Russian Literature for People in a Hurry
My Top 10 Bite-Sized Classics
Two years ago I wrote an article titled Why Read Russian Literature. Since having read thousands upon thousands of pages of Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Bulgakov, Chekhov, and many other authors, I have been on a quest to convince people who will care to listen, to read their works. One challenge is that some of the best works of Russian literature are very long. Worth the effort though:
- Tolstoy’s War and Peace is at least 1,400 pages.
- Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov is close to 1,000.
- Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is almost 900.
- Dostoevsky’s Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, and Goncharov’s Oblomov, are between 500–700 pages depending on the format.
- Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita is shorter, but still at least 450 pages long.
In this article, I will recommend my favorites among the short fiction pieces from Russian literature that you can read in one sitting. I will only include the pieces I have read — as I am sure there are other brilliant pieces I don’t know about. Please comment and recommend some!
These 10 short fiction pieces exemplify the depth, diversity, and literary brilliance of Russian literature. Each work offers a unique perspective on human nature, society, and the human condition, and all are valuable contributions to the world of literature.
Here we go:
- The Lady with the Dog (1899) — Дама с собачкой — by Anton Chekhov. No wonder we are starting with Anton Chekhov — the master of short stories. The Lady with the Dog is one of Chekhov’s most celebrated short stories, known for its exploration of love, infidelity, and the complexities of human relationships. It follows the affair between a married man and a young woman he meets while on vacation. Chekhov refuses to provide easy answers or moral judgments, his approach is subtle and nuanced. At only 15 pages, this story packs a stronger emotional punch than most novels. I loved it and re-read it as soon as I first finished it.
- Overcoat (1842) — Шинель — by Nikolai Gogol. This brilliant story merges elements of realism with the supernatural. It follows a low-ranking government clerk, whose life is unexciting and largely invisible to those around him. As his overcoat gets worn out, he decides to invest all his savings in a new overcoat. The purchase sparks a brief exciting phase in his life, getting him the respect and attention he is not used to. He gets a taste of dignity and happiness. As he is obsessed with the overcoat, it becomes his downfall. Overcoat is a portrayal of an overlooked man, and is a critique of the impersonal and cruel bureaucracy. Funny and sad at the same time.
- The Lefty or The Tale of Cross-Eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea (1881) — Левша (Сказ о тульском косом Левше и о стальной блохе)— by Nikolai Leskov. This is one of my favorite stories that blends satire, folklore, and social commentary. It is about a skilled craftsman who specializes in metalwork, the Lefty. The Russian Tsar orders Lefty to come up with something that would be a worthy response to a gift from the English. The story goes on to describe Lefty’s solution, which is brilliant, but unfortunately misunderstood. Leskov explores the themes of national identity and pride and uses Lefty’s misadventures to reflect on the broader social and political disparities between Russia and the West, as well as the internal troubles within Russian society. Brilliant.
- Ward No.6 (1892) — Палата №6 — by Anton Chekhov. Set in a provincial Russian hospital, the story centers on the character of a complacent and somewhat indifferent doctor. He is gradually drawn into philosophical conversations with a patient suffering from paranoid delusions. These chats lead the doctor to reflect on his own life, and the topics of happiness, suffering, and the existence of God. But as he becomes more empathetic and enlightened, the doctor is increasingly seen as more and more unstable by his colleagues and society. In this profound story, Chekhov examines the thin line between sanity and insanity, the societal attitudes towards mental illness, and deeper issues of meaning and human nature.
- Death of Ivan Ilyich (1866) — Смерть Ивана Ильича — by Leo Tolstoy. Exploration of the slow and agonizing death of the main character, this story goes through his pursuit of societal approval, which he eventually recognizes as shallow and meaningless. As he gets sick and the story takes us through the different stages of his terminal illness, Ivan Ilyich has to confront the inevitability of death and experiences a profound existential crisis. The physical suffering is accompanied by mental anguish as he realizes that he has not truly lived. Death of Ivan Ilyich is a powerful meditation on the themes of death, the meaning of life, and the importance of genuine human connection. It is not light reading, but it is, in my view, one of the best works of Leo Tolstoy.
- The Queen of Spades (1834) — Пиковая дама— by Alexander Pushkin. A psychological thriller about greed and obsession, mixed with the supernatural. The story is about a young officer who is seeking to learn the secret of winning at cards from an elderly countess, known as the Queen of Spades. Pushkin’s masterful narrative is suspenseful, full of irony, and I think a critique of social ambition. It is a shame Pushkin did not live beyond 37. Just as in the case of Mozart, who died at 35, you can’t but wonder what masterpieces Pushkin could have created had he lived longer.
- Kreutzer Sonata (1889) — Крейцерова соната — by Leo Tolstoy. Named after Beethoven’s sonata, this novella focuses on the theme of jealousy and also explores the themes of love and dynamics of marital relationships. The story takes us through the thoughts of the main character, the growing jealousy and obsession over his wife’s relationship with a violinist with whom she plays Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. At the time of the publication, the novella created quite a bit of controversy, as it was seen as a critique of the institution of marriage and an exploration of the dark corners of the human psyche.
