my embraces!
1.32
I used to know a dude like that. His nickname was seriously "Sniffer."
Anyway, but in case you're not Sniffer, here's a stanza that's not about feet, so you can get a feel for how good this shit is:
Let me glance back. Farewell, you arboursRight? And if that doesn't kick your ass, you're no friend of mine.
Where, in the backwoods, I recall
Days filled with indolence and ardours
And dreaming of a pensive soul.
And you, my youthful inspiration,
Keep stirring my imagination,
My heart's inertia vivify,
More often to my corner fly.
Let not a poet's soul be frozen,
Made rough and hard, reduced to bone
And finally be turned to stone
In that benumbing world he goes in,
In that intoxicating slough
Where, friends, we bathe together now.
VI.46
Frankly, even if it does we're probably not friends. But we could be, if you want.
September 5, 2022
Interesting story about how nothing good comes from playing a role in high society; made me think of an earlier Russian . I enjoyed all the allusions to different literature and the suggestion that Eugene Onegin, as we saw him, was not even a real person, but a collection of inspirations taken from different characters and novels.
I have no original to compare it to, but I thought this translation was astounding. Possibly the best I've ever read. I'm not sure how Johnston managed to make this rhyme in English, make it beautiful, and make the language seem realistically early nineteenth century. Had I not known better, I would never have guessed this was originally written in Russian.
I have no original to compare it to, but I thought this translation was astounding. Possibly the best I've ever read. I'm not sure how Johnston managed to make this rhyme in English, make it beautiful, and make the language seem realistically early nineteenth century. Had I not known better, I would never have guessed this was originally written in Russian.
Read
November 12, 2016Umbert Eco once wrote that "Translation is the art of failure" and your opinion of this work is likely to be decided by the translation that you read.
Pushkin wrote Onegin in Alexandrines which have twelve syllable lines with an end rhyme. This works well in Russian, it feels fairly easy even natural achieving a light and classical tone. The Johnson translation that works so hard to achieve this in English has for me a trite and bouncy tone that detracts from the work rather than supporting it. But there is more than one translation available so you pay your money and make your choice.
The poem has a lot to offer. Onegin is the prototype of the superfluous man who was to have a long history in Russian history. He could have been a Byronic figure - but isn't, although that may be part of his appeal when Tatiana, who is a very literary heroine, first sees him.
The symmetry of its simple 'man rejects woman, woman then rejects man' plot interrupted by a 'man kills friend in duel' incident allowed Pushkin opportunity to look at values embodied in literature and the contrast between the city and the countryside which represent contrasting ways of life with alternate value codes and modes of appropriate behaviour.
It is a text that is open to a range of readings as Tchaikovsky's later syrupy opera shows, yet always has something new to offer.
The problem is rendering it into English. If you want to enjoy Onegin then possibly learning Russian is the only way to do it. Pushkin dominates the beginnings of modern Russian literature, his huge popularity meant that much of the rest of literary life in nineteenth century Russia is in response to the models he established, the stories that he told and his use of Russian. While the prose offers it's own challenges to the translator it gives more of a sense in English of Pushkin's lasting influence, skill and subtly than the poetry.
Pushkin wrote Onegin in Alexandrines which have twelve syllable lines with an end rhyme. This works well in Russian, it feels fairly easy even natural achieving a light and classical tone. The Johnson translation that works so hard to achieve this in English has for me a trite and bouncy tone that detracts from the work rather than supporting it. But there is more than one translation available so you pay your money and make your choice.
The poem has a lot to offer. Onegin is the prototype of the superfluous man who was to have a long history in Russian history. He could have been a Byronic figure - but isn't, although that may be part of his appeal when Tatiana, who is a very literary heroine, first sees him.
The symmetry of its simple 'man rejects woman, woman then rejects man' plot interrupted by a 'man kills friend in duel' incident allowed Pushkin opportunity to look at values embodied in literature and the contrast between the city and the countryside which represent contrasting ways of life with alternate value codes and modes of appropriate behaviour.
It is a text that is open to a range of readings as Tchaikovsky's later syrupy opera shows, yet always has something new to offer.
The problem is rendering it into English. If you want to enjoy Onegin then possibly learning Russian is the only way to do it. Pushkin dominates the beginnings of modern Russian literature, his huge popularity meant that much of the rest of literary life in nineteenth century Russia is in response to the models he established, the stories that he told and his use of Russian. While the prose offers it's own challenges to the translator it gives more of a sense in English of Pushkin's lasting influence, skill and subtly than the poetry.
July 13, 2020
I finally read this marvel of a novel (poem?). Inevitably I have felt for a long time daunted by the stature of the work but now, after finishing it, I feel both still daunted and surprised because it was a much easier read than I had expected.
While reading it, the Onegin story rarely jumped at me. This very simple story, which I knew beforehand, kept receding into the background behind the text. Instead it was as if I were sitting with the Author, who kept changing chairs with a masked Narrator and to whose musings I listened eagerly. Luckily my edition provided excellent notes that clarified many of the references. Some were very specific to the Russia of the time, or to specific writers that now would be known only to specialists. But others elucidated aspects, such as the very many literary puns and parodies and ironic verses that could not touch my literary sensibility as it would have done to Pushkin鈥檚 contemporaries 鈥� and for these I was sorry I was not naturally/culturally equipped. The pastiches on neoclassical strophes, and the satirical references to the fresher romanticism just cannot have the same effect to a 21st century reader as the writer would have desired. And yet, in spite of the complex literary texture of the poem that was relayed to me indirectly, I highly enjoyed the open and candid tone of the narrator tremendously, and particularly, as said earlier, the very particular rapport the author establishes with his reader.
As with the other two works by Pushkin, and , I read this while watching their operatic versions (more than a hundred operas have been composed based on his writings 鈥� three by Tchaikovsky). And it is somewhat paradoxical that given that the plot is the least striking aspect of the poem, it should be the story what has invited an operatic rendition.
Tchaikovsky was born in 1840, that is three years after the death of Pushkin, and composed this opera in 1879, roughly half a century after the novel was published in complete form. The composer was directly involved in the libretto which meant that Pushkin鈥檚 exact lines were respected as much as possible. Striking is also that Tchaikovsky composed this with the specific intention that it should not be performed by professionals. He was seeking a freshness that in his view seasoned singers could not provide (may be the fact that Wagner鈥檚 Ring had just been premiered could have felt slightly intimidating leading Tchaikovsky to play in a different league). Another striking feature is that Tchaikovsky has Eugene sang by a baritone voice while the tenor is the unfortunate Lensky. The composer also omits Eugene鈥檚 Letter in his version. And talking about letters, it can only be perceived as uncanny that Tchaikovsky finished the opera at around the time when he met and quickly married Antonina Miliukova, who had addressed him a similar passionate letter as young Tatiana had sent Onegin.
I watched two versions of the opera 鈥� both produced by the Met. One with and the my preferred one with . I wonder what Tchaikovsky would have thought of his young Tatiana being impersonated by such seasoned sopranos. I was delighted.
To return to the text, my edition is bilingual with the Spanish also rendered in verse. It also includes a fascinating Note on the Translation by Mijail Ch铆likov. Apart from explaining the difficulties of rendering the rhymes of an 鈥榓nalytical鈥� language to a 鈥榮ynthetic鈥� one, which means that the former relies on a complex flexing system for its syntax versus the reliance on a plethora of articles, prepositions and other particles of the latter (which mess up the syllable count), Ch铆likov also explained the structure of Pushkin鈥檚 strophes with the alternating male/female rhymes and the rhythm of the tonics. And this made me think that there must have been a musical reason and a framework basis for Tchaikovsky鈥檚 wish to keep Pushkin鈥檚 text as it was, that it went well beyond a general respect for the great literary figure. So, it is not just the plot that links these two works.
There is also the musicality of the inner structure.
May 1, 2022
Couple of decades ago I used to carry in my mind lots of questions, methinks hard to answer, but in truth all of them were less simple to clarify than one might expected. Circumstances entangled in such a joyful manner to transport me precisely in a place (an education institute) that is proudly bearing the name of Russians鈥� greatest poet.
I arrived at destination and immediately our professors aimed to verify our level of 鈥榗ulture鈥� :D It started with what is 鈥楨ugene Onegin鈥�? Then who is Eugene Onegin? What did Eugene Onegin? and so on and so forth. I candidly confessed that I was partially (it's always braver to admit being wholly) an ignoramus on the subject, but I felt that the Russian teachers were actually glad to be given the opportunity to share their immense love, deep feelings, complex ideas and reflections on this unique 鈥渘ovel in verse鈥�. So, then it started flowing an outpouring so grand, both in words and emotions, that even today I still remember it very warmly. That鈥檚 the kind of memories that will never vanish despite time eating out everything.
The paradox is that I have been told so many details and interesting information that I told myself that what is the point of reading it now. Well, I mean back then. I was already stuffed with the story, within and without. There was nothing new for me to discover or delve on. SO, that was how I thought in the past and, of course, a youth always speaks in these terms. Ha. Now I don鈥檛 think the same. Thank God! I would have missed reading a wonderful, brilliant, 鈥榳ord music鈥� work.
It鈥檚 true. This excellence and perfectness are only accessible in Pushkin鈥檚 Russian original. To reproduce it in a foreign language is simply impossible, and any attempt to translate Pushkin鈥檚 words into an English verse form not only fails to recapture the word music, but inevitably it distorts the transmission of the work as a whole.
I understand today that the story of the 鈥榥ovel鈥� 鈥� which is certainly a very sad, sorry story 鈥� can offer alternative interpretations, and it depends entirely on the point from where each reader decides to start the journey. In my case, I feel it is so very personal, so no chance to remove out my own, biased judgements. That is to say, I am myself both Onegin and Tatyana, twenty years back, but also the same two main characters, twenty years later, with a different representation of their psychological development. To me it is a novel that depicts the human behaviour, as it was in the early 1820s, but a behaviour that is very much credible today, of course with allowance for changing circumstances.
Moreover, the story has a striking simplicity and balance. A girl meets a man, falls in love, writes him a letter, and is rejected. A stupid quarrel and a duel, ended with a killing, drive them apart. Several years later, the same man meets the same woman; he falls in love, writes her a letter declaring his kindled love, and is rejected. All the rest - that is absolutely worth while - is to be found by reading yourself the 鈥榥ovel鈥�.
I got so deeply immersed into the story that I stayed focused on the English translation chiefly. However, I aim to go back and re-read it, as per original Russian text, as a whole, not just a little bit here and there, as I have done now. Oddly enough, I feel it is a task imperiously required at my hands, as I believe I yielded the present happiness of the read to the power of the English text, which allowed me a too fast delivery. It crossed my mind that I was slightly cheating on myself :) So to correct my inconsistency, or profanity 鈥� which I mourn as a weakness of human nature 鈥� I wisely concluded to give myself a new chance.
I have copy-paste here the two letters as found in the eBook, which I have not read it otherwise. But I liked, better actually, the two ones from the paperback. So, these will be 鈥榯yped鈥� additionally, so to complete my happiness :)
*** Tatyana鈥檚 Letter to Onegin (eBook)
I write to you! Is more required?
Can lower depths beyond remain?
鈥橳is in your power now, if desired,
To crush me with a just disdain.
But if my lot unfortunate
You in the least commiserate
You will not all abandon me.
At first, I clung to secrecy:
Believe me, of my present shame
You never would have heard the name,
If the fond hope I could have fanned
At times, if only once a week,
To see you by our fireside stand,
To listen to the words you speak,
Address to you one single phrase
And then to meditate for days
Of one thing till again we met.
鈥橳is said you are a misanthrope,
In country solitude you mope,
And we锘库€攁n unattractive set锘库€�
Can hearty welcome give alone.
Why did you visit our poor place?
Forgotten in the village lone,
I never should have seen your face
And bitter torment never known.
The untutored spirit鈥檚 pangs calmed down
By time (who can anticipate?)
I had found my predestinate,
Become a faithful wife and e鈥檈n
A fond and careful mother been.
Another! to none other I
My heart鈥檚 allegiance can resign,
My doom has been pronounced on high,
鈥橳is Heaven鈥檚 will and I am thine.
The sum of my existence gone
But promise of our meeting gave,
I feel thou wast by God sent down
My guardian angel to the grave.
Thou didst to me in dreams appear,
Unseen thou wast already dear.
Thine eye subdued me with strange glance,
I heard thy voice鈥檚 resonance
Long ago. Dream it cannot be!
Scarce hadst thou entered thee I knew,
I flushed up, stupefied I grew,
And cried within myself: 鈥檛is he!
Is it not truth? in tones suppressed
With thee I conversed when I bore
Comfort and succour to the poor,
And when I prayer to Heaven addressed
To ease the anguish of my breast.
Nay! even as this instant fled,
Was it not thou, O vision bright,
That glimmered through the radiant night
And gently hovered o鈥檈r my head?
Was it not thou who thus didst stoop
To whisper comfort, love and hope?
Who art thou? Guardian angel sent
Or torturer malevolent?
Doubt and uncertainty decide:
All this may be an empty dream,
Delusions of a mind untried,
Providence otherwise may deem锘库€�
Then be it so! My destiny
From henceforth I confide to thee!
Lo! at thy feet my tears I pour
And thy protection I implore.
Imagine! Here alone am I!
No one my anguish comprehends,
At times my reason almost bends,
And silently I here must die锘库€�
But I await thee: scarce alive
My heart with but one look revive;
Or to disturb my dreams approach
Alas! with merited reproach.
鈥橳is finished. Horrible to read!
With shame I shudder and with dread锘库€�
But boldly I myself resign:
Thine honour is my countersign!
*** Onegin鈥檚 Letter to Tatyana (eBook)
All is foreseen. My secret drear
Will sound an insult in your ear.
What acrimonious scorn I trace
Depicted on your haughty face!
What do I ask? What cause assigned
That I to you reveal my mind?
To what malicious merriment,
It may be, I yield nutriment!
Meeting you in times past by chance,
Warmth I imagined in your glance,
But, knowing not the actual truth,
Restrained the impulses of youth;
Also my wretched liberty
I would not part with finally;
This separated us as well锘库€�
Lenski, unhappy victim, fell,
From everything the heart held dear
I then resolved my heart to tear;
Unknown to all, without a tie,
I thought锘库€攔etirement, liberty,
Will happiness replace. My God!
How I have erred and felt the rod!
No, ever to behold your face,
To follow you in every place,
Your smiling lips, your beaming eyes,
To watch with lovers鈥� ecstasies,
Long listen, comprehend the whole
Of your perfections in my soul,
Before you agonized to die锘库€�
This, this were true felicity!
But such is not for me. I brood
Daily of love in solitude.
My days of life approach their end,
Yet I in idleness expend
The remnant destiny concedes,
And thus each stubbornly proceeds.
