I started a new book on my commute and lunch break today, Oblomov by Ivan Goncharev.
The Classics Circuit is going to be doing 19th century Russian literature the end of June into July. Last year or maybe longer, a blogger or bloggers (wish I could remember who! Was it you?) read Oblomov and liked it quite a lot. I had never heard of it before but it sounded good so I put it on my to-read list. I didn’t think much about it until the Russian tour sign up (sign-up closes Friday, May 21st so if you are interested in participating there is still time!). I’ll be in school this summer (my last summer in school, yay!) so looked over the list of possibilities hoping to find a short one so I could participate. I could have done short stories but Chekov didn’t sound appealing nor did any of the others.
My eyes landed on Oblomov. How long is that I wonder? And can I get it on my Kindle? I checked my favorite free book download site and there it was! Even better it was only 169 pages. So doable even with school. I signed up.
Then I realized my Bookman is in the middle of The Count of Monte Cristo on the Kindle and would probably be at it for quite some time. So I decided to get the book from the library. It came in yesterday.
Imagine my surprise to see this huge 440 page book! Wow, I thought, there must be a lot of additional materials in the book to pad it out that much. I looked. A three-page translator’s note, a two-page forward, a ten-page introduction. The rest is all novel. How could this have happened? It’s a recent translation, does the story suddenly have more words than it used to? I checked back on the book download site and discovered buried in the description of the book a note that the free digital version is abridged. Well that explains it.
Sign-up may not have closed yet for the Russian tour but I figured I had better start reading it now otherwise there is a good chance I wouldn’t be finished in time.
So I started reading it on the train this morning. Got through the introduction. I started on the actual novel during my lunch break, sitting in the warm sunshine and cool breeze and occasionally being sprinkled by the fountain in the courtyard. Here is how it begins:
One morning in his apartment in one of those big houses on Gotokhovaya Street, which could have accommodated the whole population of a country town, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov lay in bed.
The reader is given to know pretty quickly that Oblomov does not get out of bed very often. It isn’t that he is unable to get up or is ill, he just prefers to spend his days reclining in peace and quiet. It’s not Proust, but the sentences are often long with lots of clauses so it is somewhat complicated reading. Plus there are the Russian names. So far there are only two characters, Oblomov and his servant Zakhar. I can do those.
I am so far enjoying the book but somehow feel like I should be reclining in my own bed while reading it. That’s what imagination and weekends are for, right?
I sort of envy Oblomov—I have a very hard time doing nothing (which makes having chronic fatigue syndrome frustrating and ironic). I was thinking of re-reading Anna Karenina for the Classics Circuit but not sure I can get it done in time. 817 pages! I guess I still have a day to think about it…
I was bummed that the Classics Circuit majority voted for Imperial rather than early 20th century Russian lit…but am now looking forward to reading everyone else’s reviews, anyway.
Will be curious to see how this new commuter novel goes for you; were you relieved not to have unknowingly stumbled into an abridged version? That’s REALLY abridged, if they took out over half the content!
Emily, Imperial lit was the overwhelming majority, but maybe in the future we’ll make a royal decision to let 20th century Russian lit take center stage! We want to let the second place getters have a chance too!
Oblomov does foreground the problem of the proper conditions for reading a particular book, doesn’t it? Some books should be read sitting outdoors at a café, some on a boulder after a vigorous hike, some in an armchair, some standing in front of a lectern.
If anyone wants a list of short “Imperial” Russian literature, send me a note. There’s a ton, a mountain. For the Circuit, I picked books so short that I’m doing two of them!
Most books give me the feeling I should be reclining (in bed, but anywhere really) to read them
Good luck with Oblomov — I’m certain I read it in university, but I can’t remember a thing about it. I hope you find a way to make commute-reading work for you!
