1917: Stories and Poems from the Russian Revolution, edited by Boris Dralyuk
Sometimes a book comes along that you just know is going to be perfect for you; and “1917”, just published by Pushkin Press, is certainly the right one for me! It’s no secret here on the Ramblings that I have something of an interest in Russian literature and culture, and this reaches back a long way with me, since I first studied the Russian Revolution at the age of 12 or 13. This engendered my lifelong fascination and so a book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the country’s year of change is something I was quite desperate to read!
1917 was indeed a year of turmoil for Russia, with not one but two revolutions taking place: in February/March the royal family was overthrown and a provisional government put in place; and in October/November the more famous conflict occurred, with Lenin’s Bolsheviks seizing power. This was eventually followed by a bloody civil war which tore the country apart and continued until 1921, when the old guard of the White Army were finally defeated. During the relatively liberal decade that followed, there were many accounts which looked back on the uprisings, but those featured in this excellent book are all between 1917 and 1919 (when the tide really turned in the Civil War, in favour of the Red Army), so they’re from right in the eye of the storm.
Expertly collected (and often translated) by Boris Dralyuk (who also translated the volume of Babel’s “Odessa Stories” I reviewed recently), he’s keen to stress the importance of contemporary reactions to the conflict. The book features an amazing range of authors espousing a variety of viewpoints, and all witnessing the conflict at first hand. Some embraced the revolution, some were horrified and rejected it, but all responded with lyrical passion. The various works are grouped thematically with erudite and informative introductions providing context and the first half of the book concentrates on poetry.
Remember this – this morning, after that black night –
this sun, this polished brass.
Remember what you never dreamt would come to pass
but what had always burned within your heart!(from Russian Revolution by Mikhail Kuzmin
Translated by Boris Dralyuk)
From well-known names like Tsvetaeva, Mandelstam, Pasternak, Esenin and Akhmatova to names new to me like Vladimir Kirillov, Alexey Kraysky and Georgian poet Titsian Tabidze, there’s a wonderful array of work on view here. The marvellous Mayakovsky, often thought of as the poet of the Revolution, earns a section to himself, and his complex reactions to the conflict are covered. But central to the poetry section, and crucial, are Alexander Blok’s two great works “The Twelve” and “The Scythians” – starkly powerful, the former is rendered brilliantly by Dralyuk and Robert Chandler. As someone who sometimes struggles to read collections of poetry, I found this one gripping and absorbing, with such a wonderful range of imagery and human emotion.
The second section is prose – short fictions, journalism and responses from such luminaries as Teffi, Zamyatin, Zoshchenko and the great Bulgakov. I was pleased to see an evocative piece by Kataev which was new to me, a powerful story called “The Drum”. Dralyuk draws on an astonishingly wide range of works, pulling in as many peoples and creeds affected as he can. For example, Dovid Bergelson wrote in Yiddish and his imaginative piece “Scenes from the Revolution” is memorable. Teffi, of course, is her usual pithy, outspoken, no-nonsense self and her pen portrait of Lenin is devastating; her satirical story “The Guillotine” chilling.
And what of my beloved Bulgakov? He closes the book with an early piece entitled “Future Prospects” – his first piece of writing, in fact – which looks ahead with desperate hope. Bulgakov was at the time a White Army supporter and with our benefit of hindsight his optimism seems misguided and tragic – or perhaps born of desperation as the world around him crumbled.
Boris Dralyuk dedicates this collection to the memory of his grandmother, and he does have a very personal connection to the Revolution through his grandparents which you can read more about here. I can’t praise enough the work he’s done compiling and translating this wonderful book; needless to say, “1917” not only lived up to my expectations, it exceeded them. I could simply sit here and churn out superlatives, but that’s not really constructive. This is a book that captures a moment in time when the world was changing, in rich, beautiful and sometimes visceral writing. Tellingly, a character in “The Soul’s Pendulum” by Alexander Grin comments on the perspective of history, and it is this missing perspective that gives the works their immediacy, capturing the chaos and uncertainty of a society in flux. It’s easy for us to look back now, a hundred years on, and see the events of that time as a structured thing, with a beginning and an end; living through them was an entirely different experience, but it’s one that can be glimpsed through the pages of this wonderful collection. “1917” was an entirely absorbing, moving and exceptional read, and it’s definitely going to be high on my list of books of the year.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 07:55:14
I like the picture of the book with flowers & accoutrements
Dec 04, 2016 @ 11:25:22
🙂 I have a little display of Russian objets in my hall so that seemed the perfect place to picture the book!