I feel, allotted is my span;
But, that life longer may remain,
At morn I must assuredly
Know that thy face that day I see.
I tremble lest my humble prayer
You with stern countenance declare
The artifice of villany锘库€�
I hear your harsh, reproachful cry.
If ye but knew how dreadful 鈥檛is
To bear love鈥檚 parching agonies锘库€�
To burn, yet reason keep awake
The fever of the blood to slake锘库€�
A passionate desire to bend
And, sobbing at your feet, to blend
Entreaties, woes and prayers, confess
All that the heart would fain express锘库€�
Yet with a feigned frigidity
To arm the tongue and e鈥檈n the eye,
To be in conversation clear
And happy unto you appear.
So be it! But internal strife
I cannot longer wage concealed.
The die is cast! Thine is my life!
Into thy hands my fate I yield!
July 30, 2021
I believe a potentially common experience for any lover of literature comes about when he/she discusses Russian literature with a Russian. We go in, expecting Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to be the artists that their nation reveres the most, and instead get 鈥淧ushkin鈥� as the answer. This began to happen so much that I stockpiled the works of Pushkin, knowing that one day I would get to them. That day is here, and I have started with his masterpiece, Eugene Onegin.
The subject matter of this book was mostly standard 鈥� a love story. Why I think this book could be a hit with my generation (and those that are younger) is the personality of Onegin, our main character. Flirt, noncommittal, filled with angst and ennui, FOMO, FOMO, FOMO. So in that sense, it was an exciting take on the love story. It was also unique to see the novel written out entirely as a poem. There were 8 chapters, and each chapter had several stanzas. I read the Falen translation, which was beautiful. Each verse rolled off the tongue and there were few (if any) instances of awkward forcing through of the rhyme scheme, which was ABABCCDDEFFEGG. However, I have given this book 3 stars, as I felt a bit emotionally distant from the events of the book. This won鈥檛 stop me from coming back to this book in the future (hopefully I can try the supposedly stale Nabokov translation) and I will be tackling some of Pushkin鈥檚 prose in the near future.
The subject matter of this book was mostly standard 鈥� a love story. Why I think this book could be a hit with my generation (and those that are younger) is the personality of Onegin, our main character. Flirt, noncommittal, filled with angst and ennui, FOMO, FOMO, FOMO. So in that sense, it was an exciting take on the love story. It was also unique to see the novel written out entirely as a poem. There were 8 chapters, and each chapter had several stanzas. I read the Falen translation, which was beautiful. Each verse rolled off the tongue and there were few (if any) instances of awkward forcing through of the rhyme scheme, which was ABABCCDDEFFEGG. However, I have given this book 3 stars, as I felt a bit emotionally distant from the events of the book. This won鈥檛 stop me from coming back to this book in the future (hopefully I can try the supposedly stale Nabokov translation) and I will be tackling some of Pushkin鈥檚 prose in the near future.
June 25, 2021
Brilliant!
#####
Tchaikovsky鈥檚 opera based on Pushkin鈥檚 work has long been a favourite of mine, so why has it taken me until now to read it?
Whilst I read I listened to the excellent recording with the following cast:
Onegin - Evgeni Belov
Lensky - Sergei Lemeshev
Prince Gremin - Ivan Pretrov
Tatyana - Galina Vishnevskaya
Olga - Larissa Avdeyeva
Boris Khaikin conducting The Bolshoi Theatre soloists, Chorus and Orchestra
If I can tear myself away from my reading I might also watch one or both of my DVDs of this opera.
#####
Tchaikovsky鈥檚 opera based on Pushkin鈥檚 work has long been a favourite of mine, so why has it taken me until now to read it?
Whilst I read I listened to the excellent recording with the following cast:
Onegin - Evgeni Belov
Lensky - Sergei Lemeshev
Prince Gremin - Ivan Pretrov
Tatyana - Galina Vishnevskaya
Olga - Larissa Avdeyeva
Boris Khaikin conducting The Bolshoi Theatre soloists, Chorus and Orchestra
If I can tear myself away from my reading I might also watch one or both of my DVDs of this opera.
June 17, 2010
What could I possibly say that would be more interesting or beautiful than Nabokov's own comments? In case you haven't seen them:
On Translating Eugene Onegin
1
What is translation? On a platter
A poet's pale and glaring head,
A parrot's screech, a monkey's chatter,
And profanation of the dead.
The parasites you were so hard on
Are pardoned if I have your pardon,
O, Pushkin, for my stratagem:
I traveled down your secret stem,
And reached the root, and fed upon it;
Then, in a language newly learned,
I grew another stalk and turned
Your stanza patterned on a sonnet,
Into my honest roadside prose--
All thorn, but cousin to your rose.
2
Reflected words can only shiver
Like elongated lights that twist
In the black mirror of a river
Between the city and the mist.
Elusive Pushkin! Persevering,
I still pick up Tatiana's earring,
Still travel with your sullen rake.
I find another man's mistake,
I analyze alliterations
That grace your feasts and haunt the great
Fourth stanza of your Canto Eight.
This is my task--a poet's patience
And scholastic passion blent:
Dove-droppings on your monument.
On Translating Eugene Onegin
1
What is translation? On a platter
A poet's pale and glaring head,
A parrot's screech, a monkey's chatter,
And profanation of the dead.
The parasites you were so hard on
Are pardoned if I have your pardon,
O, Pushkin, for my stratagem:
I traveled down your secret stem,
And reached the root, and fed upon it;
Then, in a language newly learned,
I grew another stalk and turned
Your stanza patterned on a sonnet,
Into my honest roadside prose--
All thorn, but cousin to your rose.
2
Reflected words can only shiver
Like elongated lights that twist
In the black mirror of a river
Between the city and the mist.
Elusive Pushkin! Persevering,
I still pick up Tatiana's earring,
Still travel with your sullen rake.
I find another man's mistake,
I analyze alliterations
That grace your feasts and haunt the great
Fourth stanza of your Canto Eight.
This is my task--a poet's patience
And scholastic passion blent:
Dove-droppings on your monument.
May 24, 2016
My honest reaction to this poem is a sense of awe at the art and the translation, rather than the story itself. Since I, regrettably, don't know nearly enough Russian to read the original, I can't speak to the accuracy of Anthony Briggs' efforts, but each stanza reads with an incredible, hypnotising rhythm and verve. It was fascinating to read the introductory notes about the multitude of issues the come with translating this work and I can well believe how many hours it must have taken to complete (a two-three year project according to Briggs ).
Thematically, the ennui and selfishness of society, embodied in the eponymous protagonist, had the most impact for me. Despite being written in the first half of the 19th C, Pushkin's commentary about the superficial, detached nature of social interaction, the obsession with beauty over emotion, and the rigid framework of society's expectations have more than a little relevance today. In opposition, Tatyana's innocence, idealism, and integrity make her the strongest moral character in the narrative; she dares to love and yet she holds to what is right when her marriage is later tested by Yevgeny. I couldn't help but be pleased that it remained a tragedy.
While reading this has given me an appreciation of why Pushkin is regarded so highly in Russia, and elsewhere, he hasn't quite made it into my list of favourite Russian authors. I have enjoyed Briggs' translation and will likely look for his version of War and Peace to add to my collection.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thematically, the ennui and selfishness of society, embodied in the eponymous protagonist, had the most impact for me. Despite being written in the first half of the 19th C, Pushkin's commentary about the superficial, detached nature of social interaction, the obsession with beauty over emotion, and the rigid framework of society's expectations have more than a little relevance today. In opposition, Tatyana's innocence, idealism, and integrity make her the strongest moral character in the narrative; she dares to love and yet she holds to what is right when her marriage is later tested by Yevgeny. I couldn't help but be pleased that it remained a tragedy.
While reading this has given me an appreciation of why Pushkin is regarded so highly in Russia, and elsewhere, he hasn't quite made it into my list of favourite Russian authors. I have enjoyed Briggs' translation and will likely look for his version of War and Peace to add to my collection.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2023
Die Ehrfurcht, mit der ich diesem St眉ck Weltliteratur entgegengetreten bin, wich schnell gro脽em Vergn眉gen, das nicht nur einmal in Schmunzeln, ja Auflachen gipfelte. Neben all der Tragik der Geschichte flicht Puschkin immer wieder bei脽ende Seitenhiebe auf die russische Gesellschaft
die Literatur der Klassik und Romantik, ja selbst auf sich selbst und sein bisweilen unbotm盲脽iges Verhalten ein.
Das machte die Lekt眉re f眉r einen Klassiker erstaunlich leicht. Aber die Geschichte hat auch eine tiefere, tragische Seite. Der Gegensatz zwischen dem Hochgef眉hl der Einsamkeit, sprich der Freiheit und dem Gl眉ck der Liebe und der mit ihr einhergehenden Bindung. F眉r mich ist "Eugen Onegin" vor allem ein Pl盲doyer f眉r die Wertsch盲tzung des Lebens und gegen seine Verschwendung in hochm眉tigem R眉ckzug aus der Gesellschaft, in sinnlosen Duellen oder einer lieblosen Ehe.
Ich bedaure einzig die Tatsache, dass ich Puschkins wundervolle Verse nicht im Original lesen konnte. Die fast hundertj盲hrige 脺bersetzung durch Theodor Commichau hat so viel Schwung und Witz, wie erfrischend und erf眉llend muss da erst der russische Text sein.
Kaum barg das Grab die Erdenresteoder
Bezechten Popen sich und G盲ste
Und taten beim Nachhausegehn
Als w盲r's in frommer Pflicht geschehn.
Verwandte sind die biedern Leute,
Die man in Herzens眉berflu
Verehren, lieben, h盲tscheln mu脽
...
Damit uns ihre N盲chstenliebe
(Gott soll sie segnen!) f眉r den Rest
Des Jahres - ungeschoren l盲脽t.
die Literatur der Klassik und Romantik, ja selbst auf sich selbst und sein bisweilen unbotm盲脽iges Verhalten ein.
Vor meiner Strophen Harmonie
Entfleucht das ganze Federvieh.
Das machte die Lekt眉re f眉r einen Klassiker erstaunlich leicht. Aber die Geschichte hat auch eine tiefere, tragische Seite. Der Gegensatz zwischen dem Hochgef眉hl der Einsamkeit, sprich der Freiheit und dem Gl眉ck der Liebe und der mit ihr einhergehenden Bindung. F眉r mich ist "Eugen Onegin" vor allem ein Pl盲doyer f眉r die Wertsch盲tzung des Lebens und gegen seine Verschwendung in hochm眉tigem R眉ckzug aus der Gesellschaft, in sinnlosen Duellen oder einer lieblosen Ehe.
Ich bedaure einzig die Tatsache, dass ich Puschkins wundervolle Verse nicht im Original lesen konnte. Die fast hundertj盲hrige 脺bersetzung durch Theodor Commichau hat so viel Schwung und Witz, wie erfrischend und erf眉llend muss da erst der russische Text sein.
