literature

Statue of DostoevskyDostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love

Takahiro Ueda, "Dostoevsky and His Wife's Fateful Journey: Travels in Western Europe of Madness and Love" - A journey that traces a once-in-a-lifetime journey with his wife that changed the destiny of a great writer.

This travelogue will be a record of my trip to Europe in 2022 on the theme "Shinran and Dostoevsky".

The Dostoevskys traveled to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic. I have also had the opportunity to relive their journey and reflect on the fateful journey that was to change his life. This is my full-length travelogue. Please read it.
Stalin and Hitler's genocide and holocaust

Frankl's "Night and Fog" Synopsis and Comments - A masterpiece that questions what it means to live! And a connection to Dostoevsky.

The work is the psychologist Frankl's account of his experiences at Auschwitz and the Dachau camp in Munich.

Whereas Vasily Grossman's "The Hell of Treblinka Camp," which I mentioned in my previous article, described the horrors of the extermination camps, "Night and Fog" tells the story of how people survived in the extreme conditions of concentration camps and the human analysis that was done there.

This book tells the story of how it is possible to survive as a human being in desperate circumstances. It is a book that gives great strength not only to those in the extreme conditions of the camps, but also to those of us who live in the present.

I hope this book will spread to more and more people.
German-Soviet War: The Soviet Union and the Nazis' War of Extermination

Vasily Grossman, "All Things Flow" Synopsis and Commentary - A masterful novel about the suffering of the Soviet repression era that continued after Stalin's death.

The translator hopes that "many people, especially young people, will read Grossman's work," and that "the problem of totalitarianism is still a major issue today, and the question of power and the individual has always been one that no one can avoid. The question of totalitarianism is still a big one today, and the question of power and the individual is still a question that no one can avoid in any age. He goes on to say, "The question of power and the individual is a big question today.

Like "Life and Destiny," this novel was hard to read. However, the shock was also tremendous. I can only sigh and wonder how he could write something so gruesome. I froze many times while reading it because of the severity of the story. I could not help but moan, "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?

I shudder to think what people were actually put in such a situation back then.
History of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin

Synopsis and Impressions of Gorky's Masterpiece "Dondoko" - The Soul Cries of People Living at the Bottom of the Hill

This is a dramatic work. Moreover, as mentioned in this commentary, like Chekhov, there is no easy-to-understand plot. Therefore, it is difficult to grasp the flow of the play even if you read it as a book. I also could not understand it after reading it once, so I had to reread it many times.

Like Chekhov, I am sure that this work will have a tremendous impact when seen on stage as a play.

この作品はかなりパワーがあります。チェーホフは静かな雰囲気の劇ですが、ゴーリキーはどん底にいる人たちの魂の叫びを表現します。言葉のパワーがものすごいです。本で読むだけでこれですから舞台で聞いたらこれはものすごいものなのではないでしょうか。
History of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin

Criticism of Dostoevsky by leading Soviet writer Gorky

前回の記事「『スターリン伝』から見たゴーリキー～ソ連のプロパガンダ作家としてのゴーリキー」でお話ししましたように、ゴーリキーはソ連を代表する作家であり、スターリン政権下ではソ連のプロパガンダの宣伝にも大きな役割を果たしました。

そのゴーリキーがドストエフスキーのことをどう言うのか。

これはすなわちソ連がドストエフスキーをどう見るかということにもつながっていきます。

というわけで、佐藤清郎氏の『ゴーリキーの生涯』の中にゴーリキーがドストエフスキーに言及している箇所がありましたのでこの記事ではそちらを見ていきたいと思います。
History of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin

Seiro Sato, "The Life of Gorky" - Biography recommended to learn about the tumultuous life of one of the Soviet Union's leading writers.

この本ではゴーリキーの人生が幼少期からかなり詳しく書かれていますが、公的記録が乏しい若きゴーリキーに関してはその多くの部分がゴーリキー自身によって書かれた自伝的小説が基になっています。ですのでゴーリキーをもっともっと知りたい方は『人々の中で』など、自伝的小説を読むのをおすすめします。

ゴーリキーが幼少の頃からいかにとてつもない生活を送っていたかがこの伝記では明らかになります。

彼の代表作『どん底』はまさしく彼自身が社会のどん底で生き抜いた経験があったからこそでした。そこから作家として大成するというのは驚くべきことです。この伝記を読んで本当に驚きました。並の人物ではありません。
Masterpieces by the great Russian writer Chekhov

Yutaka Matsushita, "Chekhov's Light and Shadow" - Recommended introduction to Chekhov by an author who is also well versed in Dostoevsky.

Yutaka Matsushita's words are very easy to understand and have an appeal that draws you in as you read. A commentary on a great writer from a hundred years ago might give the impression of being a little difficult, but there is no such atmosphere at all. It is easy to read anyway.

This book makes me want to know more about Chekhov and read his works as soon as possible.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Mr. Matsushita is also a scholar of Russian literature with a deep knowledge of Dostoevsky, having translated "Dostoevsky the Critical Biography.

This is why Dostoevsky appears many times in the book.

They compare and explain Dostoevsky and Chekhov, so you can learn about Dostoevsky as well as Chekhov.
Masterpieces by the great Russian writer Chekhov

Seiro Sato, "My Heart's Chekhov" - A famous book that explains Chekhov's charm and interest in an easy-to-understand manner!

This book is the most comprehensive description of what a great writer Chekhov is and what makes him so unique.

And because the book contrasts not only Chekhov but also Dostoevsky, it explains many very interesting insights not only for those who want to know about Chekhov, but also for those who want to know about Russian literature and theater.

By reading this book, you can learn not only about Chekhov but also about the characteristics of Russian literature and what they mean to us living in modern Japan, and even what questions they pose.

I recommend this book anyway. If you are not sure what to read in Chekhov-related books, I would recommend this book first.
Masterpieces by the great Russian writer Chekhov

Seiro Sato, "The World of Chekhov's Plays" - Recommended reference book on Chekhov's plays!

This book is unique in that, as the title suggests, it is a reference book that is specifically devoted to Chekhov's plays. While his "The World of Chekhov's Art" covered only his fictional works, this book does not.

Not only the four major Chekhov plays, "The Seagull," "Uncle Vanya," "The Three Sisters," and "The Cherry Orchard," but also the work "Ivanov" is described in considerable detail.

This is a lively book that takes the time to examine what a play is and what makes it different from a novel. The book is recommended for those interested in stage plays as well as the four major plays.