TARAS BULBA (Spanish Edition) [Kindle Edition]

Nikolai Golgol's historical novel tells the story of a late sixteenth century Zaporozhian Cossack commander and his two sons. It is set in what is now Eastern Ukraine, an area that was then on the fringes of the Polish Empire. Taras Bulba, with the help of his sons, instigates a revolt against the Poles. Part of the old man's motivation is to ensure the survival of a warrior tradition in his people, and, more particularly, his sons. The narrative is drenched in the blood that flows from this decision. The prose has a simple, mythic quality that lifts it above the specific time and place of the narrative. This short, but epic, story gives us an insight into the mythology of Russia.

We see the consequences of Taras Bulba's obsession with his warrior's craft, when, on a rare visit to his home, his wife begs to be allowed some more time with her sons. Bulba disregards her wishes and the three set out on their campaign, leaving her weeping in their wake. In this scene, Gogol brilliantly encapsulates the irreconcilable tensions between a settled family life and his protagonist's desire for military glory. The Cossack Brotherhood is an all-male society, unmoderated by the influence of women. Later, the father and his sons spend time in an extraordinary warrior encampment, where itinerant Cossacks can meet and swap stories of their latest campaigns. The battle scenes in Taras Bulba do not stint from showing the terrible savagery of the fighting. The cost of the Cossacks' pride is a staggeringly high death toll for the Brotherhood.

A major theme of the book is the need to choose between love for a woman and loyalty to one's comrades. One of Bulba's sons falls in love with a Polish noblewoman and changes sides. Bulba's merciless sense of honour compels him to take revenge on his own son.

The book also gives an insight into the marginalised lives of Eastern European Jews. Despite their vital role in commerce, they are spurned and persecuted by the Cossacks. Yet it is Yenkel, a Jewish trader, who leads Bulba, at great risk, to visit his second son, who has been captured by the Polish enemy.

I would recommend this book to anyone. The grand themes of the narrative transcend its historical and cultural setting. For those interested in the origins of the Russian character, it holds great riches.

Review by Tony Judge, author of Sirocco Express and The Whole Rotten Edifice.

TARAS BULBA provides a vivid portrayal of the Cossacks and their way of life before the modern times than any other novel we can think of. Centered on the Zaphorizhian Cossacks of Eastern Ukraine, the story deals with a father who in a bid to initiate his sons into the Cossack military way of life abandons his semi-retirement and rouses the passions of his people to confront the Polish overlords who were subjugating them. Fast flowing, deep and expressive without wasting time on sublimities Gogol took us into a journey of Cossack wars that introduces us to their values, way of life, and colorful traditions. Unfortunately, Taras Bulba's warpath causes the loss of his favorite son who chose to rescue the Polish woman she loved, whose city was under siege by the troops his father was leading. TARAS BULBA is one of the many Russian stories such as UNION MOUJIK, KARAMAZOV BROTHERS, and PUTIN'S RUSSIA that provide a magnificent insight into the large Russian psyche.

This violent folktale of the Ukrainian Cossacks is a story of unremitting tribal loyalty.It maybe a short page turner of a book but it leaves a lasting impression.The Cossacks come accross as the Spartans of the steppes whose greatest honour is to serve and die for the Cossack cause,whatever that may be at the time.