October 17, 2018
鈥庁堌池з嗁� 诏乇丕賳賯丿乇貙 賲蹖鬲賵丕賳 诏賮鬲 讴賴 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丕乇夭卮賲賳丿鬲乇蹖賳 丕孬乇賽 夭賳丿賴 蹖丕丿 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 賲蹖亘丕卮丿 讴賴 丨鬲蹖 亘乇禺蹖 丕夭 丕氐胤賱丕丨丕鬲 賵 丕亘蹖丕鬲賽 丌賳 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 囟乇亘 丕賱賲孬賱 賳蹖夭 丿乇丌賲丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 趩蹖夭蹖 丨丿賵丿賽 賴賮鬲 爻丕賱貙 鬲賳賴丕 趩讴賳賵蹖爻 賴丕蹖賽 丕蹖賳 賲賳馗賵賲賴 乇丕 禺賵丕賳丿賴 賵 乇賵蹖賽 丌賳 讴丕乇 讴乇丿賴 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丿乇 賳賴丕蹖鬲 讴鬲丕亘 丕夭 434 氐賮丨賴 賵 8 賮氐賱 鬲卮讴蹖賱 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庁й屬� 賲賳馗賵賲賴貙 丕孬乇蹖 讴丕賲賱丕賸 賲鬲睾蹖乇 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕夭 丕賳丿賵賴 亘賴 爻賵蹖賽 禺賵卮丨丕賱蹖 賵 丕夭 亘丿亘蹖賳蹖 亘賴 爻賲鬲賽 賴蹖噩丕賳 賵 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 賲蹖乇賵丿
鈥庂呝� 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 毓賱丕賯賲賳丿丕賳 亘賴 爻亘讴賽 賳賵卮鬲丕乇 賵 亘蹖丕賳賽 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 乇賲丕賳 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲賽 卮毓乇诏賵賳賴 丕夭 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 賲蹖亘丕卮賲
鈥庁簇帝屫� 丕氐賱蹖 賵 亘賴 丕氐胤賱丕丨 賯賴乇賲丕賳賽 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲乇丿蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲賽 芦丌賳賴 诏蹖賳禄 丕爻鬲 讴賴 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 毓賱丕賯賴贁 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘賴 卮禺氐蹖鬲賽 丕賵 丿丕乇丿
鈥庁堌з嗃� 倬乇 卮賵乇 賵 丿賱賮乇蹖亘 賵 禺賵卮 倬賵卮 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 丕賴賱賽 賮賱爻賮賴貙 讴賴 亘丕 賵噩賵丿賽 孬乇賵鬲賽 亘爻蹖丕乇 賵 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 亘賵丿賳賽 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 丕卮貙 丕賵 亘賴 賴蹖趩 毓賳賵丕賳 睾乇賵乇 賵 禺卮讴 亘賵丿賳賽 蹖讴 丕乇亘丕亘 賵 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 乇丕 賳丿丕乇丿 賵 丿乇讴賱 賳夭丿賽 賴賲賴 賲丨亘賵亘 丕爻鬲
鈥庁ㄛ屫簇� 丕亘蹖丕鬲 賵 賯胤毓丕鬲賽 夭蹖亘丕蹖賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲乇亘賵胤 亘賴 毓卮賯 賲蹖丕賳賽 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄 讴賴 丿禺鬲乇蹖 亘丕 賵賯丕乇 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 丿乇 賲蹖丕賳賴 賴丕蹖賽 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 夭賳蹖 卮賵賴乇丿丕乇 丕爻鬲 賵 賴賲趩賳蹖賳 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕氐賱蹖賽 讴鬲丕亘貙 芦丌賳賴 诏蹖賳禄 賲蹖亘丕卮丿
鈥庁ㄙ� 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 亘禺卮 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 卮賲丕 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賽 丕丿亘 倬乇賵乇貙 丿乇 夭蹖乇 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻賲
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鈥庂勜ㄘж� 賵 丌乇丕蹖卮賽 爻賳噩蹖丿賴贁 夭賳 賴丕 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇賲
鈥庁篡屬佖囐� 倬丕賴丕蹖賽 丌賳賴丕 賴爻鬲賲
鈥庁⒇� 倬丕賴丕.. 倬丕賴丕! 丕讴賳賵賳 讴噩丕卅蹖丿責
鈥広┴� 诏賱賴丕蹖賽 亘賴丕乇蹖 乇丕 賱诏丿 賲蹖讴賳蹖丿責
鈥庂囐呚з嗀焚堌� 讴賴 丕孬乇賽 倬丕賴丕蹖賽 爻亘購讴賽 卮賲丕 乇賵蹖賽 趩賲賳 賴丕 賲丨賵 卮丿賳丿
鈥庁ㄙ囏辟堌槽屬� 丿賵乇丕賳賽 噩賵丕賳蹖賽 賲賳 賴賲 賲丨賵 賵 賳丕倬丿蹖丿 诏卮鬲
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鈥庂嗃屭┴ㄘ� 讴爻蹖 讴賴
鈥庂呚勜� 噩卮賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 倬蹖卮 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳卮 鬲乇讴 讴乇丿
鈥庂� 讴爻蹖讴賴 噩丕賲賽 賱亘乇蹖夭 丕夭 卮乇丕亘 乇丕 鬲丕 亘賴 倬丕蹖丕賳 爻賻乇 賳讴卮蹖丿
鈥庂� 乇爻鬲诏丕乇 亘丕丿 讴爻蹖讴賴 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳賽 乇賲丕賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 賳禺賵丕賳丿
****
鈥庂佢┴� 賲蹖讴乇丿賲: 丌夭丕丿蹖 賵 丌乇丕賲卮貙 噩丕賳卮蹖賳賽 爻毓丕丿鬲 丕爻鬲
鈥庁й屫�
鈥広嗁� 丕卮鬲亘丕賴蹖 讴乇丿賲 賵 趩賴 賲噩丕夭丕鬲 卮丿賲
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鈥庁辟堌操囏й屬� 毓蹖丿 賮乇丕 乇爻蹖丿賳丿貙 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 爻乇賵乇 賵 卮丕丿賲丕賳蹖
鈥庁堌з嗀з嗁� 亘蹖禺蹖丕賱貙 賮丕賱 賲蹖诏蹖乇賳丿
鈥庁堌з嗀з嗃� 讴賴 鬲兀爻賮 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 乇丕 賳賲蹖禺賵乇賳丿
鈥庂� 倬賴賳賴贁 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 乇賵卮賳 賵 賱丕蹖鬲賳丕賴蹖爻鬲
鈥庂聚屫辟囏� 诏賵蹖蹖 讴賴 賱亘賽 诏賵乇 賴爻鬲賳丿
鈥広堌й屬嗂┵� 亘胤賵乇賽 噩亘乇丕賳 賳丕倬匕蹖乇蹖 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 乇丕 丕夭 讴賮 丿丕丿賴 丕賳丿
鈥庁ж� 倬卮鬲賽 毓蹖賳讴 賮丕賱 賲蹖亘蹖賳賳丿
鈥広嗁� 賮乇賯 賲蹖讴賳丿責.. 丕賲蹖丿貙 丿乇賵睾 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 丿乇 诏賵卮賽 丌賳賴丕 賳蹖夭 亘趩诏丕賳賴 賳噩賵丕 賲蹖讴賳丿
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鈥広┵� 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖賲責 亘賴 讴賴 丕毓鬲賲丕丿 讴賳蹖賲責
鈥庁①� 讴爻蹖 讴賴 亘賴 賲丕 禺蹖丕賳鬲 賳賲蹖讴賳丿貙 讴蹖爻鬲責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 賴賲賴贁 讴丕乇賴丕 賵 鬲賲丕賲賽 丨乇賮 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 亘爻賳噩丿
鈥庂� 亘賴 賯氐丿賽 禺賵卮 禺丿賲鬲蹖 亘賴 賲毓蹖丕乇賽 賲丕 亘乇丿丕卮鬲 讴賳丿責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 亘賴鬲丕賳 賵 丕賮鬲乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 賲丕 丕卮丕毓賴 賳丿賴丿責
鈥広嗁� 讴爻蹖 亘丕 睾賲禺賵丕乇诏蹖貙 賲丕 乇丕 賲蹖倬乇賵乇丕賳丿責
鈥広嗁� 讴爻蹖 毓蹖亘賽 賲丕 亘乇丕蹖卮 诏賳丕賴 賳蹖爻鬲責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 賴蹖趩诏丕賴 丨賵氐賱賲丕賳 乇丕 爻乇 賳亘乇丿責
鈥庁й� 噩賵蹖賳丿賴贁 亘蹖 賳鬲蹖噩賴贁 丕蹖賳 卮亘丨
鈥庁ㄛ� 噩賴鬲 夭丨賲鬲 賳讴卮蹖丿
鈥庁堌� 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 亘丿丕乇蹖丿貙 丕賽蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴贁 诏乇丕賲蹖賽 賲賳
鈥庁й屬� 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳貙 禺賵丿卮 賯丕亘賱賽 鬲賵噩賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庅屬傐屬嗀з� 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 賲賴乇亘丕賳鬲乇 丕夭 <禺賵丿賽 禺賵丿>貙 賳蹖爻鬲
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鈥庁з呟屫堌ж辟� 丕夭 禺賵丕賳丿賳賽 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇 丿賱趩爻亘 賵 賴賳乇賲賳丿丕賳賴貙 賱匕鬲 亘亘乇蹖丿 賵 丕賲蹖丿 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕蹖賳 乇蹖賵蹖賵 丿乇 噩賴鬲賽 丌卮賳丕蹖蹖 亘丕 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 讴丕賮蹖 賵 賲賮蹖丿 亘賵丿賴 亘丕卮賴
鈥幝聚屫辟堌� 亘丕卮蹖丿 賵 丕蹖乇丕賳蹖禄
鈥庁й屬� 賲賳馗賵賲賴貙 丕孬乇蹖 讴丕賲賱丕賸 賲鬲睾蹖乇 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕夭 丕賳丿賵賴 亘賴 爻賵蹖賽 禺賵卮丨丕賱蹖 賵 丕夭 亘丿亘蹖賳蹖 亘賴 爻賲鬲賽 賴蹖噩丕賳 賵 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 賲蹖乇賵丿
鈥庂呝� 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 毓賱丕賯賲賳丿丕賳 亘賴 爻亘讴賽 賳賵卮鬲丕乇 賵 亘蹖丕賳賽 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 乇賲丕賳 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲賽 卮毓乇诏賵賳賴 丕夭 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 賲蹖亘丕卮賲
鈥庁簇帝屫� 丕氐賱蹖 賵 亘賴 丕氐胤賱丕丨 賯賴乇賲丕賳賽 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲乇丿蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲賽 芦丌賳賴 诏蹖賳禄 丕爻鬲 讴賴 芦倬賵卮讴蹖賳禄 毓賱丕賯賴贁 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘賴 卮禺氐蹖鬲賽 丕賵 丿丕乇丿
鈥庁堌з嗃� 倬乇 卮賵乇 賵 丿賱賮乇蹖亘 賵 禺賵卮 倬賵卮 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 丕賴賱賽 賮賱爻賮賴貙 讴賴 亘丕 賵噩賵丿賽 孬乇賵鬲賽 亘爻蹖丕乇 賵 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 亘賵丿賳賽 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴 丕卮貙 丕賵 亘賴 賴蹖趩 毓賳賵丕賳 睾乇賵乇 賵 禺卮讴 亘賵丿賳賽 蹖讴 丕乇亘丕亘 賵 丕卮乇丕賮蹖 乇丕 賳丿丕乇丿 賵 丿乇讴賱 賳夭丿賽 賴賲賴 賲丨亘賵亘 丕爻鬲
鈥庁ㄛ屫簇� 丕亘蹖丕鬲 賵 賯胤毓丕鬲賽 夭蹖亘丕蹖賽 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 賲乇亘賵胤 亘賴 毓卮賯 賲蹖丕賳賽 芦鬲丕鬲蹖丕賳丕禄 讴賴 丿禺鬲乇蹖 亘丕 賵賯丕乇 賵 丕賱亘鬲賴 丿乇 賲蹖丕賳賴 賴丕蹖賽 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 夭賳蹖 卮賵賴乇丿丕乇 丕爻鬲 賵 賴賲趩賳蹖賳 卮禺氐蹖鬲 丕氐賱蹖賽 讴鬲丕亘貙 芦丌賳賴 诏蹖賳禄 賲蹖亘丕卮丿
鈥庁ㄙ� 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 亘禺卮 賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 卮賲丕 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賽 丕丿亘 倬乇賵乇貙 丿乇 夭蹖乇 賲蹖賳賵蹖爻賲
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鈥庂勜ㄘж� 賵 丌乇丕蹖卮賽 爻賳噩蹖丿賴贁 夭賳 賴丕 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇賲
鈥庁篡屬佖囐� 倬丕賴丕蹖賽 丌賳賴丕 賴爻鬲賲
鈥庁⒇� 倬丕賴丕.. 倬丕賴丕! 丕讴賳賵賳 讴噩丕卅蹖丿責
鈥広┴� 诏賱賴丕蹖賽 亘賴丕乇蹖 乇丕 賱诏丿 賲蹖讴賳蹖丿責
鈥庂囐呚з嗀焚堌� 讴賴 丕孬乇賽 倬丕賴丕蹖賽 爻亘購讴賽 卮賲丕 乇賵蹖賽 趩賲賳 賴丕 賲丨賵 卮丿賳丿
鈥庁ㄙ囏辟堌槽屬� 丿賵乇丕賳賽 噩賵丕賳蹖賽 賲賳 賴賲 賲丨賵 賵 賳丕倬丿蹖丿 诏卮鬲
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鈥庂嗃屭┴ㄘ� 讴爻蹖 讴賴
鈥庂呚勜� 噩卮賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 倬蹖卮 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳卮 鬲乇讴 讴乇丿
鈥庂� 讴爻蹖讴賴 噩丕賲賽 賱亘乇蹖夭 丕夭 卮乇丕亘 乇丕 鬲丕 亘賴 倬丕蹖丕賳 爻賻乇 賳讴卮蹖丿
鈥庂� 乇爻鬲诏丕乇 亘丕丿 讴爻蹖讴賴 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳賽 乇賲丕賳賽 夭賳丿诏蹖 乇丕 賳禺賵丕賳丿
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鈥庂佢┴� 賲蹖讴乇丿賲: 丌夭丕丿蹖 賵 丌乇丕賲卮貙 噩丕賳卮蹖賳賽 爻毓丕丿鬲 丕爻鬲
鈥庁й屫�
鈥広嗁� 丕卮鬲亘丕賴蹖 讴乇丿賲 賵 趩賴 賲噩丕夭丕鬲 卮丿賲
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鈥庁辟堌操囏й屬� 毓蹖丿 賮乇丕 乇爻蹖丿賳丿貙 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 爻乇賵乇 賵 卮丕丿賲丕賳蹖
鈥庁堌з嗀з嗁� 亘蹖禺蹖丕賱貙 賮丕賱 賲蹖诏蹖乇賳丿
鈥庁堌з嗀з嗃� 讴賴 鬲兀爻賮 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 乇丕 賳賲蹖禺賵乇賳丿
鈥庂� 倬賴賳賴贁 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 乇賵卮賳 賵 賱丕蹖鬲賳丕賴蹖爻鬲
鈥庂聚屫辟囏� 诏賵蹖蹖 讴賴 賱亘賽 诏賵乇 賴爻鬲賳丿
鈥広堌й屬嗂┵� 亘胤賵乇賽 噩亘乇丕賳 賳丕倬匕蹖乇蹖 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 乇丕 丕夭 讴賮 丿丕丿賴 丕賳丿
鈥庁ж� 倬卮鬲賽 毓蹖賳讴 賮丕賱 賲蹖亘蹖賳賳丿
鈥広嗁� 賮乇賯 賲蹖讴賳丿責.. 丕賲蹖丿貙 丿乇賵睾 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 丿乇 诏賵卮賽 丌賳賴丕 賳蹖夭 亘趩诏丕賳賴 賳噩賵丕 賲蹖讴賳丿
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鈥広┵� 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖賲責 亘賴 讴賴 丕毓鬲賲丕丿 讴賳蹖賲責
鈥庁①� 讴爻蹖 讴賴 亘賴 賲丕 禺蹖丕賳鬲 賳賲蹖讴賳丿貙 讴蹖爻鬲責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 賴賲賴贁 讴丕乇賴丕 賵 鬲賲丕賲賽 丨乇賮 賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 亘爻賳噩丿
鈥庂� 亘賴 賯氐丿賽 禺賵卮 禺丿賲鬲蹖 亘賴 賲毓蹖丕乇賽 賲丕 亘乇丿丕卮鬲 讴賳丿責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 亘賴鬲丕賳 賵 丕賮鬲乇丕 亘乇丕蹖賽 賲丕 丕卮丕毓賴 賳丿賴丿責
鈥広嗁� 讴爻蹖 亘丕 睾賲禺賵丕乇诏蹖貙 賲丕 乇丕 賲蹖倬乇賵乇丕賳丿責
鈥広嗁� 讴爻蹖 毓蹖亘賽 賲丕 亘乇丕蹖卮 诏賳丕賴 賳蹖爻鬲責
鈥広┷屫池� 讴賴 賴蹖趩诏丕賴 丨賵氐賱賲丕賳 乇丕 爻乇 賳亘乇丿責
鈥庁й� 噩賵蹖賳丿賴贁 亘蹖 賳鬲蹖噩賴贁 丕蹖賳 卮亘丨
鈥庁ㄛ� 噩賴鬲 夭丨賲鬲 賳讴卮蹖丿
鈥庁堌� 乇丕 丿賵爻鬲 亘丿丕乇蹖丿貙 丕賽蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴贁 诏乇丕賲蹖賽 賲賳
鈥庁й屬� 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕卮鬲賳貙 禺賵丿卮 賯丕亘賱賽 鬲賵噩賴 丕爻鬲
鈥庅屬傐屬嗀з� 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 賲賴乇亘丕賳鬲乇 丕夭 <禺賵丿賽 禺賵丿>貙 賳蹖爻鬲
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鈥庁з呟屫堌ж辟� 丕夭 禺賵丕賳丿賳賽 丕蹖賳 丕孬乇 丿賱趩爻亘 賵 賴賳乇賲賳丿丕賳賴貙 賱匕鬲 亘亘乇蹖丿 賵 丕賲蹖丿 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕蹖賳 乇蹖賵蹖賵 丿乇 噩賴鬲賽 丌卮賳丕蹖蹖 亘丕 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 讴丕賮蹖 賵 賲賮蹖丿 亘賵丿賴 亘丕卮賴
鈥幝聚屫辟堌� 亘丕卮蹖丿 賵 丕蹖乇丕賳蹖禄
May 5, 2023
Eugen Onegin (russisch: 袝胁谐械薪懈泄 袨薪械谐懈薪) ist ein Versroman des russischen Dichters Alexander Puschkin, der zwischen 1823 und 1830 entstand und erstmalig 1833 ver枚ffentlicht wurde. Der Versroman beschreibt die komplexe kulturelle Situation Russlands um 1820, anhand des Lebens und Denkens junger Adeliger in den Metropolen St. Petersburg und Moskau und auf ihren Landg眉tern fern der St盲dte auf dem alten Traditionen verhafteten Land.