- The Dream of a Ridiculous Man (1877) — Сон смешного человека — by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This work is so unlike Dostoevsky, it truly surprised me the first time I read it. It explores the themes of redemption, human corruption, the possibility of a utopian world (Dostoevsky? imagine that), and the potential for spiritual renewal through compassion and love, through the dream of the protagonist who considers himself ridiculous and contemplates suicide. This story is one reason why it is worth exploring a writer beyond his most known work (in this case, Crime and Punishment).
- A Man in a Case (1898) — Человек в футляре — by Anton Chekhov. This story revolves around a high school teacher known for his extreme conservatism. He both literally and metaphorically encases himself in protective layers to protect himself from the outside world. Galoshes, a coat, an umbrella, and so it goes. But his nature affects not only his life but also the lives of those around him. Still, it is a situation he is used to until he develops affection for a lady and that’s when things take a turn. In this story, Chekhov masterfully explores the themes of fear of change and life constrained by societal expectations and personal insecurities.
- Diaboliad (1924) — Дьяволиада — by Mikhail Bulgakov. A satirical short story, Diaboliad showcases Bulgakov’s early exploration of the absurd and grotesque in Soviet society. I like to think that this story is set in the same universe as the Master and Margarita. It is a story of a hapless clerk stuck in the bureaucratic maze, whose life spirals into complete chaos when the misplacement of a document triggers a series of surreal events. Bulgakov does not hide his feelings of disillusionment with the Soviet system, the dehumanizing effects of bureaucracy, and the absurdity of everyday life under such a regime. Think Kafka’s Trial on hallucinogens.
There you go. 3 stories from Chekhov (of course). 2 from Tolstoy (makes sense). Gogol, Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Bulgakov, and a surprise piece by Leskov. I could easily keep going. There is so much to choose from. Pretty much anything by Chekhov, excellent stories by Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Bunin, Kuprin, Gorky, and many others. Perhaps something worth revisiting in another article.
I want to mention some pieces that I did not include because they are, while shorter than the massive masterpiece mentioned at the beginning of the article, still a little longer than what I was going for:
- Notes from Underground — Записки из подполья — by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1864) — some 140 pages. A first-person narrative, this piece has been the foundation of existentialism. See the summary in my article Why You Should Read Dostoyevsky.
- We — Мы — by Mikhail Zamyatin (1920–1921) — 220–250 pages or so. A relatively unknown piece, Zamyatin’s work describes a dystopian totalitarian society and is one of the first books in this genre. It inspired Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World (though Huxley denied it). Interestingly, Zamyatin himself took inspiration from Notes from Underground.
- The Heart of the Dog — Собачье сердце — by Mikhail Bulgakov (1925) — some 150 pages. It is a story about the transformation of a stray dog into a man after a scientific experiment. Enough said? :) See the summary in my article Why You Should Read Mikhail Bulgakov.
- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich — Один день Ивана Денисовича — by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1962) — 220–230 pages. Solzhenitsyn is known for The Gulag Archipelago, but that is a very long read. If you want to get a sense of life in the Soviet labor camps, read this book. It describes a single day in the life of a prisoner, following him from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. It describes his struggles, harsh working conditions, and small joys that sustain him.
- Roadside Picnic — Пикник на обочине — by Strugatzky brothers (1972) — 200 –220 pages. Arguably the best and the most popular Soviet-time sci-fi novel, it inspired Tarkovsky’s best movie — Stalker, as well as the popular computer game of the same name. The setting is the aftermath of an extraterrestrial event called the Visitation, where aliens have briefly stopped at Earth, leaving behind zones filled with mysterious and dangerous anomalies and artifacts.
- Day of the Oprichnik — День Опричника — by Vladimir Sorokin (2006) — 210–220 pages. This one is brilliant — a dystopian novel describing one day in the life of an oprichnik, a member of the elite guard serving the tsar in a futuristic Russia that has reverted to a feudal system similar to the oprichnina of Ivan the Terrible’s rule in the 16th century. This is a dark satire, deeply unsettling and provocative.
I hope you give these a try. Enjoy!
I have written a few articles about Russian Literature and occasionally I get a sharp comment or two, usually focusing on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and how Russian literature is (therefore) overrated or should be boycotted. I don't see it this way.
For one, many of the best Russian writers have been against the tyrannic regimes. Sure, a lot have also benefitted from the regimes’ patronage. But that is how Russia has been — any artist has performed a complex balancing act. To be able to create, or even survive, they had to pick their battles. Just as we did not stop reading Goethe or Nietzsche, or listening to Beethoven’s music because of the actions of the Nazis, it is strange to hold, say, Dostoyevsky (who went through a mock execution, and was sent to a labor camp), or Bulgakov (mercilessly censored, while his whole family went into exile) responsible for the actions of the Russian government.
Another point is that for me, Russian literature is everything written in the Russian language. I don’t see it as owned by the country of Russia. It belongs to everyone. As such, the writers who were not ethnic Russians, or who were born outside Russia, but wrote in the Russian language, such as Gogol, Bulgakov, and many others — are, for me, part of Russian Literature. Yes, Pushkin had African blood. Lermontov had Scottish blood — no one really cares about that.
Of course, I understand the sensitivities involved. Everything is at the service of the propaganda war. And that is precisely why in articles such as this I will stick to literature and stay away from politics.
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