Aleksandr Kuprin (Russian: 袗谢械泻褋邪薪写褉 袠胁邪薪芯胁懈褔 袣褍锌褉懈薪; 7 September 1870 in the village of Narovchat in the Penza Oblast - August 25, 1938 in Leningrad) was a Russian writer, pilot, explorer and adventurer who is perhaps best known for his story The Duel (1905). Other well-known works include Moloch (1896), Olesya (1898), Junior Captain Rybnikov (1906), Emerald (1907), and The Garnet Bracelet (1911) (which was made into a 1965 movie). Vladimir Nabokov styled him the Russian Kipling for his stories about pathetic adventure-seekers, who are often "neurotic and vulnerable."
Kuprin was a son of Ivan Ivanovich Kuprin, a minor government official who died of cholera during 1871 at the age of thirty-seven years. His mother, Liubov' Alekseevna Kuprina, Tatar princess (of the Kulunchakovs), like many other nobles in Russia, had lost most of her wealth during the 19th century. Kuprin attended the Razumovsky boarding school during 1876, and during 1880 finished his education in the Second Moscow Military High School (Cadet Corps) and Alexander Military School, spending a total of ten years in these elite military institutions. His first short story, The Last Debut, was published during 1889 in a satirical periodical. "In February 1902, Kuprin and Maria Karlovna Davydova were married, their daughter Lidia born in 1903." Kuprin's mother died during 1910.
Kuprin ended military service during 1894, after which he tried many types of job, including provincial journalism, dental care, land surveying, acting, circus performer, church singer, doctor, hunter, fisher, etc. Reportedly, "all of these were subsequently reflected in his fiction." His first essays were published in Kiev in two collections. Reportedly, "although he lived in an age when writers were carried away by literary experiments, Kuprin did not seek innovation and wrote only about the things he himself had experienced and his heroes are the next generation after Chekhov's pessimists."
Although the 1896 short story Moloch first made his name known as a writer, it was his novel The Duel (1905) which made him famous. "Kuprin was highly praised by fellow writers including Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Leonid Andreyev, Nobel Prize-winning Ivan Bunin" and Leo Tolstoy who acclaimed him a true successor to Chekhov. After publication of The Duel he paid less and less interest to fancy literature and began to spend time in pubs and brothels. His sensationalist novel about the lurid life of prostitutes, The Pit (1915), was accused by Russian critics of excessive Naturalism.
Although not a conservative, he did not agree with Bolshevism. While working for a brief time with Maxim Gorky at the World Literature publishing company, he criticized the Soviet regime. During spring 1919, from Gatchina near Petrograd, Kuprin left the country for France. He lived in Paris for most of the next 17 years, succumbing to alcoholism. He wrote about this in much of his work. He eventually returned to Moscow on May 31, 1937, just a year before his death, at the height of the Great Purge. His return earned publication of his works within the Soviet Union.
Kuprin died during the spring of 1938 in Leningrad and is interred near his fellow writers at the Literaturskiye Mostki in the Volkovo Cemetery (Volkovskoye Memorial Cemetery) in Leningrad. A minor planet 3618 Kuprin, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1979 is named after him.
Reportedly, "even today, Alexander Kuprin remains one of the widest read classics in Russian literature", with many films based on his works, "which are also read over the radio", partly due to "his vivid stories of the lives of ordinary people and unhappy love, his descriptions of the military and brothels, making him a writer for all times and places."
En 1911, Alexsandr Kupr铆n, un escritor realista ruso, public贸 una de sus m谩s destacadas novelas: 芦El brazalete de granates禄. A pesar de que en el extranjero es una obra poco conocida, en Rusia se la tiene en alta estima y no puede ser menos. Como todos los peque帽os placeres que ofrece @edicionesinvisibles, esta es una peque帽a joya que a pesar de su brevedad enamora y emociona a partes iguales.
La historia est谩 protagonizada por la princesa Vera, una joven casada y arist贸crata rusa que en una de las fiestas que organiza, recibe un regalo inesperado: un brazalete de granates acompa帽ado de una carta an贸nima. Desde hace 8 a帽os, un admirador secreto le dedica escritos intentando explicarle su amor. Hasta entonces era la comidilla, no se le daba importancia pero este hecho marca un punto de inflexi贸n. 驴Es una obsesi贸n enfermiza o un amor apasionado?
