haroshinka's review against another edition
Chekhov wrote that Gogol "the tsar of the steppe" might be envious. And here, you see Gogol's influence most vividly compared to any other of Chekhov's stuff.
Like "Dead Souls", The Steppe is virtually plotless - like an episodic TV show. Its a string of adventures that have no internal connection. It also, like Dead Souls, is infuriatingly impossible to convey in translation (this is always the case with Russian, but particularly so here). The language is the only way to understand the natural descriptions and the human flimsiness.
Like "Dead Souls", The Steppe is virtually plotless - like an episodic TV show. Its a string of adventures that have no internal connection. It also, like Dead Souls, is infuriatingly impossible to convey in translation (this is always the case with Russian, but particularly so here). The language is the only way to understand the natural descriptions and the human flimsiness.
saraaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Every once in a while, you'll find a book that has not a single flaw to you. I don't give 5 stars lightly, but this one was that book for me. Seeing the world, a journey, from a child's perspective was absolutely delightful and endearing. The steppe and its inhabitants are described with such a poetic and suggestive style, it completely sucks you in from the very first page. The realism succeeds in its accurate depiction of late 1800s' Imperial Russian society, with its peculiarities and its faults, its preconceptions and its genuineness, without ever using the – in my opinion unnecessary – extreme crudeness of other contemporary authors.
chaoticbookgremlin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
dimitrasbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
spiderfly's review against another edition
4.0
It looks like goodreads doesn't have the exact edition that I read. I did read "The Steppe and Other Stories"... the Everyman's Library cloth edition. However, it didn't have the same stories that are listed in the description here. Mine had The Swedish Match, Easter Eve, Mire, On the Road, Verotchaka, Volodya, The Kiss, Sleepy, and The Steppe. It was translated by Constance Garnett.
Some of these stories I've read before, and some were new to me. This was the first time I have read The Steppe, and it was magnificent. The Kiss, Sleepy, and Easter Eve are favorites I've read before. Verotchka was a new one I really liked. The rest were good but not amazing.
Some of these stories I've read before, and some were new to me. This was the first time I have read The Steppe, and it was magnificent. The Kiss, Sleepy, and Easter Eve are favorites I've read before. Verotchka was a new one I really liked. The rest were good but not amazing.
elisabethl's review against another edition
5.0
This was a slow but lovely story, where the beauty of it lies in the limited but expanding consciousness of the boy, Egorushka, travelling across the Steppe and in its depiction of the natural world. The focus on Egorushka highlighted the degree to which a child, particularly one alone amongst adults, must follow the whims and plans of others.
The story also illuminates the power gradations of class and of race/religion. It has a short section of [almost] Oliver Twist level antisemitism when the travelers stop at an inn owned by a Jewish family, which is unpleasant -- but which certainly adds to one's understanding of the prejudices of the time.
The translation of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is beautiful.
The story also illuminates the power gradations of class and of race/religion. It has a short section of [almost] Oliver Twist level antisemitism when the travelers stop at an inn owned by a Jewish family, which is unpleasant -- but which certainly adds to one's understanding of the prejudices of the time.
The translation of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is beautiful.
laviniag's review against another edition
3.0
Insignificant, I know, but my copy - in Romanian translation - has 500+ pages, so it probably contains different or at least more stories.
The Steppe is obviously the best known, the longest and the most acclaimed. I wasn't blown by it; I'm not much of a fan when it comes to describing landscapes, but I enjoyed its lyricism nevertheless.
I preferred A Nervous Breakdown for its implacability and fine portrayal of Vassilyev, plus many other short & funny ones.
The Steppe is obviously the best known, the longest and the most acclaimed. I wasn't blown by it; I'm not much of a fan when it comes to describing landscapes, but I enjoyed its lyricism nevertheless.
I preferred A Nervous Breakdown for its implacability and fine portrayal of Vassilyev, plus many other short & funny ones.
wittenbergman's review against another edition
5.0
Le pongo cinco estrellas por "Una historia aburrida", de lo mejor que he leído en mucho tiempo.
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