Heutzutage wird Eugen Onegin als das moderne russische Nationalepos gehandelt, und Puschkin als Nationaldichter. Dies liegt vor allem darin begr眉ndet, dass Puschkin mit seinem Gesamtwerk, aber insbesondere mit Eugen Onegin, als Begr眉nder der russischen Literatursprache gilt. Um 1820 war die Verkehrssprache der russischen Oberschicht Franz枚sisch, amtliche und wissenschaftliche Texte wurden in der Regel in franz枚sischer Sprache geschrieben, kirchliche und weltliche russische Texte bis ins fr眉he 19.听Jahrhundert in einem Kirchenslawisch, das zu Puschkins Zeit schon nicht mehr allgemein verst盲ndlich war. Kinder des Adels, wie Puschkin und Onegin selbst sowie Tatjana und Olga Larina, hatten franz枚sische Erzieher oder Sprachlehrer. Russisch lernte Puschkin von seiner Kinderfrau und perfektionierte es in der Zeit seiner Verbannung im Umgang mit der b盲uerlichen Bev枚lkerung. Er war somit einer der ersten Dichter und Schriftsteller, der das moderne Russisch in seines Texte benutzte.
Eugen Onegin ist in acht Kapitel (cantos) gegliedert, denen jeweils ein kurzes Zitat aus der franz枚sischen, italienischen oder antiken Literatur bzw. eines russischen Autors vorangestellt ist. Insgesamt umfasst das Gedicht 384 Strophen. Die sogenannte Onegin-Strophe baut auf dem Sonett auf. Die Strophe zu je 14 Zeilen in vierf眉脽igen Jamben folgt einem komplizierten und strengen Reimschema, das 眉ber das ganze Gedicht hin eingehalten wird, mit Ausnahme der Briefe Tatjanas und Onegins, sowie Tatjanas Traum.
Der Versroman 枚ffnet mit dem Charakter Eugen Onegin, einem gelangweilten Dandy im St. Petersburg der 1820er Jahre, dessen Leben nur aus B盲llen, Konzerten und Partys besteht, ansonsten aber ziemlich leer ist. Nach dem Tod seines wohlhabenden Onkels erbt er ein betr盲chtliches Verm枚gen und einen Landsitz. Als er aufs Land zieht, freundet er sich mit seinem Nachbarn an, dem jungen Dichter Wladimir Lenskij.
Lenskij stellt Onegin der Familie seiner Verlobten vor, der geselligen, aber etwas gedankenlosen Olga Larina. Bei diesem Treffen lernt Onegin auch Olgas Schwester Tatjana kennen. Tatjana, a hopeless romantic, f眉hlt sich stark zu Onegin hingezogen. Sie offenbart ihre Seele in einem Brief, der in die Literaturgeschichte als einer der sch枚nsten Liebesbriefe eingegangen ist.
Sp盲ter l盲dt Lenskij Onegin schelmisch zur Feier von Tatjanas Namenstag ein und verspricht ein kleines Treffen nur mit Tatjana, Olga und ihren Eltern. Als Onegin eintrifft, findet er stattdessen einen ausgelassenen Ball auf dem Lande vor, eine l盲ndliche Parodie und ein Kontrast zu den Gesellschaftsb盲llen in St. Petersburg, derer er 眉berdr眉ssig geworden ist. Onegin ist ver盲rgert 眉ber die G盲ste, die 眉ber ihn und Tatjana l盲stern, und 眉ber Lenskij, der ihn 眉berredet hat, zu kommen. Er beschlie脽t, sich zu r盲chen, indem er mit Olga tanzt und flirtet. Olga ist unempf盲nglich f眉r ihren Verlobten und f眉hlt sich offenbar zu Onegin hingezogen. Der ernste und unerfahrene Lenskij ist zutiefst verletzt und fordert Onegin zum Duell heraus; Onegin nimmt widerwillig an, da er sich durch die gesellschaftliche Konvention gezwungen f眉hlt. W盲hrend des Duells t枚tet Onegin Lenskij unfreiwillig. Danach verl盲sst er sein Landgut und reist ins Ausland, um seine Gewissensbisse zu bet盲uben.
Tatjana besucht Onegins Villa, wo sie seine B眉cher und Randnotizen durchst枚bert und sich zu fragen beginnt, ob Onegins Charakter nur eine Collage verschiedener literarischer Helden ist und ob es in Wirklichkeit keinen "echten Onegin" gibt. Tatjana, immer noch gebrochen durch den Verlust Onegins, wird von ihren Eltern 眉berredet, bei ihrer Tante in Moskau zu leben, um einen Verehrer zu finden.
Einige Jahre vergehen, und die Szene verlagert sich nach St. Petersburg. Onegin ist gekommen, um die wichtigsten B盲lle zu besuchen und mit den f眉hrenden Pers枚nlichkeiten der alten russischen Gesellschaft zu verkehren. Er sieht die sch枚nste Frau, die alle Blicke auf sich zieht und im Mittelpunkt des gesellschaftlichen Geschehens steht, und erkennt, dass es sich um dieselbe Tatjana handelt, deren Liebe er einst verschm盲ht hatte. Jetzt ist sie mit einem alten Prinzen (einem General) verheiratet.
Onegin ist besessen davon, Tatjanas Zuneigung zu gewinnen. Seine Versuche werden jedoch abgewehrt. Er schreibt ihr mehrere Briefe, erh盲lt aber keine Antwort. Schlie脽lich gelingt es ihm, Tatjana zu sehen, und er bietet ihr an, mit ihr abzuhauen. Nach kurzem Z枚gern gesteht sie ihm, dass sie ihn immer noch liebt, aber dass sie es nicht zulassen wird, dass er sie ruiniert. Sie ist entschlossen, ihrem Mann treu zu bleiben und weist Onegin erbarmungslos zur眉ck. Tatjanas Zur眉ckweisung ist ebenfalls eine ikonische Szene der Literaturgeschichte, die es auch auf viele Gem盲lde geschafft hat.
Ich las Eugen Onegin in einer englischen 脺bersetzung von Stanley Mitchell. Im Gro脽en und Ganzen bin ich mit der Qualit盲t der 脺bersetzung zufrieden. Mitchell behielt das Reimschema bei, was ich sehr begr眉脽e, und sowohl Puschkins Witz als auch seine Wortgewandheit schaffen es ins Englische. Manchmal flie脽t der Text nicht gut und einige Reime sind schon sehr holprig, aber dennoch w眉rde ich Mitchells 脺bersetzung empfehlen. Sie ist gut verst盲ndlich und macht Spa脽.
Ich kann es gar nicht erwarten, diesen Versroman in unterschiedlichen 脺bersetzungen und unterschiedlichen Sprachen zu lesen. Ich m枚chte ihn mir auf jeden Fall noch auf Deutsch und Franz枚sisch zu Gem眉te f眉hren. Es w盲re nat眉rlich ein Traum, Puschkin mal im Original zu lesen, aber dieser Traum ist bei meinen russischen Sprachkenntnissen noch in weiter Ferne. Trotzdem habe ich gro脽en Spa脽 daran einige Passagen, vor allem Tatjanas Brief an Onegin, im Original zu lesen und ich versuche zur Zeit, ihn sogar auswendig zu lernen. Auf YouTube fand ich eine Rap-Version des Briefes, die mir unheimlich beim Auswendiglernen hilft.
Wenn ich eine Liste mit den sch枚nsten Liebesbriefen der Literaturgeschichte aufstellen m眉sste, w眉rde es Puschkin sehr weit nach oben schaffen. Tatjanas Brief ist aus heutiger Sicht nat眉rlich sehr 眉berzogen und dramatisch, aber mich hat er trotzdem gekriegt. Ich glaube, dass mir Wentworths Brief aus Austens 脺产别谤谤别诲耻苍驳 ("You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. [...] I have loved none but you.") vielleicht doch noch etwas besser gef盲llt, aber Tatjanas Brief comes as a close second.
Heutzutage wird Eugen Onegin als das moderne russische Nationalepos gehandelt, und Puschkin als Nationaldichter. Dies liegt vor allem darin begr眉ndet, dass Puschkin mit seinem Gesamtwerk, aber insbesondere mit Eugen Onegin, als Begr眉nder der russischen Literatursprache gilt. Um 1820 war die Verkehrssprache der russischen Oberschicht Franz枚sisch, amtliche und wissenschaftliche Texte wurden in der Regel in franz枚sischer Sprache geschrieben, kirchliche und weltliche russische Texte bis ins fr眉he 19.听Jahrhundert in einem Kirchenslawisch, das zu Puschkins Zeit schon nicht mehr allgemein verst盲ndlich war. Kinder des Adels, wie Puschkin und Onegin selbst sowie Tatjana und Olga Larina, hatten franz枚sische Erzieher oder Sprachlehrer. Russisch lernte Puschkin von seiner Kinderfrau und perfektionierte es in der Zeit seiner Verbannung im Umgang mit der b盲uerlichen Bev枚lkerung. Er war somit einer der ersten Dichter und Schriftsteller, der das moderne Russisch in seines Texte benutzte.
Eugen Onegin ist in acht Kapitel (cantos) gegliedert, denen jeweils ein kurzes Zitat aus der franz枚sischen, italienischen oder antiken Literatur bzw. eines russischen Autors vorangestellt ist. Insgesamt umfasst das Gedicht 384 Strophen. Die sogenannte Onegin-Strophe baut auf dem Sonett auf. Die Strophe zu je 14 Zeilen in vierf眉脽igen Jamben folgt einem komplizierten und strengen Reimschema, das 眉ber das ganze Gedicht hin eingehalten wird, mit Ausnahme der Briefe Tatjanas und Onegins, sowie Tatjanas Traum.
Der Versroman 枚ffnet mit dem Charakter Eugen Onegin, einem gelangweilten Dandy im St. Petersburg der 1820er Jahre, dessen Leben nur aus B盲llen, Konzerten und Partys besteht, ansonsten aber ziemlich leer ist. Nach dem Tod seines wohlhabenden Onkels erbt er ein betr盲chtliches Verm枚gen und einen Landsitz. Als er aufs Land zieht, freundet er sich mit seinem Nachbarn an, dem jungen Dichter Wladimir Lenskij.
Lenskij stellt Onegin der Familie seiner Verlobten vor, der geselligen, aber etwas gedankenlosen Olga Larina. Bei diesem Treffen lernt Onegin auch Olgas Schwester Tatjana kennen. Tatjana, a hopeless romantic, f眉hlt sich stark zu Onegin hingezogen. Sie offenbart ihre Seele in einem Brief, der in die Literaturgeschichte als einer der sch枚nsten Liebesbriefe eingegangen ist.
携 泻 胁邪屑 锌懈褕褍 鈥� 褔械谐芯 卸械 斜芯谢械?Entgegen ihren Erwartungen schreibt Onegin ihr jedoch nicht zur眉ck und bei ihrem n盲chsten Treffen weist er sie h枚flich, aber auch herablassend, zur眉ck (Onegins Predigt). Er gibt zu, dass der Brief r眉hrend war, sagt aber, dass er sich in der Ehe schnell langweilen w眉rde und Tatjana nur Freundschaft anbieten kann; er r盲t kalt zu mehr emotionaler Kontrolle in der Zukunft, damit kein anderer Mann ihre Unschuld ausnutzt.
效褌芯 褟 屑芯谐褍 械褖械 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜?
孝械锌械褉褜, 褟 蟹薪邪褞, 胁 胁邪褕械泄 胁芯谢械
袦械薪褟 锌褉械蟹褉械薪褜械屑 薪邪泻邪蟹邪褌褜.
袧芯 胁褘, 泻 屑芯械泄 薪械褋褔邪褋褌薪芯泄 写芯谢械
啸芯褌褜 泻邪锌谢褞 卸邪谢芯褋褌懈 褏褉邪薪褟,
袙褘 薪械 芯褋褌邪胁懈褌械 屑械薪褟.
Sp盲ter l盲dt Lenskij Onegin schelmisch zur Feier von Tatjanas Namenstag ein und verspricht ein kleines Treffen nur mit Tatjana, Olga und ihren Eltern. Als Onegin eintrifft, findet er stattdessen einen ausgelassenen Ball auf dem Lande vor, eine l盲ndliche Parodie und ein Kontrast zu den Gesellschaftsb盲llen in St. Petersburg, derer er 眉berdr眉ssig geworden ist. Onegin ist ver盲rgert 眉ber die G盲ste, die 眉ber ihn und Tatjana l盲stern, und 眉ber Lenskij, der ihn 眉berredet hat, zu kommen. Er beschlie脽t, sich zu r盲chen, indem er mit Olga tanzt und flirtet. Olga ist unempf盲nglich f眉r ihren Verlobten und f眉hlt sich offenbar zu Onegin hingezogen. Der ernste und unerfahrene Lenskij ist zutiefst verletzt und fordert Onegin zum Duell heraus; Onegin nimmt widerwillig an, da er sich durch die gesellschaftliche Konvention gezwungen f眉hlt. W盲hrend des Duells t枚tet Onegin Lenskij unfreiwillig. Danach verl盲sst er sein Landgut und reist ins Ausland, um seine Gewissensbisse zu bet盲uben.
Tatjana besucht Onegins Villa, wo sie seine B眉cher und Randnotizen durchst枚bert und sich zu fragen beginnt, ob Onegins Charakter nur eine Collage verschiedener literarischer Helden ist und ob es in Wirklichkeit keinen "echten Onegin" gibt. Tatjana, immer noch gebrochen durch den Verlust Onegins, wird von ihren Eltern 眉berredet, bei ihrer Tante in Moskau zu leben, um einen Verehrer zu finden.
Einige Jahre vergehen, und die Szene verlagert sich nach St. Petersburg. Onegin ist gekommen, um die wichtigsten B盲lle zu besuchen und mit den f眉hrenden Pers枚nlichkeiten der alten russischen Gesellschaft zu verkehren. Er sieht die sch枚nste Frau, die alle Blicke auf sich zieht und im Mittelpunkt des gesellschaftlichen Geschehens steht, und erkennt, dass es sich um dieselbe Tatjana handelt, deren Liebe er einst verschm盲ht hatte. Jetzt ist sie mit einem alten Prinzen (einem General) verheiratet.
