- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Random House Inc; 2004 Modern Library Ed edition (4 Nov 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0679642919
- ISBN-13: 978-0679642916
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13.7 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,379,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Cossacks [with Biographical Introduction]
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Product Description
Review
When you think of Tolstoy, you most likely think of his epic novels, like Anna Karenina or War and Peace. You probably don't think of his shorter pieces like The Cossacks, a shorter novella that is considered to be the author's autobiography. The book centers around an unhappy Muscovite nobleman named Dmitri Olénin who joins the army in search of adventure and purpose in his life. He winds up in the Caucasus and is intrigued by the geography and the simple people who live there. Along the way, he discovers himself and falls in love for the first time, and in turn discovers the pain love can bring. We meet a cast of characters that includes the manly Cossack soldier Lukashka, the beautiful Cossack girl Maryanka, and the larger-than-life grandfather figure, Uncle Yeroshka, each of who play an important role in the life education of Olénin. Since this has always been one of my favorite books, I was curious to see how it translated into the audiobook format. The voice work is done by Jonathan Oliver, an English actor who has over a decade of experience reading audiobooks for the blind. At first, I was a little thrown by his English accent, as I know many Russians personally, and I always lent a Russian accent to The Cossacks characters in my mind. But as the story progressed, I got used to Oliver's accent and it became very natural sounding, as he took on the life of the characters. He also did a wonderful job of changing out his vocal style as each different character spoke, making it easy to tell who was speaking as the conversations took place. I especially liked his portrayal of Uncle Yeroshka, the colorful old man of the Cossack village who takes Olénin under his wing. Oliver's voice bellows and rings out with intensity, bringing the character to life in incredible fashion. Oliver is obviously very familiar with the story as well as Tolstoy in general, and he adds touches here and there to make the story even more special. For example, he reads the descriptive sections with the same enthusiasm as the speaking roles, painting a perfect picture of the Cossack village and the activities of its inhabitants as they go about daily life. He also sings their songs with a convincing air, staying in character the whole time. As far as classic literature goes, this one is an easy listen. It is not too long, and the story moves quickly, filled with adventure and a touch of innocent romance. Plus, it is a great introduction to Tolstoy without getting lost in the epic length of some of his other works. Highly recommended. --MISH MASH, http://mishmashmusic.blogspot.com/
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Product Description
“Tolstoy’s lavish and always graphic use of detail,” wrote John Bayley, “together of course with its romance and exotic setting . . . has made The Cossacks the most popular of all his works.” This vibrant new translation of Tolstoy’s 1862 novel, by PEN Translation Award winner Peter Constantine, is the author’s semiautobiographical depiction of young Olenin, a wealthy, disaffected Muscovite, who joins the Russian army and travels to the untamed frontier of the Caucasus in search of a more authentic life. Quartered with his regiment in a Cossack village, Olenin revels in the glories of nature and the rough strength of the Cossacks and Chechens. Smitten by his unrequited love for a local girl, Maryanka, Olenin has a profound but ultimately short-lived spiritual awakening. Try as he might to assimilate, he remains an awkward outsider and his long search for a more enlightened and purposeful existence comes to naught.
With the philosophical insight that would characterize Tolstoy’s later masterpieces, this long overdue major new translation is a revelation.
With the philosophical insight that would characterize Tolstoy’s later masterpieces, this long overdue major new translation is a revelation.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After reading Tolstoy's "The Cossacks", Virginia Woolf wrote of the 'shock' of his 'genius' . . . and found it 'hard to imagine that he can ever be surpassed.' I also experienced a shock. This was the shock of finding the perfect short novel. A perfect love story, a perfect adventure. It now glows in my brain cell as a memory of perfection. I cannot believe that such prose can exist in the world.
The Maude's translation is excellent - they were Tolstoy's chosen translators. Purchasing this book as an Everyman hardback is recommended. You will want to keep it for a lifetime and give it pride of place on your bookshelf.
