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MihaElla 's Reviews > Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba
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Well? I am, or better said I was, distressed to find how far I, that is myself, had been led along the dusty, beaten track of this savage tale. Historically blended, though with not enough yoghurt, water and salt (view spoiler), I had felt constantly wanted to turn it aside, yet I hadn’t done it, instead I had plunged beneath the surface and, o lord, what had I discovered. Horrific events!
Taras Bulba, the chief male character and leading the narrative flow in all senses, seems to have been on the look out of those opportunities that we hear about and read about in exceptional novels and biographies! He is always on the watch to take advantage of any opening that may present itself � for experiences and sensations, in a word adventures � but only if it’s about war-related!
The story has reminded me of two wonderful works that I have greatly enjoyed, one is Hadji Murat by Leo Tolstoy, and the other is The Captain's Daughter: And A History of Pugachov by Alexander Pushkin. Of course, I am not interested in comparing, contrasting, seizing the strong points, the weak points, the point of view of each 😊 The value of each is undisputable on its own. Still, I haven’t enjoyed Gogol’s work as much as the other two � Just because of Taras Bulba! Awful character. The greatest apostle of war! Too free, too frank, too cruel! Everything is superficial to him except fighting in battles.
I feel that this novella, or rather short novel, brings on the reader that knowledge that leaves a trace—that leaves strange scars, stains and reveries behind it. It might shock, perhaps even frighten some. That is to say that I am purely subjective 😉
Taras Bulba, the chief male character and leading the narrative flow in all senses, seems to have been on the look out of those opportunities that we hear about and read about in exceptional novels and biographies! He is always on the watch to take advantage of any opening that may present itself � for experiences and sensations, in a word adventures � but only if it’s about war-related!
The story has reminded me of two wonderful works that I have greatly enjoyed, one is Hadji Murat by Leo Tolstoy, and the other is The Captain's Daughter: And A History of Pugachov by Alexander Pushkin. Of course, I am not interested in comparing, contrasting, seizing the strong points, the weak points, the point of view of each 😊 The value of each is undisputable on its own. Still, I haven’t enjoyed Gogol’s work as much as the other two � Just because of Taras Bulba! Awful character. The greatest apostle of war! Too free, too frank, too cruel! Everything is superficial to him except fighting in battles.
I feel that this novella, or rather short novel, brings on the reader that knowledge that leaves a trace—that leaves strange scars, stains and reveries behind it. It might shock, perhaps even frighten some. That is to say that I am purely subjective 😉
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Reading Progress
January 27, 2024
–
Started Reading
January 27, 2024
– Shelved
January 27, 2024
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1.32%
"You are a gabbler! said Bulba. Don't listen to your mother, my lad; she is a woman,& knows nothing. What sort of petting do you need? A clear field & a good horse, that's the kind of petting for you. & do you see this sword? that's your mother! All the rest people stuff your heads with is rubbish; the academy,books,primers,philosophy,& all that, I spit upon it all! Here Bulba added a word which is not used in print."
page
3
January 27, 2024
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2.19%
"Come, clink your glasses.How now?Is the brandy good?What's corn-brandy in Latin? The Latins were stupid: they did not know there was such a thing in the world as corn-brandy.What was the name of the man who wrote Latin verses? I don't know much about reading and writing,so I don't quite know.Wasn't it Horace?
What a dad! thought the elder son Ostap. The old dog knows everything, but he always pretends the contrary."
page
5
What a dad! thought the elder son Ostap. The old dog knows everything, but he always pretends the contrary."
January 31, 2024
–
Finished Reading
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Mark
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Jan 31, 2024 07:35AM
Those Russians! >)
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Mark wrote: "Those Russians! >)"lol 😃 😃 😃
I miss my Russian days. The 19th century Russkies were quite the find, one joy leading to another, as you are discovering now. Your review brought some of that back for me. Thanks!
Ken wrote: "I miss my Russian days. The 19th century Russkies were quite the find, one joy leading to another, as you are discovering now. Your review brought some of that back for me. Thanks!"Thanks so much Ken for your lovely comment! I am sure I do understand very well your view on those 19th century Russkies :) My latest reads have kept me in those far away times and, despite thinking it exceedingly odd (or foreign), still the majority of those works are remarkably well written and worthy of any effort and time spent reading it. Those Russians were immensely clever..
As far as war goes, with a capital W, you could also read Sienkievicz. He seemed to thrive on writing about it too.