Onegin ist besessen davon, Tatjanas Zuneigung zu gewinnen. Seine Versuche werden jedoch abgewehrt. Er schreibt ihr mehrere Briefe, erh盲lt aber keine Antwort. Schlie脽lich gelingt es ihm, Tatjana zu sehen, und er bietet ihr an, mit ihr abzuhauen. Nach kurzem Z枚gern gesteht sie ihm, dass sie ihn immer noch liebt, aber dass sie es nicht zulassen wird, dass er sie ruiniert. Sie ist entschlossen, ihrem Mann treu zu bleiben und weist Onegin erbarmungslos zur眉ck. Tatjanas Zur眉ckweisung ist ebenfalls eine ikonische Szene der Literaturgeschichte, die es auch auf viele Gem盲lde geschafft hat.
Ich las Eugen Onegin in einer englischen 脺bersetzung von Stanley Mitchell. Im Gro脽en und Ganzen bin ich mit der Qualit盲t der 脺bersetzung zufrieden. Mitchell behielt das Reimschema bei, was ich sehr begr眉脽e, und sowohl Puschkins Witz als auch seine Wortgewandheit schaffen es ins Englische. Manchmal flie脽t der Text nicht gut und einige Reime sind schon sehr holprig, aber dennoch w眉rde ich Mitchells 脺bersetzung empfehlen. Sie ist gut verst盲ndlich und macht Spa脽.
Ich kann es gar nicht erwarten, diesen Versroman in unterschiedlichen 脺bersetzungen und unterschiedlichen Sprachen zu lesen. Ich m枚chte ihn mir auf jeden Fall noch auf Deutsch und Franz枚sisch zu Gem眉te f眉hren. Es w盲re nat眉rlich ein Traum, Puschkin mal im Original zu lesen, aber dieser Traum ist bei meinen russischen Sprachkenntnissen noch in weiter Ferne. Trotzdem habe ich gro脽en Spa脽 daran einige Passagen, vor allem Tatjanas Brief an Onegin, im Original zu lesen und ich versuche zur Zeit, ihn sogar auswendig zu lernen. Auf YouTube fand ich eine Rap-Version des Briefes, die mir unheimlich beim Auswendiglernen hilft.
Wenn ich eine Liste mit den sch枚nsten Liebesbriefen der Literaturgeschichte aufstellen m眉sste, w眉rde es Puschkin sehr weit nach oben schaffen. Tatjanas Brief ist aus heutiger Sicht nat眉rlich sehr 眉berzogen und dramatisch, aber mich hat er trotzdem gekriegt. Ich glaube, dass mir Wentworths Brief aus Austens 脺产别谤谤别诲耻苍驳 ("You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. [...] I have loved none but you.") vielleicht doch noch etwas besser gef盲llt, aber Tatjanas Brief comes as a close second.
November 26, 2016
This was one of the most original books I have ever read. How Pushkin was able to accomplish this poem/novel is beyond me. The theme of rejecting love and then being rejected by that same love latter in life is masterful. Alexander Pushkin! - you are on my 'reading radar' and I will look for more of your works!
March 29, 2020
Douglas Hofstadter, in his informative (but self-indulgent)
Le Ton beau de Marot
, devotes over 500 pages to the subject of translating a 28-line poem from French to English. The book is filled with a multitude of attempts, each with its own character, its own aims in conveying some element of the original, and each differing significantly in style, language and emotion. There is a seemingly infinite linguistic freedom and complexity in the translation of even a poem of just 60 words, between languages that are virtual siblings.
By comparison, Eugene Onegin is a poetic novel consisting of over 200 pages, which utilises a "poetry of grammar" completely alien to English understanding. What is left, then, must be regarded as a vague ghost of the original, and it would be pure folly to attempt an earnest review. Perhaps all that survives the distortion of translation are the most salient and immutable elements: the captivating story itself; Pushkin's playful genius; and his eclectic passion and enthusiasm. As for the rest, I will leave that to the judgement of the great Russian writers, who have universally regarded Onegin as one of the singular works of Russian literature.
By comparison, Eugene Onegin is a poetic novel consisting of over 200 pages, which utilises a "poetry of grammar" completely alien to English understanding. What is left, then, must be regarded as a vague ghost of the original, and it would be pure folly to attempt an earnest review. Perhaps all that survives the distortion of translation are the most salient and immutable elements: the captivating story itself; Pushkin's playful genius; and his eclectic passion and enthusiasm. As for the rest, I will leave that to the judgement of the great Russian writers, who have universally regarded Onegin as one of the singular works of Russian literature.
February 15, 2017
ARC review: 2016 Pushkin Press edition, translated by Anthony Briggs
[3.75?] I've yet to be convinced that it's possible to translate Russian poetry into consistently excellent English verse. Translator Anthony Briggs' introduction suggests that it is easier to make Russian poems sound good in English than it is French ones - which contradicts my experience as a reader. (I loved Kinnell's Villon, Millay's Baudelaire, among others, and was disappointed by two different versions of Tsvetava.)
It had been my intention, if I ever read Onegin, to go for Stanley Mitchell's translation (for what I'd seen of the actual poetry, though I love the cover too), but this new* version was on offer as an ARC last year. I liked the beginning of Briggs' War & Peace enough that I'd have read his translation if it had been available as an ebook. (It wasn't, so I went for the ubiquitous P&V.) I wasn't so impressed with his translation of some Pushkin poems in a funny little miscellany from the eponymous publisher, under the title The Queen of Spades, but they were reasonable enough - and this ARC was, after all, free, and, what's more, praised by Nick Lezard in the Guardian. (Lezard quite often makes good recommendations, but admitted himself that he was no expert on Pushkin translation.)
I read perhaps a third of this Onegin in April 2016, when I found it clunky and packed with banal sing-song rhymes. Though it seemed to improve at times - inconveniently for me, as I'd have to rewrite the at-least-half a hatchet job I'd already typed out. Returning to the book in January 2017, reading straight through from Introduction to FIN, I thought it not so bad. Somewhat better than the frustratingly blurred reflection of a celestial original that seemed the usual offering for Russian translated poetry in the body of a book, compared with the way the original was described in the introduction. Some stanzas are indeed embarrassingly sing-song others rather good; and plenty more dependent on how each reader hears all the line-end rhymes - whilst a few are convoluted, with sense and meaning obscured by the struggle to attain the correct structure in English.
In Briggs' introduction, Stanley Mitchell is both praised - for his use of approximate rhyme - and criticised - for taking it too far. I found the list of Mitchell's rhymes more pleasing to the ear, less pat, than many of those Briggs uses, so perhaps I'd still prefer his version. (Perhaps what I am really looking for is the equivalent of Edna St Vincent Millay's Flowers of Evil, a highly liberal translation that uses the essential sense of the poems to create a[n IMO] beautiful work that sounds like true poetry in English.)
For the reader who'd prefer a thorough, scholarly intro of the Penguin/Oxford ilk, Briggs' isn't terrible. He provides a thorough and persuasive case for calling the protagonist "Yevgeny Onegin" in English, due to the name's musicality and scansion, and how this metrical beauty is at odds with the anti-hero's conduct. Otherwise, it omitted useful points: cultural background (which I at least had via reading Tolstoy in the last few years, and I see how scenes in Onegin likely inspired some in War and Peace); and the poet-narrator and his relationship with his muse as a significant feature of the poem (it took the blurb of another edition on GR to make me notice that and not near-skim those stanzas as inconsequential fluff interrupting the "real" story). Briggs also spent time on a critical debate about Onegin's moral character in a manner superfluous for the first time reader, as he reaches the same conclusion Pushkin does in the poem:
His secret inner court will hear
Him charged with multiple offences鈥�
Charge One: He had been wrong to jeer
At timid, tender love so easily
And so off-handedly that evening.
Charge Two: The poet might have been
An ass, but this, at just eighteen,
Could be excused. Judge whose fault this is:
Yevgeny deeply loved the youth,
And should have proved to be, in truth,
No mere plaything of prejudices,
No fiery, strapping lad, but an
Honourable and thinking man.
Onegin, packed with of-its-time cultural references, desperately needs annotations, and this Pushkin Press edition sadly has none.
From chapter two, a handful of the many examples: I've at least heard of [Sir Charles] Grandison but wouldn't mind a reminder about plot and character, and it's hardly one of the best known bits of British C18th lit; would have liked something on origin and reputation of the following gothic behaviour, implied as a French import:
She took to using blood when scrawling
In sweet girls鈥� albums
and in the same stanza, re-Russification as
she restored without mishap
The padded robe and floppy cap, some background to whose presumed nationalistic significance could, I think, only add to the edition.
This same allusiveness gives the poem a satirical, flippant air I hadn't anticipated. At first I was in two minds about use of noticeably contemporary phrases - a lodging with decent storage; a dashing officer who's the delight of local mums - but soon felt they sharpened the text. After all, the poem, picking over the mores of recently fashionable Romantic young things, would have felt as modern to readers of the 1830s as daft mockery of Millenials would to us. This sense of freshness is one of the impertinent advantages of a translated classic has over the original, and perhaps what I liked best about Briggs' Onegin, though not as much as in Clive James' Divine Comedy. I love noticing the cheeky wink of a half-hidden pop lyric; one especially deft example here amused me no end:
鈥淚 say, who is that lady, Prince,
There in the raspberry-coloured beret,
Near the ambassador from Spain?鈥�
However, modernity occasionally went too far, and jarred: when Tatyana's nanny was wearing a "body-warmer"; and even brands crept in, albeit ones old enough to have been around at the time - so can't discount the possibility they were cited in Pushkin's original - Veuve Clicquot鈥攐r is it Mo毛t? (I think that was when Robbie Williams' 'Party Like a Russian' started playing in my head...)
For much of the poem, I didn't feel a great deal for the characters. I was sorry for the infatuated Tatyana - I felt that fiction and film gave me a similarly misleading impression of social life and romance when I was younger - but it was a sympathy often out of step with the ironic relating of the silly girl's fandoms and mopings. May as well have been watching a black comedy about hipsters. (袧邪褌邪薪 携褔屑械薪褜, 袦芯褋泻胁邪 1830?)
Among my favourite of the human scenes was when Tatyana, pining for Evgeny, reads his favourite books to try and understand him, and instead finds them an excellent way to get over him:
And my Tatyana comes by stages
To understand the very man
(Depicted clearly as outrageous?)
Destined for her by some weird plan,
Sent to unsettle and derange her,
A maverick oddball bringing danger,
A child of heaven, of hell perchance,
Devil and god of arrogance.
What is he? A copy of mischances,
A ghost of nothingness, a joke,
A Russian in Childe Harold鈥檚 cloak,
A ragbag of imported fancies,
A catchphrase-monger and a sham.
Is he more parody than man?
I've done similar in my time (sometimes the books - or films - are a key, sometimes they are not: not everyone sees themselves in their favourites, or loves works that reflect themselves, though Evgeny clearly did). But thankfully, in the early twenty-first century, it is easy to get one's own copies of those titles remembered, no trespass required.
Sardonic archness wasn't what I expected from Russian epic verse, so for some time I wondered whether this was a property of the translation (British dry wit) or of the original. The duel scene and its immediate aftermath altered my opinion: it was clearly meant to be that way. The stanzas from the fight itself were marked by an instantaneous a change of tone, gripping and utterly immediate, like a movie scene:
Out come the pistols (how they dazzle!),
The ramrods plunge, the mallets knock,
The leaden balls roll down the channels,
The triggers click, the guns are cocked.
The greyish powder streams out, steady,
Into the pan, while, waiting ready,
The solid, jagged, screwed-down flint
Stands primed. Guillot can just be glimpsed
Lurking behind a stump, much worried.
The two foes cast their cloaks aside.
Zaretsky walks thirty-two strides
With an exactitude unhurried,
Then leads each friend to his far place.
They draw their pistols from the case.
On its heels, verse reminiscent of one of Hilaire Belloc's Cautionaries, only for slightly older boys:
But the most fun comes from insisting
On plans for a noble death, somehow
Fixating on the man鈥檚 pale brow,
And aiming coolly from a distance.
But sending him to kingdom come鈥�
Surely you won鈥檛 find that much fun.
Afterwards, there was profound feeling, which soon admixed back into the former social irony and the odd Keatesian landscape. The original's emotional trajectory, and the translator's control of his material became clear; my respect for Briggs increased again.
Friends who know my tastes will not be surprised to hear that it was mostly the stanzas about peasant customs, and winter, on which I was most swept away. I'm not sure whether these were also qualitatively better in translation than plenty of others, or if I'm simply so very susceptible to this type of scenery. (I suspect the latter, because so many of the spring and summer verses bored me.)
Through the cold murk the dawn comes searching,
The noisy field work has tailed off,
The wolf is on the road, emerging
With his half-starving lady wolf.
A passing horse scents him and bridles,
Snorting, at which the wary rider
Gallops away uphill flat-out.
At dawn no herdsmen are about,
Bringing to pasture hungry cattle,
At noon no horn is heard to sing
And bring the cows into a ring.
And girls stay home to sing and rattle
Their spinning wheels. Friendly and bright,
The pine logs sting the winter night...
A tubby goose, red-footed, fearful,
Hoping to breast the waters, crawls
Gingerly out, but skids and falls
Upon the ice. Here comes the cheerful
First fall of whirling, gleaming snow,
Star-scattered on the banks below...
Riding the prairie wild, of course, is
Perilous for your blunt-shod horses,
Who stumble on the treacherous ice
And down they clatter in a trice.
Stay in your bleak homestead. Try reading鈥�
Here is your Pradt, here鈥檚 Walter Scott鈥�
Or go through your accounts, if not,
Or fume, or drink. The endless evening
Will somehow pass, tomorrow too.
I've not read enough classic English poetry lately to be confident in comparing the quality - for instance, with Byron, one of Pushkin's inspirations, and whose verse forms Briggs hoped to emulate - but I have included ample quotes, so you may be able to make up your mind whether Briggs' translation is for you, if you wanted to read Onegin in the first place.
(Incidentally, does anyone else worry about whether reading Russian lit now means more, something unsavoury, compared with even six months ago; not the same configuration as it might have forty years ago, so more confusing? Or is it just me and that's laughably paranoid, even for these strange times?)
This translation is rather fun, especially if you enjoy the modern elements alongside the more typically early nineteenth century themes; if it were accompanied by a more detailed introduction, and some notes, I'd more readily recommend it; the lack of either is always a drawback to an edition of a classic, as far as I'm concerned. Like so much great literature of its time, Onegin is a story of youngsters and their betrothal intrigues, but the irony and detachment means that it may still appeal to those who are no longer in that phase of life (though I do think there much to be said for reading classics before or around that time), including those whose years have now outspanned Pushkin's own.
