tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post6540726580540342881..comments2024-03-08T03:18:48.591-05:00Comments on Lotus Reads: The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif BatumanLotus Readshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-86191801935177766482011-03-01T05:38:41.024-05:002011-03-01T05:38:41.024-05:00Thank you! I've decided to go for it. Fingers ...Thank you! I've decided to go for it. Fingers crossed I like it :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698068501004755678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-91399945105134461852011-02-21T16:06:17.582-05:002011-02-21T16:06:17.582-05:00Hi Jackie! No, I don't think you need to have...Hi Jackie! No, I don't think you need to have read any of the Russian greats to enjoy this one! It will, however, leave you with a burning desire to go out and buy Tolstoy, Pushkin etc. when you're done with the book! :) It's a most enjoyable read, I am quite sure you will love it. Do let me know what you decide.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-20554746053570093162011-02-21T14:44:56.562-05:002011-02-21T14:44:56.562-05:00I've just been offered this book for review an...I've just been offered this book for review and it sounds fantastic! The only problem is that I haven't read any of the Russian greats yet. Would this book be wasted on me? Will I miss out on a lot of the important references or will there still be enough for me to enjoy?<br /><br />I hope you can help me! Thank you!!<br />JackieAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698068501004755678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-27496168132701058282010-05-04T07:23:29.745-04:002010-05-04T07:23:29.745-04:00Hahaha, Chitts, it's true! I read Anna Kareni...Hahaha, Chitts, it's true! I read Anna Karenina more out of convenience than choice (at that time), but it certainly did encourage my love of the classics! After reading "The Possessed" I feel so compelled to go back and read a few more Russian notable books....just wish I had more time. *sigh*Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-12845824295551688092010-05-04T07:21:19.553-04:002010-05-04T07:21:19.553-04:00Hello Sanj!!!
I was wondering if you had seen ...Hello Sanj!!!<br /><br />I was wondering if you had seen 'The Last Station'. Batuman devotes a whole chapter to Tolstoy in this book and she does describe, with quite a fair bit of detail too, his last few days. I am now very tempted to get myself a copy of "The Last Station" simply to see if the details match! :)Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-87160175632376229162010-05-03T12:24:29.079-04:002010-05-03T12:24:29.079-04:00Lotus, This sounds like a great book. I love the w...Lotus, This sounds like a great book. I love the way you had personalized the review with snippets from your teen hood. I can't believe you read 'Anna Karenina' at such a young age. No wonder you grew up to be such a 'bibliomaniac' :)Happy Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05170475118277864013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-6561478949662236962010-05-01T07:55:52.587-04:002010-05-01T07:55:52.587-04:00Wonderful review of what happens to be a most fasc...Wonderful review of what happens to be a most fascinating book. I am truly impressed by how much you read and how eclectic your reads are. Add one more to that list.<br />I have not read this book, but have read Elif Batuman's wonderful piece in the New Yorker on Musa Dağdeviren a Turkish chef, who is heading a project to "document, restore, recreate, and reinvent Turkish food culture".<br />Here is a link to the article -> http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/04/19/100419fa_fact_batuman<br />I think you will notice her eye for detail here too.<br />I have hardly read any Russian lit, but I loved the perspective Batuman took about Russian literature. I sometimes think people get too caught up in the academic discussion and dissection and there are always other stories to be told.<br />Have a question, does Elif comment about or did she observe any generational or differences in the younger generations approach to classic lit esp since this is post USSR?<br />I did enjoy "The Last Station" as a movie due to the story and performances, but it was more to do with Tolstoy's personal struggles with trying to balance fame and wealth and about the later stages of his life. <br />But I digress, truly enjoyed reading your review.karmichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973922761187532706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-7585921303209389122010-04-29T18:10:23.779-04:002010-04-29T18:10:23.779-04:00Ang, have you seen the movie? Or how about the re...Ang, have you seen the movie? Or how about the recent movie on Tolstoy, "The Last Station"?Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-69202954808280490092010-04-29T15:47:46.058-04:002010-04-29T15:47:46.058-04:00I loved Anna Karenina as well. I wanted to move t...I loved Anna Karenina as well. I wanted to move to Russia after reading that book!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517218658953992674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-56334416559163537272010-04-25T18:39:18.958-04:002010-04-25T18:39:18.958-04:00Hi Leela!
