STORIES FROM A SIBERIAN VILLAGE

by Vasily Shukshin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

A generous collection of 25 stories--11 of which were previously unavailable in English translation--by the popular and charismatic Russian author (1929-74) who was also a renowned actor and film director. There's a hint of Erskine Caldwell in Shukshin's vigorous, earthy stories of northern Russian village life--specifically of his restless characters' yearnings to stretch beyond their origins and their often uneasy accommodation to urban life. The standout entries include a number of autobiographical stories (such as ""Oddball"" and ""Uncle Yermolai""), the amusing ""Mille Pardons, Madame"" (about an aborted attempt to assassinate Hitler), and the romantic ""Stenka Razin,"" the tale of a 17th-century Cossack Robin Hood whose adventures Shukshin explored in both fiction and film, and whose ebullient unconventionality clearly appealed to, as it resembles, Shukshin's own bold and defiant spirit.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0875805728

Page Count: 285

Publisher: Northern Illinois Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories: FICTION