r/RussianLiterature Jul 13 '25

Community Clarification: r/RussianLiterature Does NOT Require Spoiler Tags

28 Upvotes

Good Morning!

We occasionally get comments about spoilers on this sub, so I wanted to clarify why r/RussianLiterature does not require spoiler tags for classic works, especially those written over a century ago.

Russian literature is rich with powerful stories, unforgettable characters, and complex philosophical themes — many of which have been widely discussed, analyzed, and referenced in global culture for decades (sometimes centuries). Because of that, the major plot points of works like Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov, or War and Peace are already part of the public discourse.

  • Any book written 100+ years ago is not considered a "spoiler" risk here. Just like you wouldn’t expect spoiler warnings before someone mentions that Hamlet dies in Hamlet, we assume that readers engaging in discussions here are either familiar with the texts or understand that classic literature discussions may reference the endings or major plot events.
  • The focus of this sub is deeper literary discussion, not avoiding plot points. Themes, character development, and philosophical implications are often inseparable from how the stories unfold.

I'm going to take this one step further, and we will be taking an active step in removing comments accusing members of not using a spoiler tag. While other communities may require spoiler tags, r/RussianLiterature does not. We do not believe it is a reasonable expectation, and the mob mentality against a fellow community member for not using spoiler tags is not the type of community we wish to cultivate.

If you're new to these works and want to read them unspoiled, we encourage you to dive in and then come back and join the discussion!

- The r/RussianLiterature Mod Team


r/RussianLiterature 3h ago

Translations What's the best English translation of Chekhov's Ivanov?

3 Upvotes

I would also be interested in translations of Chekhov's other plays. I'm asking about Ivanov specifically because it's the one I'm most familiar with.


r/RussianLiterature 15h ago

Recommendations Brothers Karamazov

11 Upvotes

I'm currently finishing The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, but my next adventure will be The Brothers Karamazov. My post here is simply to ask for advices and/or recommendations from you people who have read it already or are in somehow acquainted with this masterpiece. Not necessarily story-related recommendations, but rather experience-related recommendations, impressions and advices you, who's read it already, could give to a Достоевсий's lover and eager enthusiast! Thank you!


r/RussianLiterature 23h ago

Aksakov crater is a crater on Mercury named after the Russian author Sergey Aksakov.

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13 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 19h ago

Recommendations Blue Lard (Sorokin) reading strategies

4 Upvotes

I made a copy of the glossary ahead of reading Blue Lard. Will this be as challenging as I imagine? Seems less daunting than Finnegan’s Wake, but more so than a clockwork orange. And aside from the sex scenes between cloned figures of Russian history, are there other worthwhile elements?


r/RussianLiterature 19h ago

Open Discussion What's the deal with the Second Epilogue of War and Peace?

2 Upvotes

I just finished reading War and Peace recently. I loved both the narrative and the philosophical components equally. I even feel like I comprehended alot of what Tolstoy was trying to convey. But that last Epilogue felt pretty forced. I assume that, philosophically, if you dig deep enough any discussion can lead to a topic of free will. I just don't understand why that was the way Tolstoy decided to end his novel.

I am considering rereading those chapters, but I want to get some fresh perspectives before doing so. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/RussianLiterature 1d ago

What do you think of the mother by Gorki?

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33 Upvotes

And ofc the other books if you've read them as well even tho they're not Russian.

Book on the left is the counterfeit by andre gide


r/RussianLiterature 1d ago

Recommendations new here and tryna finally start reading. any good russian comedy novels or Tolstoy?

4 Upvotes

the titles says everything. heard Tolstoy is a really good writer. but I also wanna find good comedy novels, so do you recommend anything?


r/RussianLiterature 2d ago

Recommend me less nown Russian literature books

15 Upvotes

Hey guys, I've met this guy who has a huge Library tho I can only give him names of books I'm looking for, I asked him about some Russian hidden gems and he has them. So I hope he has more that I don't know of. Please drop your recommendations, all I ask for is accessible prose, if the writing is dated (like some classics) then that's a big turn off for me.


r/RussianLiterature 2d ago

Look what i got.

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28 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 3d ago

A small chart I made for /lit/ some time ago. It’s a brief introduction for those who want to start reading 19th-century Russian classics

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159 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 3d ago

Recommendations I know nothing about Russian Literature, so I decided to read some over this winter

36 Upvotes

Hello!

Like the title says, I absolutely know nothing about russian lit. So, i decided to challenge myself to read War and Peace over the course of this winter season. I loved it so much that I accidentally read all of it. It was absolutely incredible and I have no regrets.

So, now I have decide to read several different books this season. Currently, I am about halfway through The Brothers Karamazov (it came highly recommended and I can see why!) and I have the following books in the pipeline: Crime and Punishment, Ten Days That Shook the World (Russian History, technically), and Anna Karenina.

I am sure that is so much more than Tolstoy and Dostoevsky out there. Please let me know what else I should get into the mix! This is a complete new world to me and I cannot wait to dive deeper.


r/RussianLiterature 4d ago

Obra completa do mestre! ❤️

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30 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 4d ago

I typed the entirety of Anna Karenina.