Sin duda el principal tema del que se habla en este libro es el amor verdadero, aquel que es incondicional, que se vive con una intensidad ardiente y que seguramente solo suceda una vez en la vida. Entre risas, en conversaciones familiares, se desarrollan unas reflexiones sensibles y que no solo emocionan al lector, tambi茅n le ayudan a plantearse muchas cuestiones.
Kupr铆n crea una atm贸sfera maravillosa que define con exquisitez gracias a un estilo narrativo po茅tico, las descripciones que contienen esta nouvelle son preciosas, sus reflexiones y peque帽as an茅cdotas reflejan muy bien el sentimiento tr谩gico y sincero caracter铆stico de la literatura rusa. Adem谩s, si le a帽adimos la reproducci贸n de una sonata de Beethoven que se menciona en la obra, logra una sensaci贸n m谩gica.
Para concluir, debo decir que esta historia me ha recordado bastante a 芦Carta de una desconocida禄 de Zweig, sin esa oscuridad tan marcada pero con un trasfondo interesante e inesperado. Se lee en un suspiro, tiene un ritmo 谩gil y sinceramente, creo que es una maravillosa recomendaci贸n para empezar con la literatura rusa. Tiene esa sensibilidad, marcada por el drama, que tan bien fluye en este tipo de obras.
Dopo aver letto questo coinvolgente romanzo breve sul tema dell鈥檃more non corrisposto, sulla solitudine dell鈥檃nima di chi ama senza speranza, sulla rinuncia alla vita di chi vive un sentimento profondo che viene calpestato e/o ignorato, ho provato a cercare altri libri di Aleksandr Kuprin [1870-1938] scrittore rispettato e apprezzato dai lettori e dagli altri scrittori russi dell鈥檈poca, ma ho scoperto che solo nell鈥檜sato di vecchie case editrici e a prezzi astronomici 猫 possibile reperire qualche antologia pi霉 o meno completa e per fortuna un romanzo, 鈥淟a Fossa鈥�, che ho trovato nel catalogo BUR e acquistato a prezzo modico.
Ma questo 鈥淏raccialetto di Granati鈥� non 猫 solo un romanzo d鈥檃more ma anche uno splendido spaccato della Russia benestante dell鈥檌nizio del secolo scorso con personaggi interessanti e storie intriganti e affascinanti che fanno volare le pagine della sua lettura col magone che sopraggiunge ad accorgersi che si assottiglia sempre pi霉 il poco che rimane da leggere!
Esta novelette me hizo pensar en todo momento que, pese a su breve extensi贸n, me iba a reservar alg煤n giro inesperado al final de esos que te hacen pegar un salto. No s茅, la premisa daba mucho juego y pens茅 que se prestaba a reservar una buena sorpresa al lector. No fue el caso... el final de la historia es el que cab铆a esperar, con lo que al final el libro pas贸 un poco sin pena ni gloria por mis manos, a pesar de estar bien escrito. Quiz谩 esperaba algo m谩s.
Intenso y melanc贸lico relato sobre las distintas formas del amor que deja un poso de ternura y tristeza a la vez.
No conoc铆a al autor y me ha sorprendido gratamente como perfila a los personajes y sus caracteres en tan pocas p谩ginas y la elegancia de la prosa. Un peque帽o placer invisible.
Beethoven | Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major 2nd Movement (Largo Appassionatto) 07:27
Extraordin脿ria novel路la curta sobre l'amor aut猫ntic, "d'aquells que nom茅s apareixen una vegada cada mil anys". Kupr铆n construeix molt b茅 els personatges i l'ambientaci贸 per ubicar-nos davant d'un final apote貌sic ple de bellesa i poesia.
驴Cre茅is que existe el amor verdadero? 驴Ese dispuesto a darlo todo para que el otro sea feliz a煤n sin obtener nada a cambio? Estas y otras reflexiones son las que se tratan durante una pl谩cida velada, una noche de finales de verano en una dacha rusa a orillas del mar Negro. Una cena tranquila, entre amigos y familia de la aristocracia rusa en la que se comparten bromas, risas y recuerdos, hasta que la princesa Vera vuelve a recibir una carta, esta vez junto a un brazalete de granates, de alguien que dice amarla desde hace a帽os.
