Novellen

Nikolai Semyonovich LeskovProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 336K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Novellen by N. S. LeskovAuthor: Leskov, N. S. (Nikolai Semenovich), 1831-1895,Language: German, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jun 7, 2015

Editor's review

This is a German-language collection of stories by the Russian writer Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov. Leskov is known for his oral storytelling manner and vivid colloquial style, and he excelled at reflecting Russian social life through the fates of ordinary people, with strong local color and individualized characters. This German translation will suit readers interested in how Russian literature traveled in the German-speaking world, or those who wish to read nineteenth-century Russian short stories in German. The translation preserves the original's layered narration and wealth of detail, and readers will need to adjust to its unhurried, tale-telling rhythm. As a public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to consult at any time and compare with editions in other languages. Readers already familiar with Leskov's place in Russian literary history will more readily appreciate his narrative skill and distinctive characterization; those new to him can also use it as a literary window onto nineteenth-century Russian society.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century Russian literature who want to broaden their reading
Learners with German reading ability who want to encounter Russian short stories through translation
Literature students studying the translation and cross-language transmission of Russian literature
Readers who enjoy unhurried storytelling and are willing to read slowly and closely

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak German who find long literary reading difficult
Readers who prefer tightly plotted modern fiction with strong dramatic conflict

Reading tips

Start with a shorter piece to get used to Leskov's narrative pace and language style.
Jot down character relationships and social background while reading to help follow the story.
Where possible, compare with the Russian original or translations in other languages to appreciate differences in translation.
After each piece, write a few lines on the narrator's perspective and the story's layers.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in German or Russian?

According to the source, the book is in German: it is a German translation of Leskov's stories, released as a public-domain ebook by Project Gutenberg. Readers who want the Russian original will need to look for another edition.

I haven't read any other Leskov. Can I start with this book?

Yes. The book is a collection of short pieces, each relatively independent and not dependent on earlier works. Leskov's narrative style is quite distinctive, however, so it helps to know something about nineteenth-century Russian society first; the reading experience will be smoother.

Is this book suitable for learning German?

It is a literary translation with fairly difficult sentences and vocabulary, better suited to readers with intermediate to advanced German. Beginners may find it frustrating for language study and should build a foundation with easier reading first.

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About the author

Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov Author · Russian · 1831–1895

Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov (1831–1895) was a Russian writer. Born in Oryol Province, he worked in the courts and in commercial firms before devoting himself to literature from 1861. His major works include Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, The Cathedral Clergy, The Enchanted Wanderer and The Left-Handed Craftsman of Tula and the Steel Flea. Leskov drew on colloquial speech and everyday provincial observations; his narratives often adopt the voice of a storyteller, fusing folk narrative traditions with literary language in a humorous and satirical tone, and frequently deal with provincial life, clergy and ordinary people. The library holds four of his works, including German translations such as Novellen and Der versiegelte Engel, und andere Geschichten. He died in Saint Petersburg in 1895.