Dec 04, 2016 @ 08:10:41
This does indeed sounds like the perfect book for you, and I’m glad it exceeded your expectations. The compilation of this collection must have been a very personal and heartfelt project for Dralyuk.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 11:24:51
It was *wonderful*! And yes, the element of Dralyuk’s personal connection with the revolution certainly added poignancy.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 10:29:05
Having just read Figes’s book on the revolution I should probably read this as well. I usually avoid anthologies but you make this sound like a great read.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 11:24:05
This is certainly a good anthology, particularly because it’s limited to a narrow time and place – it certainly gives you a feeling of what it was like to be in the middle of the revolution.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 10:47:47
I can see why this was such a perfect collection for you. I love the idea of all these pieces coming together to capture a moment in time.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 11:23:21
It certainly *was* my ideal book – and it worked so wonderfully, giving a real sense of the chaos and change that was taking place.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 12:39:20
Thank you for telling us about this. I’ve been reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace with a group of people and would like to fill in the world of Russian literature and life for myself. It sounds like this is the sort of book I want — even if about a slightly different period. You perform an important function with your books reviews. I much admire how you can join in with others on these marathons centering on a specific author too.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 17:23:38
Thank you! This is certainly a good book to get the flavour of what it was like in the centre of the whirlwind of the Russian Revolution, and there are some marvellous authors featured.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 14:57:53
Can’t wait to read this! Boris is such a talented translator.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 17:25:39
He is – and also a skilful editor on the evidence here. It’s an excellent selection of works, and I really loved reading authors new to me. Look forward to your thoughts on it! 🙂
Dec 04, 2016 @ 17:54:27
Kaggsy, I’m overwhelmed! Thank you for this infusion of confidence. And, of course, most of the superlatives should be saved for the many brilliant translators who brought these pieces to life in English.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 20:26:47
Very welcome! As a monolinguist I mentally bless translators on almost a daily basis because without you all I wouldn’t be able to read the books I love. And although there were a marvellous collection of people involved in the rendering of these pieces in English (including yourself!), you certainly should be commended for the wonderful choice of works!
Dec 04, 2016 @ 19:54:17
Like you, I’ve long been fascinated by the Russian Revolution so this sounds great, particularly given your praise of its curation.
Dec 04, 2016 @ 20:24:44
It’s definitely a good read, and so brilliantly captures the flavour of what was happening.
Dec 05, 2016 @ 10:47:34
Sounds wonderful! I am happy it proved even better than you expected it to be. 🙂
This kind of anthologies have a distinctive appeal and value, I would say. They are, in their subject and time span, narrow (or wide) enough to give a good understanding of the matter.
Dec 05, 2016 @ 13:43:57
This one certainly captures a moment in time brilliantly – I really did love it!
Dec 05, 2016 @ 20:28:34
Sounds like the choice of authors us stunning.
I’m fond of Matryoshka dolls too.
Dec 05, 2016 @ 21:28:40
It is indeed a wide-ranging and impressive collection – and so many authors new to me! I only have a few little Russian dolls, but I do like them – so evocative!
Dec 06, 2016 @ 08:48:36
I’m glad this exceeded your expectations; how marvellous and apt it sounds.
Dec 06, 2016 @ 13:29:18
It was just perfect for me – and I loved it!
Dec 12, 2016 @ 02:44:45
I’m crazy about Russian lit anthologies and this sounds wonderful! Thanks for the great review.
Dec 12, 2016 @ 11:14:08
Welcome! It’s a good anthology – definitely worth searching out.
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