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The Possessed
The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them | Elif Batuman
One of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year THE TRUE BUT UNLIKELY STORIES OF LIVES DEVOTED�ABSURDLY! MELANCHOLICALLY! BEAUTIFULLY!�TO THE RUSSIAN CLASSICSNo one who read Elif Batuman's first article (in the journal n+1) will ever (…more)
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ReadingEnvy
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Those of you who read The Possessed and/or a Russian novel for the first quarter of #readingenvyrussia - reminder we are having an online discussion at 2 pm EST today!
Send me an email if you aren't part of the Goodreads group and want a link, my username at gmail.

If you switched course and went with Ukrainian lit, I'd love to have you join us too!

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ReadingEnvy
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It's time for the first quarter discussion for #readingenvyrussia - the novels. Please send me a message or find the Zoom link in the Goodreads group. It will be May 27th at 2 pm EST.

I know this has been the worst year ever to focus on Russia. If you ended up reading Ukrainian lit instead, feel free to join the discussion. ↘️

ReadingEnvy Also please come if:
1. You read a Russian novel to participate in the challenge
2. You started a Russian novel for the challenge that you did not finish for REASONS
3. You still hope to finish that Russian novel you started.

This will also be when we discuss Elif Batuman's book The Possessed.

The discussion will be recorded but only the audio will be used; video is always optional; captioning is provided.
3y
40 likes1 comment
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ReadingEnvy
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Panpan

I finally finished this book but it was not at all what I expected. The title and cover are really misleading, actually. This is far more the story of the author going through her PhD program and all the related language learning, research, and travel (mostly to Uzbekistan!) than it has anything to do with Russian books and the people who read them. There are a few highlights of that nature but I was hoping for a book actually about that.

BookNAround Oh no! I have this one on my tbr shelf. Maybe this will change/temper my expectations and I‘ll like it better than you did. 3y
Suet624 Oops! Mine should be arriving in tomorrow's mail. 3y
ReadingEnvy @BookNAround It isn't a terrible read but very obscure in what it focuses on. 3y
ReadingEnvy @Suet624 I hope I didn't steer you terribly wrong. 3y
Suet624 It‘s fine. I had been already been interested in reading it. 3y
56 likes5 comments
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Eggs
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Leftcoastzen On my TBR for a long time! 3y
Eggs @Leftcoastzen Looks amusing! 3y
48 likes2 comments
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The_Penniless_Author
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Pickpick

What better recommendation for Littens than a book by and about someone who loves books - Russian books, in this case. As a russophile myself (though nowhere near the level of Batuman) I was immediately drawn to the subject matter, but you don't need to have any particular fondness for Russian literature to enjoy this. More a travelogue and chronicle of grad-student adventures than a straight scholarly work, it reminds me a little of Sarah Vowell.

aa_guer2021 🤔🤔 my stepdad is a Russophile (why is there a Russophobia?!) and he‘s impossible to shop for for XMas! Thank you! 🙏🏻 4y
The_Penniless_Author @ruskigurl16 Don't mention it! Now just tell me what to buy my parents for Christmas and we'll call it even 😅 4y
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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

This is a mix between a person‘s relationship with books and reading, and a travel diary.

Batuman spends a summer in Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and an introduction to Uzbek literature.

Batuman is studying Russian literature focusing on authors such as Babel, Dostoyevsky and in lesser extent Gogel and Tolstoy.

After reading this, I hope to get to some of my unread books by Gogel, Tolstoy, Murakami and Pamuk.

Buechersuechtling Oh, that 2 or 3 times I tried, I had such a hard time with Pamuk. But I‘d love to see you reading him 😉 because I have a slight hope that I‘d profit from your experience and find out if maybe audiobook-versions by him would suit me more. 4y
AnneCecilie @Buechersuechtling that doesn‘t sound all that good. I actually own two of his books, Black Book and Snow, and I think they have been standing on my shelves for 20 yrs. I hope that is their English titles. 4y
56 likes2 comments
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AnneCecilie
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#BookReport

I finished the tagged book, read Burnt Sugar and Bone, and made good progress on Anne of Green Gables.

