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Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia

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There certainly has been be a boundary for a study as broad as this to make sense and stay focused, and the boundary from which Figes works is a sensible one, but it leaves important questions unanswered and the reader (or, more precisely, me) wanting a prequel to Natasha's Dance. For the period from roughly 1760 to 1960 it contains histories of Russian literature, painting, ballet and classical music. Perhaps I am being a little hard on Figes given that within his defined scope ND is extremely good, but then perhaps I have felt isolated since I waited all those weeks and months for some guidance on my graduation paper all those moons ago. I've been reading this book on and off for years, often re-reading the same passages since if you study just about anything related to Russia, you can use this book in a paper. Non può certo essere contenuta in una biblioteca, come gli “otto volumi sottili” che gli esuli mettevano nel loro bagaglio.

Nataşa’nın dansı ismini Tolstoy’un "Savaş ve Barış" isimli eserindeki Nataşa karakterinin bir soylu olmasına rağmen bir köy müziği eşliğindeki dansından alıyor. French was the language of high society, and in high-born families the language of all personal relationships as well. So, if you want a broad, general, introductory (if biased) overview of Russian culture and aren't too particular on how it all fits into the wider world, aren't too picky about accuracy, nor have read any of the novels quoted/discussed extensively in the text, then you might be interested in this book. While this theme wasn't necessarily steady throughout, it was emergent in several areas; especially when reflecting how the Russian expatriates in the 20th century sorely missed their homeland. The younger generation of the Russian intelligentsia chooses to ignore this; to contemporary novelists and artists it seems mere romanticism to want to learn from "the people".

The book was assigned reading for an alumni trip to Russia I took in 2006, and I was SO glad I'd tackled it--though it's a monster, to be sure.

Their characters - aristocrats, Caucasian tribesmen, drunkards, prostitutes and soldiers - gambled, sang and philosophised in each other's company. I do like his style of writing, his narrative trots along at a fair pace considering the weight of information offered. In spite of this, I have read in other reviews that Figes has basic facts wrong, especially around the Russian language itself, which is a shame and takes away from the overall achievement of the book. I reference encouragement to immerse oneself into Russian culture because, for me, that is the second key lesson I took from this book, and have since discovered books that have shaped my current view on life and the world as a whole. Dediğim gibi salt bilgi içerikli olmasından dolayı kitap hakkındaki düşüncelerimi bölümler halinde spoiler korkusu olmadan vermek istiyorum, bütününe yorum yapmak zor çünkü bölümden bölüme yazarın tutumunun değiştiğini fark ettim.Kidding, but yeah, I've grown to appreciate the cultural life of our once and future nemesis because, honestly, Russia has an extraordinarily tragic history (and present), but a rich cultural legacy. Finally, I have own a copy of Sergei Bondarchuk's epic movie version of "War and Peace" which features the stunning dance by Natasha.

I found this a great, wide net for Russian culture--I read it before a trip to Russia, and despite Figes continuing to be controversial figure in Russian scholarship, no one ever questioned his thoroughness. But as Figes brilliantly shows, the 19th-century intellectuals developed a blend of affection and exasperation in their approach to the peasantry - and this helped them produce art of transcendent quality. Bütün bunların yanında Rus şiirine katkısı açışından göz ardı edilemeyecek kadar değerli olan Mayakovski’nin yaşamını müthiş bir inançla çarpıtıp, Stalin karşıtı görüşlerini bütün rejime karşıymış gibi gösterme çabası ise Mayakovski ile ilgili ayrıntılı bilgi sahibi olmayan okuyucuları yanlış yönlendirecek seviyede diye düşünüyorum. Instead, Natasha’s Dance whets the appetite of the reader and encourages them to dive headfirst into the incredible, multi-faceted milieu that is the immense Russian cultural heritage. If over the years, chance has not brought you into touch with Russian works in literature, painting, ballet and opera, "Natasha's Dance" will be extremely tedious in places.Princess Dashkova, a vocal advocate of Russian culture and the only female president ever of the Russian Academy of Sciences, had the finest European education. Through these tales Figes shows how the intelligentsia fostered into the nihilist, then anarchist, then People’s Will and finally into the Bolsheviks. Members of the educated elite liked to impress each other with their European and urban sophistication; and in their palaces or salons in the cities they disdained to draw attention to their rural connections. I would definitely recommend this book to any anglophone, particularly those living in the core anglosphere, interested in a general history of Russian culture. Indeed, Figes demonstrates how much of Russian art and culture was a conscious effort to forge this identity: the great novels of Dostoyevsky, Gogol and Tolstoy, the music of Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, artists Serov and Rubilev all forged a distinctive Russian style that indelibly captures these preoccupations.

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