Introduction
Russian Literature is one of the most-read genres in the entire world. Many Russian names come to mind whenever we think about literature in general: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Bulgakov, Vladimir Nabokov,…
That’s why I decided to make a list of 6 Russian novels that I believe everyone should read.
1. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
Some Russian novels are too hard to read – characters that go by 3 different names, complex vocabulary, and intricate plots (Crime and Punishment, for example). This book is not.
Taking around 2 hours to read (250 words per minute), The Death of Ivan Ilych is pretty short and easy to read. Clever in its brevity, every word of this book is relevant and beautifully written – perfect for you if you’re not that experienced a reader.
Ivan Ilych is a decent man with a “successful life”, but feels like he has not yet lived. Tolstoy describes Ivan’s illness in a way that you’ll feel like what the experience was for him.
This book will undoubtedly destroy you on an emotional level, but it will be worth it since it will make you appreciate life more.
You can get this audiobook for free here.
2. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This one is a murder mystery.
With elaborately designed characters in an elaborately designed plot, this book is considered by many the best book ever written.
“How can one live one’s life in the best way?” – This is the deep philosophical question tackled in this book. Dostoevsky created 3 brothers with 3 different perspectives on this fundamental conundrum and he built a story from that (he didn’t know what would happen, he just let his imagination take control).
The Brothers Karamazov is a condensed philosophy work disguised as a captivating murder mystery, so take your time reading it. Don’t be afraid to quit it and give it a second chance when you feel more “mature”.
You can get this audiobook for free here.
3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
This book is the definition of controversy. The narrator is 37-year-old Humbert Humbert (H.H.) who has sexual relations with 12-year-old Lolita.
You can imagine the plot and all the controversy it raises. This book pushes some boundaries but you will convince yourself that “Lolita” is very much a piece of writing art.
If you don’t mind living in H.H.’s disgusting mind for 300 pages, you’ll learn that the appeal of this novel is not only the eloquent writing.
H.H. told his story trying to appear sympathetic. He wanted his actions to come across as understandable and just, so he painted his narrative so that people wouldn’t think he was a monster – that’s what he thought of himself -not a monster.
That’s the key takeaway from “Lolita”: not all monsters think they’re monsters and every narrator, every person you meet along the way wants to believe that their actions are justifiable in some way. But I want you to take your own conclusions after you read it.
You can get this audiobook for free here.
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina portrays the relationship nuances of three marriages, one of them involving the memorable literary character Anna Karenina.
This novel is largely character-oriented. Leo Tolstoy is a keen observer of human passions, motivations, and feelings, so the main characters will feel like real people and you will with no doubt relate to their complexity.
Beyond the focus of the book in the characters, this masterpiece also wrestles with a myriad of matters like love, desire, adultery, selfishness, and happiness. This book will also give you a sense of Russian culture and society in the 19th century.
You can get this audiobook for free here.
5. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
This book is 24 hours into the life of a Russian gulag prisoner, Ivan Denisovich. The author also lived many years as a political prisoner.
Ivan didn’t expect any turnaround in his life. Eating and smoking cigarettes were the highest experiences he expected to have.
In this book, every minute of the 24 hours is meticulously described. For Ivan, the only thing that matters is the present moment – there is no life in the future, and survival is the only goal.
You can get the audiobook from amazon here.
6. Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Cancer Ward tells the story of a group of patients in a soviet cancer ward in 1954. The characters, all strangers to each other, share nothing in common except for their fates and fears.
Solzhenitsyn writes intimately about the human condition – how each person battles their pains, sufferings, and fears, detailing his characters in a way that makes them extremely fascinating and memorable.
Reading this book will be a heartbreaking yet uplifting and inspiring experience. This book utterly altered my perspective on life – I wish I had read it much sooner.
You can get the book from Amazon here.
Conclusion
Many Russian literature books are pretty hard to read. In this list, I tried to feature books that are not that hard to read. If you’re on a reading level that you understand the writing and maybe some of the political, cultural, and social background, you will certainly love reading these Russian novels. Personally, I would start with “The Death of Ivan Ilych” or “Lolita”.