I’ve never heard of this, so I’m drawing up my chair for a ringside seat here as you tell me all about it. But I’m really curious about the abridged version. What did they take out? I’ll bet they were tempted to keep all the action in and cut back on the lying in bed, thus remaining true to Western notions of value while missing the point entirely.
I’ve never heard of this book- but I’ll definitely be adding it to my ‘to be read’ list! As far as Russian literature goes, I only read three authors; Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Chekov so this’ll be an interesting addition!
You’re brave taking Russian lit on the commute. It’s not so much that the names are hard, but that everyone seems to have three different names for use in different social situations. I’m looking forward to the Classics Circuit taking on Russian lit to get an idea of what I should move up the TBR list and what I should knock off.
Sylvia, I kind of envy Oblomov too but at the same time I’m horrified. How can he just lay in bed and do nothing all day? I can’t even sit still and watch a movie without doing something else at the same time. You could read Anna K and ask for a date at the end of the tour. If you start reading now you’d have until mid July. It might end up close but it’s not impossible
Emily, I voted for 20th c Russian as well, but I guess we were overruled! I am rather relieved I didn’t unknowing get the abridged version. And so far the book is working out pretty well. I think the only problem will be the danger of missing my stop!
Amateur Reader, you are right. The book practically begs to be read in a lazy sort of way and it does make you think about the proper conditions for reading certain books. There are short 19th c Russian books? I’m curious to see your list so please do email it to me when you get the chance!
Isabella, LOL, reclining while reading is definitely a favorite book reading method for me too whether it be in bed, on the sofa, or stretched in a chaise in the garden. So far it is going well and by the end I’ll either have bigger muscles from lugging the thing around or back problems
Litlove, hmm, I was thinking you might have been one of the bloggers who had mentioned it! Guess not
I imagine the abridgment does cut out much of the reclining which is most of the book. Oblomov famously doesn’t manage to get out of bed for the first 150 pages.
Lua, I’ve managed only to read the authors you mention plus a story or two by Gogol so this is a new adventure and so far it is a good one!
Great. Another book I have to read …
I heart Russian lit… I hope you enjoy this! Makes me want to pull out Anna again…
Jodie, since I don’t seem to have much reading time at home these days I have little choice. And yeah, the multiple names for one person are beginning to crop up. It’s going to be tricky!
Aspiring Novelist, heh, sorry about that
Daphne, if Oblomov is a success I will perhaps have to try Anna K instead of complaining about having no time to read it at home. Perhaps if I do manage Anna K I can contrive to finish it while standing on a train platform
Never heard of this book so I’m very curious to see how you get on with it. And, thank you for the reminder of the Classics Circuit. I haven’t had very good luck with Russian literature and I’m a bit hesitant to join in but let’s see… I’m tempted.
Let’s see, 817 pages over 8 weeks is… 15 pages a day. Hmm, that might actually be doable. Is it a sign that the book is divided into 8 parts? Hmm…
Oh, I forgot I have to factor in the World Cup. Could be a problem…
Iliana, give in to temptation
Sylvia, you could do 15 pages a day even with the World cup, just read during half time and commercials and time outs while the player is rolling around on the grass pretending like he is hurt
LOL! Hmm, when you put it that way, maybe I could re-read War and Peace too…
This is actually one of the few Russian novels that I have read. I am intimidated by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. I really enjoyed Oblomov, though it is years since I have read it. Part of me envies Oblomov, and part of wants to shake him and make him move.
Oblomov is a book I’ve been wanting to read for a while now, although I don’t know why and I know little about it. But still — I want to read it, so I’m curious to see how you do with it. I like the beginning!
Ed, I totally know what you mean when you say part of admires Oblomov and part of wants to shake him. I am feeling the same way too! Don’t let the giants intimidate you. Crime and Punishment is excellent and quite readable.
Dorothy, I am laughing because when I started reading Oblomov I thought for sure either you or Litlove had actually read and blogged about it and neither of you have read it! My memory is worse than I imagined
I am enjoying the book very much and think you would too.