The Enchanted Wanderer: and Other Stories (original 1873; edition 2013)

This month I received two books of Russian literature and decided to start with this one as compared to the other novellas I've been reading it is a veritable tome at 210 pages. Which I guess is appropriate for a novella of Russian Lit when you think of the average length of a Russian novel. LOL I haven't read any classic Russian works unless you count Doctor Zhivago and modern 20th century authors, but I have read many short stories such as Tolstoy and Chekhov. This was an entirely new piece to me. I found myself likening it to Don Quixote with the man's outlandish experiences as he wanders across his countryside, perhaps mad, perhaps making it up, perhaps telling the truth. On the other hand I would liken it in a way to the tale of Job. A man who must suffer the tribulations given to him by God. Ivan kills a monk and the monk's spirit comes back and tells him that his life will be full of hardships leading up to near-death experiences but he will not ever die no matter how bad things get and this will continue his whole life until he accepts his destiny to answer the call of God and become a monk himself. The book follows Ivan's life from young adulthood to old age as he goes from one escapade to another sometimes he merely suffers a beating other times he survives circumstances that should have been the death of anyone else. As I read the book I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not; it was an on again off again affair with me. There were parts that I found dragged. The sheer amount of events that happen in this short book is enormous giving it a very fast pace which leaves one forgetting what happened previously. But at other times I was caught up in Ivan's story and whether he was exaggerating or telling the truth I didn't really care; the tales had a captivating fairy tale quality to them I truly enjoyed while the writing flowed beautifully. An enjoyable read that has whetted my appetite for more Russian works and I look forward to the next book this month. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed Nikolai Leskov's "The Enchanted Wanderer and Other Stories," a great collection of Russian short stories. Most of the stories tell tales of the working class in the time of Tsar Nicholas I -- they read almost as a collection of old folk tales. Good solid writing and interesting plots made this a quick and easy read.

I think I enjoyed the title story the least in this fine collection, which told the story of an old monk and horse handler. I particularly enjoyed "Lefty" a story of Russian ingenuity... and the "Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk," a tragic tale of a lovelorn and bored woman. ( )

This was my first exposure to Nikolai Leskov's work, and I found it quite enjoyable. Leskov was a Russian writer of the 19th century. Although he has never gained much fame in the U.S., in Russia, evidently, his reputation is much greater. At any rate, these are stories about middle class and working class Russian life in the 1800s, told with wry wit and just a touch of fantasy. Extremely enjoyable for anyone who likes the tone and pace of writers like Turgenev and Chekov ( )

Anyone interested in Russian lit, would be well served to read this book. Leskov's storytelling is beautifully crafted and authentically Russian. Do not expect prose as polished as Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, but a lovely intro to the world of Russian fairy tales. ( )