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Title: Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin, Ronald Wilks, John Bayley ISBN: 0-14-044675-3 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: 19th century Russian Lit begins here
Comment: This small collection of Pushkin's prose writings presents an admirable sample of the diversity of subject matter of the man considered to be the first great Russian writer whose reputation transcended national boundaries. But Pushkin constantly reminds us that in no way is he a pioneer -- one of the most remarkable things these stories display is their author's reverent awareness of his lesser-known antecedents, effectively providing a chronological and artistic link with obscure names from the Russian and other European bodies of literature.

The "Tales of Belkin" sacrifice realism for plot devices that are either dramatic (a revisited duel in "The Shot," a repentant Prodigal Daughter in "The Postmaster"), contrived (mistaken identity in "The Blizzard," impersonation in "The Squire's Daughter"), or grotesque (a reveling coffin builder gets what he asks for in "The Undertaker"). These stories are clearly among the roots of the genre that was later to be embellished stylishly by the likes of Chekhov and Maupassant.

The "History" chronicling the strange customs of the village of Goryukhino is fashioned so wryly and whimsically, its effect so subtly humorous, that one wonders about the seriousness of Pushkin's intent. "Kirdzhali" is a concise but meaty tale of a rogue warrior and escape artist, while "Egyptian Nights" tells of an Italian balladeer in St. Petersburg desperately in search of an audience.

But the supreme achievement in this collection is "A Journey to Arzrum," in which Pushkin describes his passage from Moscow south through the Caucasus and Georgia towards Turkey during the 1829 war between the latter country and Russia. Replete with anecdotes involving the inhabitants of and the travelers through these exotic, isolated regions, the architecture of the cities, and the wonders of the scenery, the "Journey" is journalistic adventure writing at its finest.

Pushkin finishes his picaresque memoir on a decidedly unheroic note, however, when on his return journey he happens to see an insultingly negative review of one of his published poems in a Russian periodical. As his momentary vexation turns to sarcastic laughter, he confirms a sense of humor and humility that, however uncharacteristic it may seem for a young Russian writer of his day, is thoroughly apparent in his personality as a storyteller.

Rating: 4
Summary: Belkin is brief
Comment: For those of us who can't read Pushkin in Russian, his prose might be more rewarding than his poetry, where the essence is so difficult to translate. However, Pushkin's "Tales of Belkin" read like the whipped up improvisations of a virtuoso, rather than the carefully crafted Onegin or Godunov. By the end of his Tales, he so tires of his own device that he implores, "Readers will spare me the unnecessary duty of describing the denouement."

That being said, the Belkin stories are delightful. Each story revolves around a mistaken or hidden identity. The narratives are so swiftly paced that they could be considered page-turners if there were more pages to turn.