Con una preciosa narraci贸n po茅tica que te sumerge por completo en el ambiente desde la primera p谩gina y unos personajes entra帽ables, esta peque帽a novela de amor tr谩gico se torna a煤n m谩s envolvente al escuchar la Sonata 2 de Beethoven, con la que el autor abre la historia, creando una atm贸sfera casi m谩gica. Ha sido mi primer acercamiento a la literatura rusa y ha sido todo un acierto.
"Peque帽a m铆a, no sabes nada de la vida y vuelas como una mariposa sobre un fuego brillante"
Despu茅s de una 茅poca estival de lo m谩s tormentosa, inmersa en lluvias inusuales, septiembre transcurre con un abrazo c谩lido a todos los veraneantes de la costa del Mar Negro. La princesa Vera se encuentra en su segunda residencia y decide celebrar el d铆a de su santo antes de regresar a la ciudad. Esa misma noche recibe un brazalete de granates con una nota de un hombre que le habla de un amor sincero y apasionado. En el remitente del paquete, rezan las mismas iniciales que las de las cartas que llevan a帽os haci茅ndole llegar para transmitirle este sentimiento, a pesar de que la princesa nunca ha respondido ni ha hecho nada por saber de qui茅n se trataba, ni antes ni ahora que est谩 casada. Aleksandr Kupr铆n consigue llevarnos a los lectores hasta Rusia y sentarnos cerca de los protagonistas de la fiesta. En especial, una de las historia que el abuelo de Vera le cuenta a ella es la que realmente dan valor a la trama y nos hacen reflexionar sobre el amor rom谩ntico. A partir de esta experiencia todo cobra sentido y el Largo Appassionato de Beethoven tendr谩 una gran relevancia en el relato.
Cre铆 que se tratar铆a de un pedazo de cuento de fantas铆a, y nada m谩s y nada menos es todo un cl谩sico s煤per importante en la literatura rusa, una oda al amor, una tragedia rom谩ntica con una profunda reflexi贸n, un canto desesperado por encontrar respuestas a una vida vac铆a y superficial donde la rutina y las costumbres no dejan entrar la luz de la verdadera felicidad emocional, un tributo filos贸fico a la m煤sica de Beethoven. Me he topado con un gran libro, a pesar de su tama帽o tan peque帽ito, y un autor de la talla de Ch茅jov. Vaya sorpresa, una joya de verdad. Una historia cortita, con grandes e interesantes mensajes, y con un final que hace que te vibren todas las entra帽as, el vello de punta. Soy de leer en silencio, esta vez no pude, me dej茅 llevar.
Vamos de la mano de la princesa Vera Nikol谩ievna hacia la fiesta que ha preparado en su casa de campo, con motivo de su santo. Estar谩 rodeada de su marido, sus hermanos, su abuelo y algunos otros invitados en los que veremos las clases y la decadencia de 茅stas de principios de siglo XX. Pero lo que otorgar谩 el tema a la nouvelette es la llegada como de regalo de un brazalete de granates por parte de un secreto enamorado, y las consecuencias de este suceso. Conforme me voy adentrando en la oscuridad de las lecturas rusas, me voy dando cuenta de que no son para m铆. Pero, en este caso, lo que menos me ha gustado no es el tono de la historia, sino que el autor entrara tan tarde en el tema, teniendo en cuenta que se trata de un relato largo o nouvelette de tan solo 120 p谩ginas por el formato en el que est谩 publicada, si no, podr铆an ser casi la mitad. Durante la primea mitad del relato conocemos el entorno de la princesa, todo lo que rodea a la fiesta y las historias de varias personas en forma de an茅cdota que no aportan nada a la trama central, aunque s铆 nos da el retrato costumbrista esperado. Hasta que no llegamos a la mitad no sabemos nada del brazalete. Me ha quedado la sensaci贸n de que es como si estuvi茅ramos leyendo dos historias muy diferentes en cada parte de la novela, cosa que no me ha gustado. La tr谩gica historia de amor tiene como acompa帽amiento la sonata n潞 2, op. 2 de Beethoven, el Largo Apassionato, que es sin duda una delicia escucharlo cuando est谩s leyendo el final de la obra.
