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Ian's Reviews > The Tartar Steppe
The Tartar Steppe
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One of those classic books that sat on my TBR list for many years. I’ve heard that Dino Buzzatti originally called his book “The Fort�. I think the revised title was a big improvement. I don’t know how it sounds in the original Italian, but in English the phrase “The Tartar Steppe� conjures up mysterious and romantic images that would have helped the book to stand out. Incidentally the author doesn’t attempt to anchor this story in any sort of geopolitical reality, but that’s not a criticism on my part. This novel is about the human experience.
It’s a difficult novel to talk about without introducing spoilers. At the outset the main character, Giovanni Drogo, is a newly commissioned Lieutenant assigned to a frontier post that overlooks the aforementioned steppe. Hardly anything ever happens in the fort. The land on the other side of the frontier is an uninhabited part of the neighbouring Kingdom. Even the appearance of a riderless horse on the other side of the frontier is a major event. Initially Drogo is appalled at the idea of spending time in this backwater, but gradually he makes friends with the other officers and settles into a life of comfortable routine and lack of challenge. When he goes on leave, he finds he no longer has anything in common with his old friends, and he is faced with decisions to make about his career and his personal life.
It might be best to read The Tartar Steppe as a young person, preferably when in your twenties. The message is too late for anyone at my stage of life. On the plus side, the book is still a good literary experience.
It’s a difficult novel to talk about without introducing spoilers. At the outset the main character, Giovanni Drogo, is a newly commissioned Lieutenant assigned to a frontier post that overlooks the aforementioned steppe. Hardly anything ever happens in the fort. The land on the other side of the frontier is an uninhabited part of the neighbouring Kingdom. Even the appearance of a riderless horse on the other side of the frontier is a major event. Initially Drogo is appalled at the idea of spending time in this backwater, but gradually he makes friends with the other officers and settles into a life of comfortable routine and lack of challenge. When he goes on leave, he finds he no longer has anything in common with his old friends, and he is faced with decisions to make about his career and his personal life.
It might be best to read The Tartar Steppe as a young person, preferably when in your twenties. The message is too late for anyone at my stage of life. On the plus side, the book is still a good literary experience.
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Reading Progress
February 23, 2021
–
Started Reading
February 23, 2021
– Shelved
February 27, 2021
– Shelved as:
4-star-lit-fiction
February 27, 2021
– Shelved as:
fiction
February 27, 2021
–
Finished Reading
December 12, 2023
– Shelved as:
modern-classics
Comments Showing 1-27 of 27 (27 new)
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Jayakrishnan
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rated it 3 stars
Feb 27, 2021 03:18AM
Honest review Ian. The last paragraph was touching.
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Cbj wrote: "Honest review Ian. The last paragraph was touching."Thanks Cbj!
You are as young as you feel, Ian! Which one of us is eight years older than the other?!!!I really liked this review and would love to read the book (despite my advanced age!)
J.C. wrote: "You are as young as you feel, Ian! Which one of us is eight years older than the other?!!!I really liked this review and would love to read the book (despite my advanced age!)"
I think you would probably enjoy this one Jeanne.
J.M. Coetzee acknowledged that The Tartar Steppe influenced his novel "Waiting for the Barbarians". The two novels share the ideas of a frontier outpost and an unseen enemy. That aside I think they are quite different.
That's interesting, Ian! I have read, "Waiting for the Barbarians" and thought it was amazing. I remember quoting from it at a public meeting with Jim Murphy at the time of the Independence Referendum. I might quote it differently these days. . .
I am an old man but your well-written review prompted me to put this on my TBR list.
Is yours a Kindle edition, Ian, or a real book?
JimZ wrote: "I am an old man but your well-written review prompted me to put this on my TBR list."Thanks Jim. I hope you still find it worthwhile. I did!