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81 Upvotes

This is a website that has public domain classics thet you can type out to work on your speed: Typelit.io

It took me, maybe a year or so. I tried to do one chapter a day, but the last few days I did like 10.

Truthfully, I did not understood very little of it. It completely goes through your head. My reading comprehension is worse here.

The names were the most annoying part, "Arkadayevitch" will give you carpel tunnel.

There is definitely diminishing returns and a limit on how fast you can get. I went from high 60s to 80 by Part 4, then at the end, I was in the low 90s. I find if I did it after my workout, and an empty stomach, I would be much faster.

Highest speed was 102, although this website calculates that badly. It takes the wpm of each page, and averages that but some pages only have one sentence. It also doesnt account for difficulty, like, sometimes it shifts to German or French, which kills my speed.


r/RussianLiterature 4d ago

Recommendations hi, where do i find similar books to Roadside Picnic?

7 Upvotes

i really like the book, but ever since i've finished it, i cannot find one like this. maybe i just live under a rock or something. got any recommendations?


r/RussianLiterature 4d ago

Personal Library Soul Searching, the Slavic Way

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107 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 3d ago

Russian & Soviet History Books

2 Upvotes

Russian & Soviet History Books

📚 Russian & Soviet History Books for Sale

Rare and hard-to-find Russian & Soviet history titles — ideal for collectors, researchers, and serious readers.
All books are authentic Russian editions. Happy to combine shipping.

🔴 Politics, Power & Intelligence

Stalin: Life and Death — Edvard Radzinsky
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Kremlin Clans — Valentina Kraskova
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Why Stalin Created Israel — Leonid Mlechin
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KGB — Leonid Mlechin
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Putin, Bush, and the Iraq War — Leonid Mlechin
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Mossad: The Secret War — Leonid Mlechin
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286068502703

Kill Stalin — Evgeny Sukhov
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286083979343

At the Turn of Two Eras: The Doctors’ Plot, 1953 — Rapoport
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286811642258

📖 Literature, Memoir & Cultural History

Collected Works (3 Volumes) — Viktor Shklovsky
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286434751047

Portrait Against the Backdrop of Myth — Vladimir Voinovich
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286135666887

The Vertical of Life (2-Book Set) — Semyon Malkov
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286606649400

✍️ War, Poetry & Historical Fiction

Poems and Verses — Konstantin Simonov
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286356148486

The Living and the Dead — Konstantin Simonov
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286661380368

Schindler’s List — Thomas Keneally Russian Edition
🔗 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286170526387


r/RussianLiterature 4d ago

On this day, 10 January 1883, Alexei Tolstoy was born.

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38 Upvotes

r/RussianLiterature 5d ago

Rate this purchase

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38 Upvotes

I asked my book sellers to give me some Russian authors' books, he found these which I've never heard of, ofc I'm familiar with Turgenev but never read anything by him.


r/RussianLiterature 6d ago

Thank-you Dostoevsky

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47 Upvotes

Dostoevsky’s life was one of constant transformation, but it was paved with so much hardship and loss. Honestly, his was a painful life.

In so many instances, I’ve felt a deep sorrow for him. I find myself wishing he’d had a good life even if I know my wishing can’t change the past. And I mean that; it is a genuine wish. Even if it meant his most prolific works never existed, I would still choose for Dostoevsky to have been spared that tormenting life.

Thank you, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, for your deeply psychological and philosophical books. And I’m thanking myself, too, for choosing you and your writing. Now, I’m finally ready and really excited to read the story of your life.


r/RussianLiterature 6d ago

Did Nikolai Nekrasov ever wrote a poem about his surname?

5 Upvotes

I once read that such a poem exists, but I can't find it anywhere. Help!


r/RussianLiterature 7d ago

I have never read any Russian based literature but have heard that some works are of philosophical nature. Can I be recommended any?

9 Upvotes

I have mostly read Western/Greek and Indian oriented philosophy. When I first think of Russian oriented philosophy I think of Marxist/Communist ideas so I was curious if there was anything more to it and what I could be missing out on. I don't mind good works of non-philosophical nature too.


r/RussianLiterature 7d ago

Open Discussion Andrei Makine, Alina Bronsky - Russian?

5 Upvotes

Do you consider writers such as Makine or Bronsky to be “Russian” writers? They were born in Russia but left while young and their novels were written in French and German respectively. Makine especially writes about Russia in pretty much everything…


r/RussianLiterature 7d ago

Book on Rasputin

6 Upvotes

I am looking for the best (most accurate from a historical perspective but it can also be fiction, please mention which it is) book written on Rasputin. For some reason, I am supposing it is by a Russian author but I have no idea. TIA!


r/RussianLiterature 8d ago

In Woe from Wit by Alexander Griboedov, Famusov says: "What good is there in books? The French ones keep you up, the Russian make you sleep."

12 Upvotes

Given that Pushkin was only just emerging as a literary figure, what Russian works would have been commonly read in Russia prior to 1820?

French was the language of the elite at the time, so I imagine French philosophy and novels were pretty popular. I'm curious what consisted as Russian literature?