Podr铆a comenzar esta rese帽a diciendo que El brazalete de granates nos relata la historia acerca de una princesa, Vera Nikolaevna, y su admirador an贸nimo que desde hace ya 8 a帽os le env铆a cartas de amor. Pero, a pesar de tener una corta extensi贸n, no se puede reducir a esto. En tan solo 144 p谩ginas, Kupr铆n expone y argumenta lo dif铆cil que es encontrar un amor verdadero, tal y como lo define 茅l. Crea una situaci贸n, personajes y escenarios que no dejan a uno indiferente, y lo consigue pr谩cticamente desde el principio. La primera parte del relato presenta a Vera y su entorno: sociedad, situaci贸n econ贸mica y la recepci贸n de una carta de su admirador an贸nimo con un brazalete de granates. A medida que desarrolla los eventos, Kupr铆n expone sus reflexiones amorosas a trav茅s de ciertos personajes.
Me ha gustado mucho. Le he dado 4.5/5 porque dentro de este tipo de relatos pocos consiguen engancharme tanto. Adem谩s, ciertos fragmentos me han hecho reflexionar y he disfrutado mucho el tema del amor verdadero. Realmente hoy en d铆a el amor est谩 muy canonizado, dig谩moslo as铆, y leer semejante perspectiva de un autor de hace un siglo me ha aportado una visi贸n distinta. Adem谩s, me ha gustado mucho el final. La atm贸sfera est谩 en calma pero los sentimientos de los personajes, los eventos, son rompedores. Esto solo me ha ocurrido con obras de la literatura rusa y me encanta. Como a帽adido, he de reconocer que el hecho de incorporar una obra de m煤sica cl谩sica me ha hecho redondear la nota a la m谩xima puntuaci贸n.
I must admit written on the time of Soviet era this story by Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin is very rich in the sense of good literature. No doubt about at all. But there鈥檚 some issue of course as I am reading it now in the time when everything changed & got that huge difference everywhere. It鈥檚 about the time of course. It is impossible to think such a tragedy that happened on that book. I repeat nowadays or says in this present time it is indeed quite impossible to believe...
I wish I could be diplomatic in here while writing my review. The fact is it was all about love. The prime thing that the author indicated perfectly. The kind of love that only exists in his time but not now. I am not offending the value of Love. No, Never. What I really want to say is that it was an ok story for then but for now it鈥檚 not worth the time. Though who do love to read romance genre very much this is for them. But of course it鈥檚 a rich Soviet literature & of course I loved it...
1. 'How strange it is,' said Vera with a thoughtful smile, ' that I am holding in my hands an object which may have been touched by the hands of the Marquise de Pompadour, or even Queen Antoinette herself. . . . Do you know, Anna, you must be the only person in the world who could conceive of the mad idea of making a lady's note-book out of a prayer-book. However, let's go in and see how things are getting on.'...
2. 'That's a funny question to ask, Anna. Of course I was afraid. Don't you believe the people who tell you that they are not afraid and that the whistle of bullets is the sweetest music in the world to them. A man like that is either crazy or else he is boasting. Everybody is afraid. Only one fellow will lose all self-control, and another holds himself well in hand. You see, the fear always remains the same, but the ability to hold yourself in hand develops with practice; that's why we have heroes and great men. And yet, there was one occasion when I was almost frightened to death.'...
