Favorite Russian 20th Century Books
Discover the best 20th-century Russian books, from Bulgakov's *The Master and Margarita* to Solzhenitsyn's *One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich*—a curated list of essential Soviet and post-Soviet fiction.
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Moscow to the End of the Line
by Venedikt Erofeev
In this classic of Russian humor and social commentary, a fired cable fitter goes on a binge and hopes a train to Petushki (where his "most beloved of trollops" awaits). On the way he bestows upon angels, fellow passengers, and the world at large a magnificent monologue on alcohol, politics, society, alcohol, philosophy, the pains of love, and, of course, alcohol.
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The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov
Originally published: Dana Point, Calif.: Ardis, 1995.
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Kolyma Tales
by Varlam Shalamov
It is estimated that some three million people died in the Soviet forced-labour camps of Kolyma, in the northeastern area of Siberia. Shalamov himself spent seventeen years there, and in these stories he vividly captures the lives of ordinary people caught up in terrible circumstances, whose hopes and plans extended to further than a few hours. This new enlarged edition combines two collections previously published in the United States as Kolyma Tales and Graphite. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
by Александр Исаевич Солженицын
Recounts the experiences of Shukhov, a prisoner at a Soviet work camp in Siberia, as he struggles for survival.
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A Werewolf Problem in Central Russia and Other Stories
by Victor Pelevin
Satirical stories by a Russian writer. The story, Vera Pavlovna's Ninth Dream, is on the transition from communism to capitalism as experienced by the cleaner of a public toilet, Bulldozer Driver's Day is on a hydrogen bomb assembly line, while The Ontology of Childhood compares childhood to prison. By the author of The Blue Lantern.
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Children of the Arbat
by Анатолий Рыбаков
Chilling portrait of Stalin & his terror and its impact on a generation of young friends living in Moscow's Arbat.