* A few days after reading, I've noticed that there's an Everyman edition of Yevgeny Onegin (same spelling) from 1995 translated by Briggs. As this Pushkin Press one clearly says "English language translation copyright A.D.P. Briggs, 2016", I'm assuming that it's is a revised version - although surely not entirely new as the blurb suggests.
Thank you to Edelweiss, and the publisher, Pushkin Press, for this free advance review copy.
[3.75?] I've yet to be convinced that it's possible to translate Russian poetry into consistently excellent English verse. Translator Anthony Briggs' introduction suggests that it is easier to make Russian poems sound good in English than it is French ones - which contradicts my experience as a reader. (I loved Kinnell's Villon, Millay's Baudelaire, among others, and was disappointed by two different versions of Tsvetava.)
It had been my intention, if I ever read Onegin, to go for Stanley Mitchell's translation (for what I'd seen of the actual poetry, though I love the cover too), but this new* version was on offer as an ARC last year. I liked the beginning of Briggs' War & Peace enough that I'd have read his translation if it had been available as an ebook. (It wasn't, so I went for the ubiquitous P&V.) I wasn't so impressed with his translation of some Pushkin poems in a funny little miscellany from the eponymous publisher, under the title The Queen of Spades, but they were reasonable enough - and this ARC was, after all, free, and, what's more, praised by Nick Lezard in the Guardian. (Lezard quite often makes good recommendations, but admitted himself that he was no expert on Pushkin translation.)
I read perhaps a third of this Onegin in April 2016, when I found it clunky and packed with banal sing-song rhymes. Though it seemed to improve at times - inconveniently for me, as I'd have to rewrite the at-least-half a hatchet job I'd already typed out. Returning to the book in January 2017, reading straight through from Introduction to FIN, I thought it not so bad. Somewhat better than the frustratingly blurred reflection of a celestial original that seemed the usual offering for Russian translated poetry in the body of a book, compared with the way the original was described in the introduction. Some stanzas are indeed embarrassingly sing-song others rather good; and plenty more dependent on how each reader hears all the line-end rhymes - whilst a few are convoluted, with sense and meaning obscured by the struggle to attain the correct structure in English.
In Briggs' introduction, Stanley Mitchell is both praised - for his use of approximate rhyme - and criticised - for taking it too far. I found the list of Mitchell's rhymes more pleasing to the ear, less pat, than many of those Briggs uses, so perhaps I'd still prefer his version. (Perhaps what I am really looking for is the equivalent of Edna St Vincent Millay's Flowers of Evil, a highly liberal translation that uses the essential sense of the poems to create a[n IMO] beautiful work that sounds like true poetry in English.)
For the reader who'd prefer a thorough, scholarly intro of the Penguin/Oxford ilk, Briggs' isn't terrible. He provides a thorough and persuasive case for calling the protagonist "Yevgeny Onegin" in English, due to the name's musicality and scansion, and how this metrical beauty is at odds with the anti-hero's conduct. Otherwise, it omitted useful points: cultural background (which I at least had via reading Tolstoy in the last few years, and I see how scenes in Onegin likely inspired some in War and Peace); and the poet-narrator and his relationship with his muse as a significant feature of the poem (it took the blurb of another edition on GR to make me notice that and not near-skim those stanzas as inconsequential fluff interrupting the "real" story). Briggs also spent time on a critical debate about Onegin's moral character in a manner superfluous for the first time reader, as he reaches the same conclusion Pushkin does in the poem:
His secret inner court will hear
Him charged with multiple offences鈥�
Charge One: He had been wrong to jeer
At timid, tender love so easily
And so off-handedly that evening.
Charge Two: The poet might have been
An ass, but this, at just eighteen,
Could be excused. Judge whose fault this is:
Yevgeny deeply loved the youth,
And should have proved to be, in truth,
No mere plaything of prejudices,
No fiery, strapping lad, but an
Honourable and thinking man.
Onegin, packed with of-its-time cultural references, desperately needs annotations, and this Pushkin Press edition sadly has none.
From chapter two, a handful of the many examples: I've at least heard of [Sir Charles] Grandison but wouldn't mind a reminder about plot and character, and it's hardly one of the best known bits of British C18th lit; would have liked something on origin and reputation of the following gothic behaviour, implied as a French import:
She took to using blood when scrawling
In sweet girls鈥� albums
and in the same stanza, re-Russification as
she restored without mishap
The padded robe and floppy cap, some background to whose presumed nationalistic significance could, I think, only add to the edition.
This same allusiveness gives the poem a satirical, flippant air I hadn't anticipated. At first I was in two minds about use of noticeably contemporary phrases - a lodging with decent storage; a dashing officer who's the delight of local mums - but soon felt they sharpened the text. After all, the poem, picking over the mores of recently fashionable Romantic young things, would have felt as modern to readers of the 1830s as daft mockery of Millenials would to us. This sense of freshness is one of the impertinent advantages of a translated classic has over the original, and perhaps what I liked best about Briggs' Onegin, though not as much as in Clive James' Divine Comedy. I love noticing the cheeky wink of a half-hidden pop lyric; one especially deft example here amused me no end:
鈥淚 say, who is that lady, Prince,
There in the raspberry-coloured beret,
Near the ambassador from Spain?鈥�
However, modernity occasionally went too far, and jarred: when Tatyana's nanny was wearing a "body-warmer"; and even brands crept in, albeit ones old enough to have been around at the time - so can't discount the possibility they were cited in Pushkin's original - Veuve Clicquot鈥攐r is it Mo毛t? (I think that was when Robbie Williams' 'Party Like a Russian' started playing in my head...)
For much of the poem, I didn't feel a great deal for the characters. I was sorry for the infatuated Tatyana - I felt that fiction and film gave me a similarly misleading impression of social life and romance when I was younger - but it was a sympathy often out of step with the ironic relating of the silly girl's fandoms and mopings. May as well have been watching a black comedy about hipsters. (袧邪褌邪薪 携褔屑械薪褜, 袦芯褋泻胁邪 1830?)
Among my favourite of the human scenes was when Tatyana, pining for Evgeny, reads his favourite books to try and understand him, and instead finds them an excellent way to get over him:
And my Tatyana comes by stages
To understand the very man
(Depicted clearly as outrageous?)
Destined for her by some weird plan,
Sent to unsettle and derange her,
A maverick oddball bringing danger,
A child of heaven, of hell perchance,
Devil and god of arrogance.
What is he? A copy of mischances,
A ghost of nothingness, a joke,
A Russian in Childe Harold鈥檚 cloak,
A ragbag of imported fancies,
A catchphrase-monger and a sham.
Is he more parody than man?
I've done similar in my time (sometimes the books - or films - are a key, sometimes they are not: not everyone sees themselves in their favourites, or loves works that reflect themselves, though Evgeny clearly did). But thankfully, in the early twenty-first century, it is easy to get one's own copies of those titles remembered, no trespass required.
Sardonic archness wasn't what I expected from Russian epic verse, so for some time I wondered whether this was a property of the translation (British dry wit) or of the original. The duel scene and its immediate aftermath altered my opinion: it was clearly meant to be that way. The stanzas from the fight itself were marked by an instantaneous a change of tone, gripping and utterly immediate, like a movie scene:
Out come the pistols (how they dazzle!),
The ramrods plunge, the mallets knock,
The leaden balls roll down the channels,
The triggers click, the guns are cocked.
The greyish powder streams out, steady,
Into the pan, while, waiting ready,
The solid, jagged, screwed-down flint
Stands primed. Guillot can just be glimpsed
Lurking behind a stump, much worried.
The two foes cast their cloaks aside.
Zaretsky walks thirty-two strides
With an exactitude unhurried,
Then leads each friend to his far place.
They draw their pistols from the case.
On its heels, verse reminiscent of one of Hilaire Belloc's Cautionaries, only for slightly older boys:
But the most fun comes from insisting
On plans for a noble death, somehow
Fixating on the man鈥檚 pale brow,
And aiming coolly from a distance.
But sending him to kingdom come鈥�
Surely you won鈥檛 find that much fun.
Afterwards, there was profound feeling, which soon admixed back into the former social irony and the odd Keatesian landscape. The original's emotional trajectory, and the translator's control of his material became clear; my respect for Briggs increased again.
Friends who know my tastes will not be surprised to hear that it was mostly the stanzas about peasant customs, and winter, on which I was most swept away. I'm not sure whether these were also qualitatively better in translation than plenty of others, or if I'm simply so very susceptible to this type of scenery. (I suspect the latter, because so many of the spring and summer verses bored me.)
Through the cold murk the dawn comes searching,
The noisy field work has tailed off,
The wolf is on the road, emerging
With his half-starving lady wolf.
A passing horse scents him and bridles,
Snorting, at which the wary rider
Gallops away uphill flat-out.
At dawn no herdsmen are about,
Bringing to pasture hungry cattle,
At noon no horn is heard to sing
And bring the cows into a ring.
And girls stay home to sing and rattle
Their spinning wheels. Friendly and bright,
The pine logs sting the winter night...
A tubby goose, red-footed, fearful,
Hoping to breast the waters, crawls
Gingerly out, but skids and falls
Upon the ice. Here comes the cheerful
First fall of whirling, gleaming snow,
Star-scattered on the banks below...
Riding the prairie wild, of course, is
Perilous for your blunt-shod horses,
Who stumble on the treacherous ice
And down they clatter in a trice.
Stay in your bleak homestead. Try reading鈥�
Here is your Pradt, here鈥檚 Walter Scott鈥�
Or go through your accounts, if not,
Or fume, or drink. The endless evening
Will somehow pass, tomorrow too.
I've not read enough classic English poetry lately to be confident in comparing the quality - for instance, with Byron, one of Pushkin's inspirations, and whose verse forms Briggs hoped to emulate - but I have included ample quotes, so you may be able to make up your mind whether Briggs' translation is for you, if you wanted to read Onegin in the first place.
(Incidentally, does anyone else worry about whether reading Russian lit now means more, something unsavoury, compared with even six months ago; not the same configuration as it might have forty years ago, so more confusing? Or is it just me and that's laughably paranoid, even for these strange times?)
This translation is rather fun, especially if you enjoy the modern elements alongside the more typically early nineteenth century themes; if it were accompanied by a more detailed introduction, and some notes, I'd more readily recommend it; the lack of either is always a drawback to an edition of a classic, as far as I'm concerned. Like so much great literature of its time, Onegin is a story of youngsters and their betrothal intrigues, but the irony and detachment means that it may still appeal to those who are no longer in that phase of life (though I do think there much to be said for reading classics before or around that time), including those whose years have now outspanned Pushkin's own.
* A few days after reading, I've noticed that there's an Everyman edition of Yevgeny Onegin (same spelling) from 1995 translated by Briggs. As this Pushkin Press one clearly says "English language translation copyright A.D.P. Briggs, 2016", I'm assuming that it's is a revised version - although surely not entirely new as the blurb suggests.
Thank you to Edelweiss, and the publisher, Pushkin Press, for this free advance review copy.
December 22, 2022
A novel in verse is not so novel.
The idea goes back as far at least
As old Homer, or the fossil
Of that ancient Gilgamesh.
Yet Pushkin鈥檚 book is innovative;
His approach is highly creative.
His native Russian never knew,
Verse so natural and so true.
It reads as easily as prose,
And pops and burns like firecrackers,
Flies along like fleeing blackbirds,
And hits its target on the nose.
If only he hadn鈥檛 had that duel,
We might have yet another jewel!
The protagonist is rather shallow,
The female lead is rather pale;
The poet Lensky is wholly callow,
The plot is thin and somewhat frail.
No matter, the book is full of style,
Sharp insights abound and while
It may not be the most profound,
Its common sense is always sound.
Though his country now is infamous
We cannot fairly blame the author.
That would be like damning Chaucer
For the sins of Queen Elizabeth.
I hope it is not controversial
To proclaim Pushkin universal.
The idea goes back as far at least
As old Homer, or the fossil
Of that ancient Gilgamesh.
Yet Pushkin鈥檚 book is innovative;
His approach is highly creative.
His native Russian never knew,
Verse so natural and so true.
It reads as easily as prose,
And pops and burns like firecrackers,
Flies along like fleeing blackbirds,
And hits its target on the nose.
If only he hadn鈥檛 had that duel,
We might have yet another jewel!
The protagonist is rather shallow,
The female lead is rather pale;
The poet Lensky is wholly callow,
The plot is thin and somewhat frail.
No matter, the book is full of style,
Sharp insights abound and while
It may not be the most profound,
Its common sense is always sound.
Though his country now is infamous
We cannot fairly blame the author.
That would be like damning Chaucer
For the sins of Queen Elizabeth.
I hope it is not controversial
To proclaim Pushkin universal.
April 12, 2018
Existe algo de brilhante neste texto a que n茫o consigo aceder na plenitude. Tendo gostado bastante de ler e sentido por vezes que atingia um certo z茅nite, n茫o consegui permanecer por l谩 todo o livro, apesar de o ter procurado j谩 que o desejo por realizar esta leitura era bastante elevado. Pushkin 茅 uma refer锚ncia da hist贸ria internacional da literatura, 茅 o Cam玫es, ou talvez melhor, o Dante do russo. Estranhamente no in铆cio do s茅culo XIX a elite russa usava mais o franc锚s do que o russo, um pouco 脿 semelhan莽a da elite que s贸 escrevia em latim quando Dante ousou escrever em italiano.
Creio que a minha leitura sofreu por tr锚s raz玫es pessoais, que espero um dia ultrapassar: o meu desgosto com o romantismo; a minha fraca inclina莽茫o para a poesia; e o meu limitado interesse por novelas curtas. Come莽ando pelo 煤ltimo, os textos curtos fazem-me sempre sentir que tudo passa demasiado a correr, sem espa莽o/tempo para um verdadeiro desabrochar dos personagens. J谩 a poesia perco-a na forma, por se dedicar mais 脿 sintaxe que 脿 sem芒ntica, 茅 um pouco como se a literatura almejasse a ser m煤sica, sendo artes dotadas de t茫o distintas val锚ncias. Por fim o romantismo, j谩 muitas vezes me queixei do mesmo, julgo que n茫o adianta apontar os seus problemas, n茫o foi por mero caso que a corrente desapareceu no tempo.