3. 'Well ... let us say . . . that you are an exception. . . . But look, why do most people marry? Take a woman. She is ashamed of remaining an old maid when all her friends are married. She does not want to remain a burden on her family, wants to be independent, to live for herself. . . . And then, of course, there is the purely physiological necessity of motherhood. Men have other motives. In the first place, he is tired of single life, of lack of order in his room, of restaurants, dirt, cigarette-stumps, torn clothes, debts, unceremonious friends, and so on. In the second place, it is better, healthier, and more economical to live a family life. In the third place, he thinks of the possible children, and says to himself: 'I shall die, but a part of me will still remain behind. . . .' Something like the illusion of immortality. Then, again, there is the temptation of innocence, as with me, for instance. Sometimes men think of the dowry. But where is love, disinterested, self-sacrificing, expecting no reward鈥攖he love about which it has been said that it is 'more powerful than death'? Where is the love, for which it is joy, and not labor, to make a sacrifice, give up life, surfer pains? Wait, wait, Vera, I know that you are going to tell me about your Vasya. Yes, I like him. He is a good fellow. And, perhaps, in the future, his love will appear in the light of great beauty. But, think of the kind of love I mean. Love must be a tragedy, the greatest mystery in the world! No life comforts, calculations, or compromises must ever affect it.'...
4. 'Oh, yes, surely, Vera. And I'll say even more. I am sure that every woman is capable of the loftiest heroism in her love. When she kisses a man, embraces him, becomes his wife, she is already a mother. If she loves, love for her is the whole purpose of life, the whole universe. It is not her fault that love has assumed such disgusting forms and has become degraded simply to a small amusement, a sort of convenience. It is men's fault, for they become satiated at twenty, and live on, with bodies like those of chickens, and souls like those of hares, incapable of powerful desires, of heroic deeds, of adoration before love. People say that it was different before. And if it wasn't, did not the best human minds and souls dream of it鈥攖he poets, the novelists, the artists, the musicians? A few days ago, I read the story of Manon Lescaut and Cavalier de Grieux. . . . Would you believe me that I wept over it ? Now tell me truly, doesn't every woman, in her inmost soul, dream of such a love, which is all-forgiving, modest, self-sacrificing, self-denying?鈥�...
My Honest Thought : Anna Nikolayevna 鈥� Although this book is all about Vera Nikolayvena (her sister) I did fall in love with Anna. I just can鈥檛 help it. You see the way the author described her character I just can鈥檛 help but keep fascinated about her. I really her charisma, her speech and the way she listen attentively to her grandpa with that childhood posture. I can only imagine that very image in my mind and can replicate that image forever in there. But of course I didn鈥檛 like the fact that what she did to her sister. I didn鈥檛 like the fact that at the same (though they are princess) they are married but someone else so then love them or adore them secretly in their mind. Yes I know you can鈥檛 blame that very thing, right? As sometime you just can鈥檛 control your mind because to point out accurately Love can鈥檛 control by your mind or say by anything. It鈥檚 has no boundary no matter how foolish it seemed. Anyway I wish in the end I could read more about Anna then Vera. Never mind of course...
Anosov Yakov Mikhailovich 鈥� The fighter of Army. Who fought in war. Grandpa of Anna and Vera. Of course he is like someone supreme in their life. As they both adore him. Always felt joyous whenever he come and join them. It was from their childhood time. I do love that figure. This guy did say something that make me thought very deeply about the thing that really always need to have the 2nd thought. Special thanks to the author for this very special character...
Vera Nikolayevna 鈥� I won鈥檛 spoil anything in here. But one thing is certain. It鈥檚 not Vera who was responsible for the act of that man. She is naive about it. What can be said? As I already mentioned something can never be controlled by anything. & it called Love. It鈥檚 the most complicated matter that while you think you understand very well but in the end you will never fully understand it (with respect to everyone I mean no offense with my words). In my opinion maybe it will remain forever complicated. Anyway Vera the princess, very modest, got that very kind heart. I really enjoyed my time while reading about her. She got that such a diligence posture about her that make me respect toward her, make me more attentive to read about her furthermore. But of course as I say I have no wish to spoil that very twist; for now I think what she did in that last part of the book was unsurprising. Because a lady like her with such a dignity yes I can expect it from her character...
Thanks to the author - Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin...
Me ha gustado todo el ambiente mel谩ncolico de la historia, y el detalle de incluir una sonata de Beethoven en la trama y que puedas escucharla mientras estas leyendo. El libro trata el tema del amor verdadero y de lo que se puede llegar a hacer por 茅l, y aunque hay cosas que no me han convencido del todo, en general me ha gustado y es entretenido a pesar de lo cortito que es.