Thank you so much for your comment! Yo...Hi Leela!<br /><br />Thank you so much for your comment! You're absolutely right about characters in Russian lit, having a lot of names. To start of many of them are addressed by their given names and then suddenly the author will take to calling them by their nicknames (without warning) and it leaves you floundering! lolol<br /><br />I must have been 15 when I read Anna Karenina and it was sooooo romantic and sad, I knew I had to read more! Russian kids read Tolstoy much younger. I think they're 9 or 10 when they are introduced to these classics in school.<br /><br /> Chekhov was always appealing, like you, I loved "Uncle Vanya" and I also liked "The Shooting Party" which read like an Agatha Christie mystery.<br /><br />I remember Yuri Olesha's "Three Fat Men" and then I read "Envy" when I was a little older.<br /><br />And how could I forget Pavel Bazhov's "Malachite Casket"? I would love to read that book again some day!<br /><br />Leela, the only reason I read so much Russian lit is because their government subsidized books and one could pick up 3-4 books from the bookstore of a Russian Embassy for the price of one picked up elsewhere.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-30050767933027051752010-04-25T17:55:28.700-04:002010-04-25T17:55:28.700-04:00@Nikolas ~ Thank you for visiting my blog and if ...@Nikolas ~ Thank you for visiting my blog and if you do find your way here again, I'd love to know what in particular you enjoyed about the book. I looked for a review on your blog but couldn't find any.<br /><br />@Juhi ~ You will love it! I am re-reading it, just to make sure I didn't miss anything and enjoying it just as much the second time around! :)Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-9128686945836801862010-04-25T17:53:06.921-04:002010-04-25T17:53:06.921-04:00Hi Suse!
Thank you so much for your comment! You...Hi Suse!<br /><br />Thank you so much for your comment! You know, I thought of you while reading this book because it is such a perfect example of a literary journey and I know how much you love those!!!<br /><br /> And yes, Batuman has such a goofy way of describing things that its refreshingly different and oh so charming. I truly enjoyed this read. Also, this book abounds with literary references - some books I have read, most I have not - and I was busy jotting down the titles hoping to get to them when I go through a classical book phase again.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-63897793046576729382010-04-25T12:39:37.214-04:002010-04-25T12:39:37.214-04:00I am impressed that you read Anna Karenina as a yo...I am impressed that you read Anna Karenina as a young girl Angie. You've done a great job with the review of this book and at least for the humour some of us might pick it up and read it. I find Russian lit hard to read as there are so many names used for the characters but once you persist it is richly rewarding( must confess I 've not read that many) Solzhenitsyn's'One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovitch' was superb.The classics like Dostoevsky, Pushkin etc needs time and effort.Chekove maybe the easiest(loved Uncle Vanya)Now if we could all wrangle a travel grant for researching book which country would we choose? That would be an interesting survey,right?Thank you again for such a lovely insight into a fascinating book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-59226008508986116542010-04-25T10:55:18.040-04:002010-04-25T10:55:18.040-04:00I loved your review - I am ordering this book righ...I loved your review - I am ordering this book right away.Juhihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14514527012014297909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-36739554226150033752010-04-24T08:55:46.641-04:002010-04-24T08:55:46.641-04:00Wonderful Book!Wonderful Book!Nikolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827396636090813493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-76566377031321312392010-04-24T06:03:17.614-04:002010-04-24T06:03:17.614-04:00Hi Angie,
Loved the crafting of this article espe...Hi Angie,<br /><br />Loved the crafting of this article especially with the personal anecdote on your mum and the embassy that was refreshing. It adds on a heartwarming personal touch.<br />Also enjoyed the peppering of varied names that counted for Russian literature and the lighthearted tone that probably fits in superbly with the book. xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-64528148195432875522010-04-24T00:35:20.644-04:002010-04-24T00:35:20.644-04:00Booklover, thank you for your invitation to post s...Booklover, thank you for your invitation to post some of my reviews on your blog. As with most people that do write-ups on books, I have some inspired reviews, some average ones and some mediocre ones too. If you spy a couple you would like to see on your blog let me know and I'd be willing to share. Thanks!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-33317404239239802002010-04-24T00:32:01.510-04:002010-04-24T00:32:01.510-04:00Booklover, thank you! I don't know if I did m...Booklover, thank you! I don't know if I did much justice to this book. It certainly was a very joyful book but I'm not sure I really managed to convey that in the review, but thanks for reading!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-14427503796501042552010-04-23T22:51:48.688-04:002010-04-23T22:51:48.688-04:00I loved your takeaway last lines from the book :)
...I loved your takeaway last lines from the book :)<br /><br />Booklover from <a href="http://bookreviews.bookrack.in" rel="nofollow">Book Reviews</a>Bookloverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06663722686944644570noreply@blogger.com