Por outro lado, agora refletindo e comparando com outras obras de contornos 茅picos, n茫o que este seja um 茅pico declarado mas pode ser encarado como tal pelo que disse acima, considero que fui provavelmente exigente demais. Aqui atribuirei as culpas ao brilhantismo de Pushkin. O modo como escreve 茅 assombrosamente acess铆vel, dotado de um ritmo de tranquilidade que faz tudo parecer t茫o f谩cil, quase como se estivesse ali no papel por zelo natural. Pushkin consegue fazer-nos esquecer que estamos a ler em verso, consegue fazer-nos esquecer que continua a obedecer aos par芒metros do romantismo, os quais ele obsessivamente persegue na forma do seu grande 铆dolo, Byron. Em certa medida, e depois de passar os olhos por algumas pe莽as escritas por Pushkin, fico com a ideia que esta sua abordagem de simplifica莽茫o, de facilitar o acesso, dar a ver e n茫o esconder, no fundo uma certa fuga ao romantismo, se deve a uma sua outra obsess茫o, Shakespeare.
Uma obra para reler.
Tamb茅m publicado no VI:
Creio que a minha leitura sofreu por tr锚s raz玫es pessoais, que espero um dia ultrapassar: o meu desgosto com o romantismo; a minha fraca inclina莽茫o para a poesia; e o meu limitado interesse por novelas curtas. Come莽ando pelo 煤ltimo, os textos curtos fazem-me sempre sentir que tudo passa demasiado a correr, sem espa莽o/tempo para um verdadeiro desabrochar dos personagens. J谩 a poesia perco-a na forma, por se dedicar mais 脿 sintaxe que 脿 sem芒ntica, 茅 um pouco como se a literatura almejasse a ser m煤sica, sendo artes dotadas de t茫o distintas val锚ncias. Por fim o romantismo, j谩 muitas vezes me queixei do mesmo, julgo que n茫o adianta apontar os seus problemas, n茫o foi por mero caso que a corrente desapareceu no tempo.
Por outro lado, agora refletindo e comparando com outras obras de contornos 茅picos, n茫o que este seja um 茅pico declarado mas pode ser encarado como tal pelo que disse acima, considero que fui provavelmente exigente demais. Aqui atribuirei as culpas ao brilhantismo de Pushkin. O modo como escreve 茅 assombrosamente acess铆vel, dotado de um ritmo de tranquilidade que faz tudo parecer t茫o f谩cil, quase como se estivesse ali no papel por zelo natural. Pushkin consegue fazer-nos esquecer que estamos a ler em verso, consegue fazer-nos esquecer que continua a obedecer aos par芒metros do romantismo, os quais ele obsessivamente persegue na forma do seu grande 铆dolo, Byron. Em certa medida, e depois de passar os olhos por algumas pe莽as escritas por Pushkin, fico com a ideia que esta sua abordagem de simplifica莽茫o, de facilitar o acesso, dar a ver e n茫o esconder, no fundo uma certa fuga ao romantismo, se deve a uma sua outra obsess茫o, Shakespeare.
Uma obra para reler.
Tamb茅m publicado no VI:
June 21, 2017
"(...) aceita, indulgente, estes
cap铆tulos assim variegados,
ou meio jocosos ou meio tristes,
em fala vulgar ou em tom elevado,
fruto leviano do passatempo,
da ins贸nia, da leve inspira莽茫o,
do imaturo, e do murcho, tempo,
de um frio exame da raz茫o,
das marcas dolentes no cora莽茫o."
Li Eug茅nio On茅guin, h谩 dois anos, numa tradu莽茫o para castelhano; reli-o, agora, na vers茫o para portugu锚s de Nina e Filipe Guerra. A qualidade das tradu莽玫es n茫o posso avaliar, que n茫o percebo russo, mas comparei algumas estrofes e parece-me que a da editada pela Rel贸gio D'脕gua n茫o fica atr谩s da da Catedra.
A primeira leitura foi a da descoberta; essencialmente conhecer as personagens e emocionar-me com os seus destinos. A segunda foi a do prazer; o deslumbramento com a arte de Pushkin.
No meu primeiro Oneguin, fiz um textozito que fica aqui para quem tiver paci锚ncia para o ler.
Agora, vou arrumar as minhas duas maravilhosas edi莽玫es para deixar de olhar para elas e tirar este sorriso tolo da cara...
cap铆tulos assim variegados,
ou meio jocosos ou meio tristes,
em fala vulgar ou em tom elevado,
fruto leviano do passatempo,
da ins贸nia, da leve inspira莽茫o,
do imaturo, e do murcho, tempo,
de um frio exame da raz茫o,
das marcas dolentes no cora莽茫o."
Li Eug茅nio On茅guin, h谩 dois anos, numa tradu莽茫o para castelhano; reli-o, agora, na vers茫o para portugu锚s de Nina e Filipe Guerra. A qualidade das tradu莽玫es n茫o posso avaliar, que n茫o percebo russo, mas comparei algumas estrofes e parece-me que a da editada pela Rel贸gio D'脕gua n茫o fica atr谩s da da Catedra.
A primeira leitura foi a da descoberta; essencialmente conhecer as personagens e emocionar-me com os seus destinos. A segunda foi a do prazer; o deslumbramento com a arte de Pushkin.
No meu primeiro Oneguin, fiz um textozito que fica aqui para quem tiver paci锚ncia para o ler.
Agora, vou arrumar as minhas duas maravilhosas edi莽玫es para deixar de olhar para elas e tirar este sorriso tolo da cara...
June 16, 2018
Relectura marzo 2016 (*)
En los pedestales literarios siempre hay alg煤n libro que hace todo lo posible para que la gente dude del motivo de su permanencia en ese lugar. Seg煤n mi parecer, este no es uno de ellos. Mientras se lee se percibe su vigencia, se respira la atm贸sfera de los personajes, se viven sus tensiones. Y s铆, tambi茅n sus desfallecimientos. Esta historia abarca todo en pocas p谩ginas: el hast铆o, el amor, el rechazo, las convenciones sociales, las apariencias y las verdaderas esencias. Suena a mucho, pero est谩 tratado de una forma que ni decepciona ni crea la sensaci贸n de estar hablando de todo y de nada al mismo tiempo.
La trama es (m谩s o menos) sencilla. El personaje del t铆tulo es un joven que no se dedica a nada, salvo a asistir al teatro, fiestas y dem谩s diversiones. No quiere compromisos, pero le encanta conquistar por deporte. Su vida es rutinaria y 茅l, casi por consecuencia, padece de melancol铆a. Un d铆a, le avisan que un t铆o que tiene una finca en el campo est谩 muy enfermo y que desea verlo. Eugenio acude al llamado (no sin quejarse), el t铆o muere y entonces 茅l se da cuenta de que el cambio de aires no le vendr铆a nada mal. All铆 conocer谩 a Lenski y se har谩 amigo de 茅l. Y por medio de este muchacho conocer谩 a Tatiana, que tiene un papel fundamental en esta historia.
En primer lugar, es destacable la voz del narrador. Inscripto en el romanticismo, Pushkin se tomaba muy en serio lo que hac铆a y buscaba que el texto tuviera una personalidad, un Yo marcado, as铆 que no es extra帽o que sea un protagonista m谩s de la historia. Es diez veces m谩s molesta que la de Mark Twain en Las aventuras de Tom Sawyer, pero tiene unas intervenciones tan 煤tiles, certeras y bellas (salvo cuando habla de los 鈥減iececitos鈥� de las damas y de c贸mo los hacen sufrir y blah blah blah) que uno se olvida por completo de eso, salvo que padezca de intolerancia a los escritores 鈥減retenciosos鈥�. A veces hasta se da el lujo de opacar lo que est谩 ocurriendo con sus criaturas, ya que retrasa la acci贸n al divagar por temas profundos o superficiales. Los asuntos m谩s interesantes, seg煤n mis gustos, son los de la oposici贸n ciudad- campo y las continuas menciones a poetas y obras de teatro de la 茅poca (hayan muerto o no).
En segundo lugar, pero no menos importante, est谩 la intensidad de los personajes. Hay un balance muy delicado entre los pares Oneguin- Lenski y Tatiana- Olga. Tan delicado es que los que deber铆an cruzarse por similitudes en el car谩cter no lo hacen. Todos cometen sus errores y ninguno intenta repararlos, algo que parece extra帽o y un poco adrede para que la historia contin煤e. La incapacidad de razonar y la exaltaci贸n de los 谩nimos desatan las consecuencias, as铆 que bienvenido sea. Me hicieron acordar a los personajes de las tragedias griegas o shakesperianas, en donde sufren una especie de ofuscaci贸n que no les permite cambiar el rumbo de los acontecimientos y se precipitan a lo peor, por no pensar antes o por no poder ganarle al destino. Oneguin no se hace querer, pero tampoco se hace odiar y eso es un punto a favor. Reitero la preponderancia de Tatiana en el libro, por su temeridad al hacer algo que en su tiempo era inesperado. Y aunque el resultado no sea el m谩s feliz, es un punto de quiebre y lleva la narraci贸n a otro nivel. El final me sorprendi贸 gratamente y creo que est谩 muy bien ubicado en mi ranking personal de 鈥渃onclusiones que me dejaron en shock鈥�. Si Pushkin buscaba un golpe de efecto, lo logr贸.
Hay miles y miles de cuestiones para hablar sobre Eugenio Oneguin pero creo que recomendarlo con toda la fuerza recomendadora (?) del mundo es suficiente. Se puede decir mucho de Pushkin y mucho de Oneguin (驴ser谩n la misma persona?). Curiosamente, hay una escena que despu茅s se replica en la vida real del autor, hecho que da un poco de escalofr铆os. En fin, es un libro memorable y vale la pena leerlo, sobre todo porque me dej贸 m谩s claras las razones por las cuales el autor era tan genial. Quiero releerlo en alg煤n momento. Hab铆a le铆do varios poemas, pero ninguno me pareci贸 tan contundente como este.
(*) La relectura me produjo m谩s admiraci贸n y era esperable. Despu茅s de leer La hija del capit谩n una entiende que Pushkin era excelente forjando personajes complejos que eluden el acartonamiento que podr铆a producir la exaltaci贸n del patriotismo o del hast铆o, por ejemplo. Si bien esta novela en verso fue compuesta por partes, las costuras, por suerte, no se notan (salvo en las estrofas que se eliminaron y dejaron su huella) y la historia siempre sigue su curso. No quer铆a dejar de notar que hay un humor muy 谩cido en las observaciones sobre la vida en sociedad (a la que Pushkin entr贸 no sin cierta reticencia), tal vez resentido, y hasta salpican las palabras de Lenski, el poeta. Maravilloso.
Rese帽a en
En los pedestales literarios siempre hay alg煤n libro que hace todo lo posible para que la gente dude del motivo de su permanencia en ese lugar. Seg煤n mi parecer, este no es uno de ellos. Mientras se lee se percibe su vigencia, se respira la atm贸sfera de los personajes, se viven sus tensiones. Y s铆, tambi茅n sus desfallecimientos. Esta historia abarca todo en pocas p谩ginas: el hast铆o, el amor, el rechazo, las convenciones sociales, las apariencias y las verdaderas esencias. Suena a mucho, pero est谩 tratado de una forma que ni decepciona ni crea la sensaci贸n de estar hablando de todo y de nada al mismo tiempo.
La trama es (m谩s o menos) sencilla. El personaje del t铆tulo es un joven que no se dedica a nada, salvo a asistir al teatro, fiestas y dem谩s diversiones. No quiere compromisos, pero le encanta conquistar por deporte. Su vida es rutinaria y 茅l, casi por consecuencia, padece de melancol铆a. Un d铆a, le avisan que un t铆o que tiene una finca en el campo est谩 muy enfermo y que desea verlo. Eugenio acude al llamado (no sin quejarse), el t铆o muere y entonces 茅l se da cuenta de que el cambio de aires no le vendr铆a nada mal. All铆 conocer谩 a Lenski y se har谩 amigo de 茅l. Y por medio de este muchacho conocer谩 a Tatiana, que tiene un papel fundamental en esta historia.
En primer lugar, es destacable la voz del narrador. Inscripto en el romanticismo, Pushkin se tomaba muy en serio lo que hac铆a y buscaba que el texto tuviera una personalidad, un Yo marcado, as铆 que no es extra帽o que sea un protagonista m谩s de la historia. Es diez veces m谩s molesta que la de Mark Twain en Las aventuras de Tom Sawyer, pero tiene unas intervenciones tan 煤tiles, certeras y bellas (salvo cuando habla de los 鈥減iececitos鈥� de las damas y de c贸mo los hacen sufrir y blah blah blah) que uno se olvida por completo de eso, salvo que padezca de intolerancia a los escritores 鈥減retenciosos鈥�. A veces hasta se da el lujo de opacar lo que est谩 ocurriendo con sus criaturas, ya que retrasa la acci贸n al divagar por temas profundos o superficiales. Los asuntos m谩s interesantes, seg煤n mis gustos, son los de la oposici贸n ciudad- campo y las continuas menciones a poetas y obras de teatro de la 茅poca (hayan muerto o no).
En segundo lugar, pero no menos importante, est谩 la intensidad de los personajes. Hay un balance muy delicado entre los pares Oneguin- Lenski y Tatiana- Olga. Tan delicado es que los que deber铆an cruzarse por similitudes en el car谩cter no lo hacen. Todos cometen sus errores y ninguno intenta repararlos, algo que parece extra帽o y un poco adrede para que la historia contin煤e. La incapacidad de razonar y la exaltaci贸n de los 谩nimos desatan las consecuencias, as铆 que bienvenido sea. Me hicieron acordar a los personajes de las tragedias griegas o shakesperianas, en donde sufren una especie de ofuscaci贸n que no les permite cambiar el rumbo de los acontecimientos y se precipitan a lo peor, por no pensar antes o por no poder ganarle al destino. Oneguin no se hace querer, pero tampoco se hace odiar y eso es un punto a favor. Reitero la preponderancia de Tatiana en el libro, por su temeridad al hacer algo que en su tiempo era inesperado. Y aunque el resultado no sea el m谩s feliz, es un punto de quiebre y lleva la narraci贸n a otro nivel. El final me sorprendi贸 gratamente y creo que est谩 muy bien ubicado en mi ranking personal de 鈥渃onclusiones que me dejaron en shock鈥�. Si Pushkin buscaba un golpe de efecto, lo logr贸.
Hay miles y miles de cuestiones para hablar sobre Eugenio Oneguin pero creo que recomendarlo con toda la fuerza recomendadora (?) del mundo es suficiente. Se puede decir mucho de Pushkin y mucho de Oneguin (驴ser谩n la misma persona?). Curiosamente, hay una escena que despu茅s se replica en la vida real del autor, hecho que da un poco de escalofr铆os. En fin, es un libro memorable y vale la pena leerlo, sobre todo porque me dej贸 m谩s claras las razones por las cuales el autor era tan genial. Quiero releerlo en alg煤n momento. Hab铆a le铆do varios poemas, pero ninguno me pareci贸 tan contundente como este.
