Subject
Russian best-novels-of-the-century list (fwd)
Date
Body
This is from one of my students who is in Moscow right now. Nabokov did
make the cut -- but only at #12. At #1 is, alas, Sholokhov, whose
authorship of _Tikhii Don_ (Quiet Flows the Don) has been in great doubt.
In general, it's an odd combination of Soviet classics, many of them
very mediocre in terms of writing, like Ostrovskii's _How the Steel Was
Tempered_ (#6) and Fadeev's _The Young Guard_ (#8), and immeasurably
superior works, like _Lolita_, Platonov's _Chevengur_ (#18), Ilf and
Petrov's _12 Chairs_ (#4), Bulgakov's _Master and Margarita_ (#3). And,
yes, Pasternak's _Dr. Zhivago_ (#9) is here ahead of _Lolita_... Nabokov,
on the other hand, has the distinction of being the only emigre writer
included.
Galya Diment
************
Also thought you might be interested in this:
Probably keeping in line with the innumerable lists of "the best of the
20th century" at home, newspapers here are publishing all
sorts of "best of" and "top ten" lists.
Anyway, the Moskovskii Komsomoletz published best Novels of the 20th
century survey.
20. Privychnoye Delo Belov, Vasilii
19. Zvesdnyi Bilet Aksenov, Vasilii
18. Chevengur Platonov, Andrei
17. Dom Na Naberezhnoi Trifonov, Yurii
16. Sandro iz Chegema Iskander, Fasil
15. Moskva - Petushki Erofyeev, Venedikt
14. Zhizn' i Sud'ba Grossman, Vasilii
13. Odin Den' Ivana Denisovicha Solzhenitzyn, Alexander
12. Lolita Nabokov, Vladimir
11. Slovo i Delo Pikul', Valentin
10. Russkii Les Leonov, Leonid
9. Doktor Zhivago Pasternak, Boris
8. Molodaya Gvardiya Fadyeev, Alexander
7. Deti Arbata Rybakov, Anatolii
6. Kak Zakalyalas' Stal' Ostrovskii, Nikolai
5. Zhivye I Myortvye Simonov, Konstantin
4. Dvenadzat' Stul'ev Il'f / Petrov
3. Master & Margarita Bugalkov, Mikhail
2.Vechnyi Zov Ivanov, Anatolii
1. Tikhii Don Sholokhov, Mikhail