A Return to Literature

Last Spring I took a class on 19th century Russia literature and I relayed my thoughts on certain works by Gogol, Dostoyevsky, Lermentov, Tolstoy, Chekhov and others. I recently decided to continue my foray in Russia literature focusing on 20th century works. I received a reading from my former professor at WVU and for my first novel I read “Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov. I really enjoyed this work. The premise was fairly brilliant, but I really enjoyed the glimpse provided into Russia after the 1917 Revolution. The characters and locations were all vividly descriptive and poked fun at life in the new Soviet Russia. Bender’s stint as a chess grandmaster is my favorite scene in the novel. Bender is my favorite character in the novel; I really enjoyed the numerous deceptions he used to get through life, to bad he was murdered. Next I plan to read “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov after I finish “Hitler” by Ian Kershaw which though very academic in style is very good, but a bit of a struggle.