Russian novelists, poets and playwrights have made an important contribution to the great, classic literature tradition. The Russian language is a poetic one and the history, politics and landscape have been an inspiration over the years. Many novels have sweeping, epic stories set against the vast backdrop of the country. Russian books have been popular around the world since the 19th century, which came to be known as the Golden Age, due to its prolific production of great works.
The Golden Age was the time of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Gogol and Turgenev. Both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky are often cited as the greatest novelists of all time. Tolstoy's War and Peace and Anna Karenina are often re-visited as films and television series. Tolstoy was a pacifist and gave all his worldly goods away. Pushkin is known for his novel, written in verse, Eugene Onegin. This unusual work is often performed in its opera version, with music by Russian composer, Tchaikovsky. Dostoevsky is mainly known for his novels, The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot and Crime and Punishment. He wrote about the suffering of poor people and was an early dissident, imprisoned by the Tsar for being a member of a liberal organization.
The 20th century was a turbulent time for Russia and politics influenced and dictated the working conditions of writers. Many Russian books were censored or banned during the Soviet regime, particularly when Stalin was leader. Some publications were tolerated but several writers had to write in secret with some of their works being published posthumously. Others continued to work in exile, such as Vladimir Nabokov, who also wrote in the English language and produced the controversial novel, Lolita. Other dissidents gained international reputations, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Boris Pasternak. Pasternak wrote the popular Dr. Zhivago and Solzhenitsyn wrote about life in the brutal labor camps and went into exile. During the leadership of President Khrushhev in the 1960s, the restrictions on Russian books were lessened in contrast to Stalin's time.
Despite the difficulties, the 20th century became known as the Silver Age of Russian books. In addition to the writers who spoke out against the Soviet regime, earlier writers are also held in high regard. Anton Chekhov, author of short stories and plays, just made it into the 20th century, dying in 1904. His plays, such as Uncle Vanya and the Cherry Orchard, are still frequently produced today. Poetry from this era is also critically acclaimed.
|
