Russian literature is my Roman Empire. I think about it at the very least once each day. The majority of this time is spent pondering Dostoevsky and how he could possibly have entered my brain and beautifully strung together everything that transpires within it. But I’ll leave the topic of Dostoevsky for another day because I could write about him endlessly (and trust me, I will). But right now, I want to share some of my tips for reading Russian literature for anyone who is looking to get into Russian literature or has tried diving into it but struggled.
Get the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky Translation
I’ve read both Larissa Volokhonsky and David Pevear’s translations of Russian novels as well as other translators’ versions and, although I don’t know Russian so I can’t say how much closer it actually is to the original text, I always find Volokhonsky and Pevear’s versions superior. The priors’ interpretations are significantly clearer and are noticeably more occupied with preserving the text’s actual meaning rather than purely finding an exact translation from Russian. The other translations are still good, don’t get me wrong, but if you can, I would strongly recommend purchasing the Larissa Volokhosky and David Pevear translation of whatever novel you are looking to acquire if it exists.
Split lengthy novels into multiple sections
Many Russian novels are long—and when I say long, I mean long—700-1000+ pages in length. This sizable length can be daunting and may discourage you from even attempting to pick up a Russian novel (this length-induced anxiety is the reason I repeatedly shy away from reading War and Peace) but there is a way to make these novels feel less lengthy: mentally splitting them into multiple sections. If you have a book that’s, say, 800 pages, divide it into installments of three or four and treat each installment like a separate book that comprises a greater series. That way, you only have to think about reading each small section at a time, rather than worrying about the entire 800 pages at once. If you’re skeptical about this approach, think about a book series you have read—if you add up the length of each book in the series, how many pages would there be in total? Depending upon the series, probably even more than 800 pages. So, you can do it! Just trick your brain to get over that initial mental hurdle, and your prior reservations will melt away.
Read the Introductions
At the beginning of Penguin Classics books—at least all of the ones I’ve read—there is a short introduction that provides information on the author, their works, and perhaps some pertinent historical events. These introductions are always very interesting and help the reader to better comprehend the significance of the novel and the impact it had on the society in which it was written, providing a deeper, more complex understanding of the text.
keep a list with the characters’ names
There are many characters in Russian novels and each of them has long, complicated names that are difficult to pronounce for non-Russian speakers. Additionally, many characters have nicknames or are sometimes referred to according to their position, so it is extremely helpful to create a list of characters’ names that includes their real name along with any other titles they may bear.
Practice pronouncing names
Believe me when I say I understand how tempting it is to skip over those long, difficult-to-pronounce Russian names when you come across them, but trust me, that will only hurt you in the long run. If you pass over a character’s name every time you encounter it, you’re never going to remember it and, consequently, you won’t be able to follow the plot very easily, resulting in you having to constantly flip back and forth between pages to find which name belongs to which character and what events precipitated the current situation. Instead, when you find those names, practice pronouncing them—either in your head or out loud—so that you are better able to both remember and say them. When you do this, you actually learn who the characters are and can reference them, rather than mentally calling them vague names such as, “That guy whose name starts with I,” or simply spouting a random string of gibberish that sort of sounds like the name upon first glance.
Take your time learning to pronounce these names! They’re not easy to learn. Even after you practice pronouncing them it may still take you some time to really remember them all, so be patient.
Don’t ignore the translation indicators
Every now and then, you’ll come across a small number hovering above a word, like an exponent on a variable, which indicates that there is a note in the back of the book explaining the meaning of a particular word/phrase that may be unfamiliar to the reader. Do not ignore these indicators—they are extremely important for following the plot and for understanding the significance of what the author is writing. I know it can be annoying to have to flip to the back of the book every time you come across a translation indicator, but it’s worth it. To make it easier to find the translation page, keep a separate bookmark/sticky tab on the specific page you left off on so you’re not wasting time and patience flipping back and forth trying to find the particular word/phrase you’re looking to have explained.
Annotate
Anytime anyone sees me annotating a book that I’m reading for myself I am almost always asked, “Why are you annotating if you don’t have to?” This question is not surprising. After years of English teachers forcing their students to diligently annotate novels they are required to read, it’s no wonder so many cringe when they even think of annotating. However, annotating is extremely helpful. You might be privately disagreeing as you read this, recalling the countless times you scribbled down random, perhaps nonsensical notes or remarks just to get a grade. Let me clarify; annotating in a manner that helps you is extremely beneficial; annotating purely for the sake of annotating is not. For me, annotating allows me to not only mentally but physically engage with the text, personalize the experience of reading, and make it more intimate. A book without annotations seems naked and impersonal to me. It is an exciting journey that has yet to be undergone, an entire world that is unknown and waiting to be discovered.
Annotating is helpful when reading any book, but especially for books with names that are translated from other languages and have lots of characters, like Russian novels. I always find it beneficial to underline/circle/highlight any new name just so that, if I forget the name later on, it is easier for me to find where the narrator first introduced the character so I can jog my memory.
Dead Souls and Faust
Dead Souls
Reading Nikolai Gogol’s novel, Dead Souls, is not necessary for starting Russian literature–I did not initiate my journey into Russian literature with Dead Souls—however, now, after having read a number of Russian novels, I can say it would be very helpful to begin with this novel. Dead Souls is alluded to in some way at least once in almost all of the Russian novels I’ve read, whether it be a reference to a character or a prominent metaphor. The translators do provide explanations of words, phrases, allusions, events, etc. which they anticipate the reader may not be familiar with, so, if you do not read Dead Souls, you won’t entirely miss the references. However, after reading Dead Souls, I will say you are better able to understand and appreciate the references to the text once you know the significance of the reference and the context in which it originated. So, overall, reading Dead Souls is helpful, but not reading it isn’t necessarily harmful, either.
Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play, Faust, is another repeatedly referenced work in Russian literature—it is probably alluded to with about the same frequency as Dead Souls. I myself have never read Faust and, honestly, I don’t plan to. However, I have read a few summaries of the play, which is extremely beneficial to understanding the allusions to the text because, with no knowledge of the legend, the references are difficult to interpret.