(*) La relectura me produjo m谩s admiraci贸n y era esperable. Despu茅s de leer La hija del capit谩n una entiende que Pushkin era excelente forjando personajes complejos que eluden el acartonamiento que podr铆a producir la exaltaci贸n del patriotismo o del hast铆o, por ejemplo. Si bien esta novela en verso fue compuesta por partes, las costuras, por suerte, no se notan (salvo en las estrofas que se eliminaron y dejaron su huella) y la historia siempre sigue su curso. No quer铆a dejar de notar que hay un humor muy 谩cido en las observaciones sobre la vida en sociedad (a la que Pushkin entr贸 no sin cierta reticencia), tal vez resentido, y hasta salpican las palabras de Lenski, el poeta. Maravilloso.
Rese帽a en
September 24, 2016
"Blest who betimes has left life's revel,
Whose wine-filled glass he has not drained,
Who does not read right to the end
Life's still, as yet, unfinished novel,
But lets it go, as I do my
Onegin, and bid him goodbye."
(p.197)
Whose wine-filled glass he has not drained,
Who does not read right to the end
Life's still, as yet, unfinished novel,
But lets it go, as I do my
Onegin, and bid him goodbye."
(p.197)
April 21, 2020
Well! I have been familiar with this over 200 page Russian narrative poem--one of the jewels of Russian literature written by one of the greatest of Russian authors--but don't recall reading the whole of it before now. It may be best known in the west because of Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin. But I know it is something very familiar still to Russian schoolchildren, the story of an aloof upper class man who spurns the advances of young provincial Tatyana only to find her later in life, making advances on her, who is now very different and happily married. So he finds love, the transformative power of love, too late, alas, but hey, you don't exactly get to love and sympathize with the guy, really.
I liked it, though I am not a huge fan of "verse novels," given the strictures that call attention to the language. Pushkin wrote the whole thing in alexandrines, with rhyming couplets. Add to that the limitation that I am reading it in translation, hearing all the hubbub about how Pushkin in particular is impossible to translate. See Manny's review where he basically just posts Vladimir Nabokov's poem about that impossibility, though if you see Jim Elkins's very long review you will see that Nabokov himself wrote a translation of the 200 page poem that with footnotes is more than FOUR VOLUMES, 1,200 pages!!!? Literary scholars, hmmph, they can be obsessively crazy. But hey, the poem is great, published in the early nineteenth century in serial form initially, and what do I know about this translation by Mary Hobson versus any other one? I don't know the original, but I thought it was very readable and witty and well done.
I liked it, though I am not a huge fan of "verse novels," given the strictures that call attention to the language. Pushkin wrote the whole thing in alexandrines, with rhyming couplets. Add to that the limitation that I am reading it in translation, hearing all the hubbub about how Pushkin in particular is impossible to translate. See Manny's review where he basically just posts Vladimir Nabokov's poem about that impossibility, though if you see Jim Elkins's very long review you will see that Nabokov himself wrote a translation of the 200 page poem that with footnotes is more than FOUR VOLUMES, 1,200 pages!!!? Literary scholars, hmmph, they can be obsessively crazy. But hey, the poem is great, published in the early nineteenth century in serial form initially, and what do I know about this translation by Mary Hobson versus any other one? I don't know the original, but I thought it was very readable and witty and well done.
September 3, 2018
I Will Survive
[condensed 6/27/16]
Maybe the first notable Western novel hitting a favored theme in the arts: the ugly duckling's transformation into a swan and turning the table back against her rejector with a big ...
This brings to mind a song like I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor):
Years later, Onegin sees the now extraordinarily beautiful Tatiana at a society ball in St. Petersburg and becomes obsessed with winning her affections, despite the fact she's now married. Saying anything more would be a spoiler.
Pushkin's Onegin is apparently the first among a long line of fictional Russian "superfluous men," a character type Pushkin borrowed from Lord Byron and his "Byronic hero," a miserable, cynical, passive man, usually borne from privilege, full of himself yet deeply sensitive.
Tolstoy compared Pushkin's storytelling to Homer's. By comparison, Dostoevsky condemned Eugene Onegin as a "Western intrusion and [the] glorification of Tatiana as the exemplar of Russian womanhood." Professor Stanley Mitchell notes Russian "[r]adicals and conservatives fought over Pushkin's characters as if they were real people."
Recommended for change of pace, especially if you enjoy epic poems.
Maybe the first notable Western novel hitting a favored theme in the arts: the ugly duckling's transformation into a swan and turning the table back against her rejector with a big ...
This brings to mind a song like I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor):
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?Pushkin's one-of-a-kind novel-in-verse set in Russia in the early 1800s is told in 389 stanzas of iambic tetrameter. In it, Tatiana falls deeply for Eugene Onegin while he visits her home with a friend who's engaged to Tatiana's beautiful younger sister Olga. Tatiana, at the time rather plain, confesses her love for Eugene in a letter. He politely rejects her, in favor of pursuing shallow, vain Olga, putting him at odds with his friend (and into a duel).
Did you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive...
Years later, Onegin sees the now extraordinarily beautiful Tatiana at a society ball in St. Petersburg and becomes obsessed with winning her affections, despite the fact she's now married. Saying anything more would be a spoiler.
Pushkin's Onegin is apparently the first among a long line of fictional Russian "superfluous men," a character type Pushkin borrowed from Lord Byron and his "Byronic hero," a miserable, cynical, passive man, usually borne from privilege, full of himself yet deeply sensitive.
Tolstoy compared Pushkin's storytelling to Homer's. By comparison, Dostoevsky condemned Eugene Onegin as a "Western intrusion and [the] glorification of Tatiana as the exemplar of Russian womanhood." Professor Stanley Mitchell notes Russian "[r]adicals and conservatives fought over Pushkin's characters as if they were real people."
Recommended for change of pace, especially if you enjoy epic poems.
July 1, 2009
This Week in Entertainment Presents鈥�
THE KING OF RUSSIAN LITERATURE vs. THE KING OF POP: winner to be crowned this week鈥檚 KING OF POP LITERATURE
But first: Warm-up semifinal showdown between Aleksandr Pushkin and Vladimir Nabokov:
Round 1:
One man wrote a timeless human drama jam-packed with humor, action, love, cruelty, honor, pride and every other conceivably interesting human emotion鈥攁nd all in just over 100 pages. The other translated said human drama with many incomprehensively bizarre and antiquated words and provided over 1000 pages of additional commentary*, ensuring that no discerning English speaker would ever consider picking up this translation.
Point: Pushkin.
Round 2:
One man developed his own iambic tetrameter and a (supposedly) delectable rhyme scheme of ababeecciddiff, while still managing to spin an exceptionally moving, intelligent, and entertaining tale. In the process of translation, the other occasionally flouted the syllable count and utilized a rhyme scheme of abcdefghibjkcl, leaving the non-Russian reader capable only of imagining what a full experience of Eugene Onegin might feel like.
Point: Alex. 2nd round knock down. The referee, recognizing that the carnage will only increase, calls for a mercy rule and declares Pushkin the winner. A bloody Vladimir objects, screaming something about the 鈥渕athematical impossibility鈥� of translating the rhyme and pattern accurately, while simultaneously fighting off the restraint attempts of medical personnel and angry mid-century censors.
*I read almost none of this, and so cannot comment on its worth. I suspect that reading this interminable commentary does a poor job of simulating the experience of reading this in Russian in the mid 19th century (or today for that matter).
On to the Main Event鈥�
In the American corner we have Michael Jackson, 138-time Grammy winner and Guinness World Record holder for most self-declared comebacks in a 20-year period. In the Russian corner we have Aleksandr Pushkin, the man who started it all鈥he Father of Russian literature, lover of beautiful women and annoyer of powerful men.
Round 1:
One man influenced the next generation of writers, with notables including Gogol, Turgenev, and Tolstoy. Any breakdowns these men experienced ultimately produced great literature. The other man influenced the subsequent generation of entertainers, with notables including Mariah Carey, Usher, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake. Any breakdowns have left us with unending television, internet, and tabloid bombardment.
Point: Pushkin. First knockdown came 45 seconds into this round. Rather than bloodying, MJ鈥檚 nose-remnant simply inverted into his face.
Round 2:
One man has a minor planet named after him; one has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Point: Even.
Round 3:
One man was black and white by birth; one was black and then white from vitiligo, pancake makeup, and other assorted techniques.
Point: Aleksandr. There may have been a low blow in this round, but the ref didn鈥檛 see it.
Round 4:
One man鈥檚 wife was an inspiration for Anna Kerinina; the other was briefly married to Elvis鈥� daughter.
Point: Even.
Round 5:
One man 鈥渟ubstantially augmented the Russian lexicon鈥� by adding to and bolstering the legitimacy of Russian vernacular. The other man minimally augmented the English language with 鈥淪hamon!鈥�, germane to...well only he really knows.
Point: Pushkin. Michael was knocked around pretty good this round. His left cheekbone did, however, deliver a serious laceration to the third joint of Alex鈥檚 index finger.
Round 6:
One man performed a lot of music; the other inspired a lot of music.
Point: Even. Comparing Billy Jean to Wagner is apples to oranges, right? Although this round was a split decision, I can only imagine it鈥檚 because the judges weren鈥檛 familiar with "Liberian Giiirrrllll鈥ust like in the movies, with two lovers in a scene, and she says, "Do you love me", and he says so endlessly鈥� Naku Penda Piya-Naku Taka Piya-Mpenziwe.鈥� That should have clinched it, but everyone鈥檚 got something against Michael these days.
Round 7:
One man was exiled to southern Russia by Tsar鈥檚 order; one man was exiled to Neverland by Peter Pan syndrome, failed comebacks, and an increasingly alarmed public.
Point: Alex. Second knockdown. Michael looks haggard.
Round 8:
One man watched his life implode as he fell further into debt and finally challenged his wife鈥檚 alleged lover to a duel in which he was mortally wounded. The other watched his life implode as he fell further into debt and failed to control his desire for sleepovers.
Point: Puskin. Pushkin is declared the winner by TKO and promptly refuses to be crowned King of Pop Literature, leaving Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer to duke it out next week. Stay tuned鈥�
Oh, and if you鈥檙e wondering what Eugene Onegin (the character) is like鈥攖hink of the biggest d-bag you know and then add a little extra d-baggery. That said, the story is very classic in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way, but funnier and quirkier. Definitely worth checking out, even in an inherently problematic English translation.
THE KING OF RUSSIAN LITERATURE vs. THE KING OF POP: winner to be crowned this week鈥檚 KING OF POP LITERATURE
But first: Warm-up semifinal showdown between Aleksandr Pushkin and Vladimir Nabokov:
Round 1:
One man wrote a timeless human drama jam-packed with humor, action, love, cruelty, honor, pride and every other conceivably interesting human emotion鈥攁nd all in just over 100 pages. The other translated said human drama with many incomprehensively bizarre and antiquated words and provided over 1000 pages of additional commentary*, ensuring that no discerning English speaker would ever consider picking up this translation.
Point: Pushkin.
Round 2:
One man developed his own iambic tetrameter and a (supposedly) delectable rhyme scheme of ababeecciddiff, while still managing to spin an exceptionally moving, intelligent, and entertaining tale. In the process of translation, the other occasionally flouted the syllable count and utilized a rhyme scheme of abcdefghibjkcl, leaving the non-Russian reader capable only of imagining what a full experience of Eugene Onegin might feel like.
Point: Alex. 2nd round knock down. The referee, recognizing that the carnage will only increase, calls for a mercy rule and declares Pushkin the winner. A bloody Vladimir objects, screaming something about the 鈥渕athematical impossibility鈥� of translating the rhyme and pattern accurately, while simultaneously fighting off the restraint attempts of medical personnel and angry mid-century censors.
*I read almost none of this, and so cannot comment on its worth. I suspect that reading this interminable commentary does a poor job of simulating the experience of reading this in Russian in the mid 19th century (or today for that matter).
On to the Main Event鈥�
In the American corner we have Michael Jackson, 138-time Grammy winner and Guinness World Record holder for most self-declared comebacks in a 20-year period. In the Russian corner we have Aleksandr Pushkin, the man who started it all鈥he Father of Russian literature, lover of beautiful women and annoyer of powerful men.
Round 1:
One man influenced the next generation of writers, with notables including Gogol, Turgenev, and Tolstoy. Any breakdowns these men experienced ultimately produced great literature. The other man influenced the subsequent generation of entertainers, with notables including Mariah Carey, Usher, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake. Any breakdowns have left us with unending television, internet, and tabloid bombardment.
Point: Pushkin. First knockdown came 45 seconds into this round. Rather than bloodying, MJ鈥檚 nose-remnant simply inverted into his face.
Round 2:
One man has a minor planet named after him; one has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Point: Even.
Round 3:
One man was black and white by birth; one was black and then white from vitiligo, pancake makeup, and other assorted techniques.
Point: Aleksandr. There may have been a low blow in this round, but the ref didn鈥檛 see it.
Round 4:
One man鈥檚 wife was an inspiration for Anna Kerinina; the other was briefly married to Elvis鈥� daughter.
Point: Even.
Round 5:
One man 鈥渟ubstantially augmented the Russian lexicon鈥� by adding to and bolstering the legitimacy of Russian vernacular. The other man minimally augmented the English language with 鈥淪hamon!鈥�, germane to...well only he really knows.
Point: Pushkin. Michael was knocked around pretty good this round. His left cheekbone did, however, deliver a serious laceration to the third joint of Alex鈥檚 index finger.
Round 6:
One man performed a lot of music; the other inspired a lot of music.
Point: Even. Comparing Billy Jean to Wagner is apples to oranges, right? Although this round was a split decision, I can only imagine it鈥檚 because the judges weren鈥檛 familiar with "Liberian Giiirrrllll鈥ust like in the movies, with two lovers in a scene, and she says, "Do you love me", and he says so endlessly鈥� Naku Penda Piya-Naku Taka Piya-Mpenziwe.鈥� That should have clinched it, but everyone鈥檚 got something against Michael these days.
Round 7:
One man was exiled to southern Russia by Tsar鈥檚 order; one man was exiled to Neverland by Peter Pan syndrome, failed comebacks, and an increasingly alarmed public.
Point: Alex. Second knockdown. Michael looks haggard.
Round 8:
One man watched his life implode as he fell further into debt and finally challenged his wife鈥檚 alleged lover to a duel in which he was mortally wounded. The other watched his life implode as he fell further into debt and failed to control his desire for sleepovers.
Point: Puskin. Pushkin is declared the winner by TKO and promptly refuses to be crowned King of Pop Literature, leaving Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer to duke it out next week. Stay tuned鈥�
Oh, and if you鈥檙e wondering what Eugene Onegin (the character) is like鈥攖hink of the biggest d-bag you know and then add a little extra d-baggery. That said, the story is very classic in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way, but funnier and quirkier. Definitely worth checking out, even in an inherently problematic English translation.
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