Books by Vladimir Korolenko

„Blindi tónsnillingurinn" er sálfræðileg skáldsaga sem kafar djúpt í persónulegt líf blindra einstaklinga. Höfundurinn reynir að fylgja eftir og útskýra marvíslegar gjörðir og ákvarðanir sem eru í eðli sínu tengdar sjónleysi. Söguhetjurnar eru stelpa, strákur og atvinnutónlistarmaður, sem höfundi tekst að mála tilfinningaríka og einlæga mynd af. Sagan er stórkostlegur lestur sem stöðugt birtir andstæður þess ytra og innra í heiminum, ásamt táknrænna og bókstaflegra valda sjónar og forréttindi þeirra sem sjá.Vladimir Korolenko (1853-1921) var Rússneskur smásagnahöfundur, gagnrýnandi Rússneska keisaradæmisins og seinna meir á móti Bolsévikum. Ein áhrifamestu þemu skrifa hans einkennast af harkalegum og jafnvel nokkuð fjandsamlegum, náttúrulegum lýsingum af lífi einfalds fólks. Meistaraverk hans er án efa „Blindi tónsnillingurinn", ásamt mörgum öðrum smásögum sem byggðar eru á reynslu hans í útlegð í óvistlegu umhverfi Síberíu.

What would you give for a conversation with Socrates? Vladimir Korolenko’s short story ‘The Shades’ is as close as it gets. It follows a conversation between Socrates and Eldipias as they discuss themes such as the truth, the nature of the one, true God, as well as the eternal topics of life and death. A masterful exploration of how the fear of changing one’s beliefs can lead to the loss of truth, this is an essential read for anyone interested in philosophy. Korolenko's intimate manner of discussing 'big topics' is similar to the lighthearted nature of NBC's 'The Good Place'. Vladimir Korolenko (1853-1921) was a Ukrainian-born Russian short-story writer, an open critic of the Tsarist regime, and later an anti-Bolshevik. His writing boasts harsh, hostile and powerful descriptions, as he investigates the simple lives of even simpler people. The most notable of his work is "The Blind Musician" (1886), alongside numerous short stories, mostly based upon his own experience of exile in Siberia.

The Blind Musician follows the lives of a young girl, a boy, and a professional musician. All of whom are blind. Korolenko paints a moving, sympathetic and careful psychological portrait of these three characters as he explores the different ways in which they experience blindness. As he attempts to explain the various actions and decisions of these characters, as inherently linked to their disability, Korolenko investigates the power of sight in both a literal and symbolic sense. His realistic, moralistic and mindful approach to such heavy themes is ideal for fans of Tolstoy and unmissable for fans of Russian literature.Vladimir Korolenko (1853-1921) was a Russian short-story writer, an open critic of the Tsarist regime, and later an anti-Bolshevik. His writing boasts harsh, hostile and powerful descriptions, as he investigates the simple lives of even simpler people. The most notable of his work is "The Blind Musician" (1886), alongside numerous short stories, mostly based upon his own experience of exile in Siberia.

Korolenko’s answer to the growing antisemitism of the 1880s, ‘The Day of Atonement is an integral part of Ukrainian folklore. It is centred on the Jewish holiday ‘Yom Kippur’ and tells the tale of Yankel, an entrepreneur who makes a deal with the devil in order to save his soul. Korolenko uses a strong, almost caricaturistic tone in order to remind us that Jew’s were not inherently sinful, but rather innocent products of a dysfunctional society. His thoughtful commentary on religion and exclusion is reminiscent of Dostoyevsky and unmissable for fans of Russian literature.Vladimir Korolenko (1853-1921) was a Ukrainian-born Russian short-story writer, an open critic of the Tsarist regime, and later an anti-Bolshevik. His writing boasts harsh, hostile and powerful descriptions, as he investigates the simple lives of even simpler people. The most notable of his work is "The Blind Musician" (1886), alongside numerous short stories, mostly based upon his own experience of exile in Siberia.

Makar (signifie dans la tradition russe « celui sur qui tombent toutes les tuiles ») est paysan misérable, accroché à un coin de terre péniblement défriché, passant le peu d’argent qu’il gagne dans de l’eau-de-vie. Nous sommes la veille de Noël, et il est ivre mort. Et voilà qu’il s’est mis en tête qu’un renard était pris dans l’un de ses pièges. Avec sa peau, on pourrait acheter une bouteille de plus… Mais il s’égare dans la forêt. Épuisé, abruti par l’alcool, il s’endort dans la neige. On ne se réveille pas de ce genre de sieste.Et voilà que même mort on n’a jamais la paix. Voilà que le petit pope du village, mort il y a bien longtemps, est venu le chercher. Viens, suis-moi, on va te juger…

Ce roman nous plonge dans la campagne de la Petite-Russie au début du siècle dernier. Pierre vient au monde aveugle ; il est chéri et protégé par sa famille et il va apprendre les choses de la vie qui lui sont inaccessibles, comme les couleurs par exemple, grâce à la musique. L’analogie entre les sons et les couleurs revient souvent dans son discours et les pages sur la sensibilité du jeune aveugle à la musique abondent…