Russian Book Club: Sholokhov. And Quiet Flows the Don

Our book club is for anyone who is interested in Russian literature but is daunted by the prospect of reading a complete work in the original!

Each month we select a classic or contemporary Russian literary work to read in translation. While our discussions are held in English, we incorporate excerpts and quotes in Russian into the sessions to provide an authentic experience. The club is hosted by an experienced teacher, who will tailor the language element to the levels of the participants. So whether you’re an elementary or advanced learner of Russian, our book club welcomes all levels of proficiency.

The action of “Quiet Flows the Don” unfolds against the backdrop of the turning points in Russian history: the First World War and the Civil War, which changed not only the traditional way of life of the Don Cossacks, but also the face of the entire country. The novel fully expresses one of the main themes of Sholokhov’s work: war as a fratricidal massacre that goes against human nature.This novel is one of the most significant works in Russian literature, which earned the author the Nobel Prize and worldwide recognition.

“The main character of his works is the truth itself… He sees and perceives life as a realistic drama in which humanity plays the main role. This is one of the reasons for his worldwide fame.” Martti Lärni

This seems to be the fullest translation Quiet flows the Don : Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Quiet Flows the Don : Mikhail Sholokhov, Brian Murphy, Robert Daglish: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Here is an interesting review of the translations The Don Flows Again

Russian film adaptation  Quiet Flows the Don (Тихий Дон) 1957 with English subtitles