I begin this blog with a posting on words of note from Russia. I recently joined the Russian Reading Challenge 2008. In this challenge, you agree to read four books written by Russian authors or about Russia itself. That could be anything from Peter the Great to Nicholas and Alexandra. From Dostoevsky and Chekhov to Tolstoy and Pushkin. The challenge began on January 1, but I’m coming to it rather late. You may think four books should be easy to finish by December 31, but Russian literature tends to be as expansive as the country itself. My four choices consist of (with the caveat that I can change my selections at any time):
War and Peace – Tolstoy
A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924 – Orlando Figes
Crime and Punishment – Dostoevsky
Krushchev: The Man and His Era – William Taubman
Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I’ve been with Russia over the last few years. Whether or not I’ll be able to finish these classics, especially with so many other things to read, remains to be seen. Wish me luck.