Great review and the last paragraph is really touching. I had the same feeling when I read this book, wishing that I have read it when I was a teenager, yet no one knows how much time is left for each of us! That's why I highly recommend "the remains of the day", especially its last chapter.
Excellent review, Ian, and well done with no spoilers and the intriguing image of the riderless horse.
Ladan wrote: "Great review and the last paragraph is really touching. I had the same feeling when I read this book, wishing that I have read it when I was a teenager, yet no one knows how much time is left for e..."Thank you very much Ladan. I might try "The Remains of the Day" sometime.
Looking at your profile you are only 32 - still young! It's true that none of us know how many years we have, but hopefully you still have more in front of you than behind you.
Lori wrote: "Excellent review, Ian, and well done with no spoilers and the intriguing image of the riderless horse."Thank you so much Lori!
Ian wrote: "Ladan wrote: "Great review and the last paragraph is really touching. I had the same feeling when I read this book, wishing that I have read it when I was a teenager, yet no one knows how much time..."You are welcome Ian :).I am 32 yet I might die in a car crash tomorrow or coke on my food right now and die (that's really absurd and I don't want to die like that!). I may die from an inherited disease at the age of 35! (I hope it won't be painful and kill me right away, no chemotherapy no surgery involved type of disease would be fine with me :D)
My point is that there is no collateral or dependency between how old one is and how long one might live! This is quite unpredictable and maybe exciting.
Ladan wrote: "Ian wrote: "Ladan wrote: "Great review and the last paragraph is really touching. I had the same feeling when I read this book, wishing that I have read it when I was a teenager, yet no one knows h..."You are right Ladan.
Cool topic and review! I like your new photo.
Dmitri wrote: "Cool topic and review! I like your new photo."Thanks Dmitri! That photo was taken a couple of miles from where I live. The ice on the path was very slidy!
When i see that i think of a templar castle / fort that used to exist right on the sea.... Italy? Or a Grecian island... Hopefully it comes back to me!
Shaina wrote: "When i see that i think of a templar castle / fort that used to exist right on the sea.... Italy? Or a Grecian island... Hopefully it comes back to me!"Krak des Chevaliers in present day Syria came to my mind, but I don't think that's on the sea, so maybe a different one to that you're thinking of?
Oh! That's a good one! The one i am thinking of is right on the water though because they did reconstruction of it w LIDAR.. Maybe it was on Drain the Oceans (seen that show?)
Btw great job without introducing spoilers! I think what Giovanni goes through is something anyone can go through, no matter if you are stationed on the Steppe or somewhere exciting. I have been away and i feel so behind my own ppl... So yeah!
Shaina wrote: "Btw great job without introducing spoilers! I think what Giovanni goes through is something anyone can go through, no matter if you are stationed on the Steppe or somewhere exciting. I have been aw..."Thanks very much Shaina! I think you are right about how we can all identify with the choices that Giovanni faces. It's probably what has made this book into a lasting classic.
Just gonna turn 30 very soon, and your last para strikes home!The ending chapters in the book were quite moving!
Aravindakshan wrote: "Just gonna turn 30 very soon, and your last para strikes home!The ending chapters in the book were quite moving!"
Thanks Aravindakshan. Seize the moment!
At 30 you are half my age, so still plenty of time for you.
I agree with your comment about the last chapters of the book.
Pam wrote: "Sounds very good. Almost Russian."I liked it Pam. An unusual novel.
Great review, Ian! I agree that it's not easy to talk about this novel without spoilers but you succeeded in this task. "The message is too late for anyone at my stage of life."
I felt that the message rather was that it's never too late to try something new even if it may ultimately be a failure.
Nika wrote: "Great review, Ian! I agree that it's not easy to talk about this novel without spoilers but you succeeded in this task. "The message is too late for anyone at my stage of life."
I felt that the me..."
Thank you so much Nika! I've just read your own review.
I think we broadly agree on the book's message, but you've taken a more positive final message than I did, probably because of a more positive outlook!