Everyman also produce a lengthy, two volume, edition of his shorter works, but without "The Cossacks". It contains several short novels that are close to "The Cossacks" in standard.
If you haven't read Tolstoy yet, try "the Cossacks" first. It demonstrates Tolstoy's mastery in a transparently approachable format. It is the finest of hors d'oeuvres to savour before tackling War & Peace or Anna Karenina.
The Maude's translation is excellent - they were Tolstoy's chosen translators. Purchasing this book as an Everyman hardback is recommended. You will want to keep it for a lifetime and give it pride of place on your bookshelf.
Everyman also produce a lengthy, two volume, edition of his shorter works, but without "The Cossacks". It contains several short novels that are close to "The Cossacks" in standard.
If you haven't read Tolstoy yet, try "the Cossacks" first. It demonstrates Tolstoy's mastery in a transparently approachable format. It is the finest of hors d'oeuvres to savour before tackling War & Peace or Anna Karenina.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
The brilliant story of a young Russian nobleman seeking happiness amongst the peasantry of the Caucasus
31 Dec 2006
Format:Hardcover
The novella focuses on the character of Olenin, a young,wealthy and extremely likeable Russian soldier, who abandons his hedonistic Muscovite lifestyle in order to serve with the Russian army in the Caucasus. Throughout much of the story Olenin maintains a grandiose perception of his surroundings and naively dreams of forging a life for himself amongst the native Cossacks. The character intentionally marginalizes himself from his Russian military counterparts and attempts to become immersed within Cossack culture by hunting with,and bestowing gifts upon, local villagers; he even proposes to a local Cossack girl. The inherently flawed nature of Olenin's dream is what makes Tolstoy's story so brilliant.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Tolstoi's first novel and acknowledged as one of his best shorter novels, overshadowed by the likes of the mammoth epic War and Peace and the quintessential 19th century tale of adultery Anna Karenina.
In The Cossacks, Tolstoi provides a rich and vivid description with meticulous detail of Cossack appearance, everyday life, and its society, showing its warmth and unity all set against the backdrop of the Caucasus. And in true Tolstoi fashion it deals with matters of the human heart, the author's abilities to present and translate the intangible feelings and transfer them to print has long been acknowledged as one of his gifts. We are shown Olyénin's yearning for Maryánushka and his feelings of futility towards the betrothed maiden coupled with the universal indecisiveness that exists within us all and the inner struggle of human nature. He yearns for but lacks the strength even to approach her, only watching from afar, feeling worthless against her and at the same fighting a conflict within him to acknowledge his feelings. Each character is well developed, embodying human shortcomings and the disappointments of real life (we never get what we want). We see the young arrogance of Lushkashka, the snobbery of Vasílyevitch and the old sage Cossack 'uncle' Yeroshka with his stubborn old ways. All of this we are invited to watch by the author without prejudice, for Tolstoi writes without judging.
The theme of "love for all" that runs through so many of Tolstoi's books is by no means absent here, with a love triangle between Olyénin, Maryánushka and Lushkashka. Olyénin is willing to abandon his philosophy of self renunciation for Maryánushka, he as an outsider desperately wanting to be integrated and accepted into this society. And in surrendering to his feelings would go against Cossack tradition and run the risk of being ostracised with Maryánushka, a theme explored more in depth in his later work Anna Karenina.
Tolstoi served as a yunker (Olyénin is also one) in the Caucasus in 1851, there he met the Cossacks and later becoming the subject of this book, their simplicity of life used as a comparison to the decadence of Russian society. The character Olyénin is a reflection of his own quest for happiness through self sacrifice and self renunciation, trying to escape the shallow empty meaningless existence of a Russian gentleman in Moscow society.
In conclusion, this book provides a rich and lush description based upon his encounter. The characters are human, flawed, rounded and real with depth, this is what he does best, his favoured themes such as the complexity of love, finding true happiness through a simple existence and the shunning of the aristocratic society are all included, this will not disappoint his followers.
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