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Russian Book Club: Ivan Bunin. Three short stories
Our long-awaited 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.
For this session we will be reading three short stories: The gentleman from San-Franscisco(1915) Dark avenues(1943). Cold Autumn(1944).
“My writing always emerges from within. It must spring forth from my own thoughts and feelings, and without that inner spark, I find it impossible to write.” Ivan Bunin, Nobel Prize laureate
“The Gentleman from San Francisco” is undoubtedly Ivan Bunin’s most famous story, recognized as a masterpiece. However, his other tales and novellas deserve attention as well. By exploring these three short stories, you’ll understand why many of Bunin’s contemporaries considered him a worthy successor to Tolstoy and Chekhov, and why The Nobel Prize in Literature 1933 was awarded to Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin “for the strict artistry with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing”.
You can find the short stories here:
“The Gentleman from San Francisco” (Господин из Сан-Франциско)
In English:
The Gentleman from San Francisco, by I. A. Bunin
Collected Stories of Ivan Bunin: Amazon.co.uk: Bunin, Ivan: 9781566637589: Books
You can read it in its original here
И. А. Бунин. Господин из Сан-Франциско. Текст произведения
Dark Avenues (Тёмные аллеи)
In English:
Bunin: Selected Stories (Russian Texts): Amazon.co.uk: I.A. Bunin: 9781853993015: Books
You can read it in its original here
И. А. Бунин. Темные аллеи. Текст произведения
A cold autumn (Холодная осень)
In English:
You can read it in its original here