Fr3NcHtOaSt Absolutely love Bone. One of my favs 4y
AnneCecilie @Fr3NcHtOaSt Revisiting now reminded me of how much I love Bone, so I‘m thinking about a reread in 2021. 4y
55 likes2 comments
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AnneCecilie
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A combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast

Finished:
📚 Pages & Co: Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales

Currently reading:
📚 The Possessed. I‘m on route with the chapter a day/ 30p read a day, and hope to finish this week
📚 Anne of Green Gables. Finally in from the library and I‘m ready to join in on the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
📚 Burnt Sugar. Just started and enjoying so far. Hope to read this week.

squirrelbrain I loved Burnt Sugar! 4y
Cinfhen Pretty photo and a nice mash up of genres....I liked Burnt Sugar too @squirrelbrain 4y
BarbaraJean That is a beautiful library copy of Anne! And I love seeing Pages & Co in your stack—I‘ve been wanting to start that series! 4y
53 likes3 comments
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AnneCecilie
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#WeeklyForecast

Get a good start on The Possessed, read the second Pages & Co book, and maybe start a Christie or Läckberg crime.

LoverOfLearning That is a gorgeous cover! Did you enjoy Pages and Co ?

4y
Cinfhen Is that bottom book the same author as 4y
AnneCecilie @Cinfhen Yes, only she looks at her own relationship to Russian Literature and the people who studies that. I‘m really enjoying it so far. And I hope to get started on some of my tbr soon 4y
AnneCecilie @LoverOfLearning Yes, they are definitely books for the book lover. 4y
46 likes4 comments
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batsy
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Found on twitter. Can't not love Russian novels 😂

LeahBergen I‘m having a Crime and Punishment flashback. 😂 5y
BiblioLitten 🤣🤣 5y
Reviewsbylola 😂😂😂 5y
See All 12 Comments
twohectobooks Bahahaha this is so perfect 5y
readordierachel Omg 😂😂 5y
vivastory @LeahBergen Same 😂😂 5y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻❤️ 5y
BookieBiker 🤣 love Russian literature yet so so true! 5y
Theaelizabet Perfect!🤣 5y
ravenlee This might be the shortest, most accurate summary I‘ve ever seen! 5y
Centique I can‘t see a Russian novel without thinking of you now! 😍👍 5y
batsy @Centique You know me too well, this is the nicest compliment 😁❤️ 5y
93 likes12 comments
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Emilymdxn
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Pickpick

I loved this book tho I see why it‘s divided opinions. Part literary criticism of Russian and Uzbek literature, part funny memoir about travel and postgrad study, it maybe has quite narrow appeal but I learned SO much and am really inspired to go read some more Russian literature now. I can see how some things here were developed into The Idiot, which was one of my fave novels last year.

#tbrread #wintergames #merryreaders @Clwojick @StayCurious

Clwojick 16pt 5y
53 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Emilymdxn
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Difficult day team. I had the day off work, turned my phone on after cinema to messages asking where I was after a shooting near my work. I wasn‘t anywhere nearby, and as far as I know no one from my work was in the immediate area it happened, so it could have been a lot worse but I‘m still feeling a bit shaken. Never thought I‘d use my work WhatsApp to check on everyone‘s safety. Feeling a bit shaken even tho I wasn‘t even close to any danger.

LiteraryinPA Oh no, that‘s horrible. I‘m so glad you and your friends are ok, but of course it‘s such a scary and surreal feeling. Be kind to yourself as you get your feet under you again. 💜 5y
Emilymdxn @LiteraryinLititz it‘s really shit, I‘ve always believed and still do that London is a wonderful safe city - I‘ve never felt unsafe walking alone at night anywhere and the area the incident happened is so lovely and one I know so well, it‘s quite easy for British people to read foreign news about attacks and go ‘that doesn‘t happen here‘ and then it‘s such a shock when it does. 5y
TheSpineView That's terrible! Glad that you OK. 5y
See All 13 Comments
LiteraryinPA @Emilymdxn Of course. I actually just got home last night from spending my honeymoon in England. We were at that exact spot on Tuesday. London was a wonderful place to visit and I am sending all my love to those of you who are living there and feeling shaken right now. 5y
Emilymdxn @TheSpineView @LiteraryinLititz thank you very much both - and I hope your honeymoon was fantastic! 5y
TrishB Was in London today and will be again tomorrow! It‘s always a worry. Glad you‘re safe ❤️ 5y
youneverarrived It‘s so awful. Glad you‘re ok 💛 5y
BarbaraBB Sounds scary! Glad you‘re safe! 5y
OnlyYoo Happy you‘re safe! Make sure to take care of yourself and I‘m always free to talk if you need it! 😊 5y
xicanti Oh crap. I‘m glad you‘re okay. 5y
CarolynM How horrible for you. Glad to hear you and your colleagues are safe. Take care. 5y
Kalalalatja So glad you are safe! 5y
NovelGirl82 I‘m so sorry. I‘m glad that you‘re safe and that you‘re colleagues are safe. Take care of you. 5y
51 likes1 stack add13 comments
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Emilymdxn
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Payday = expensive bougie salad I can‘t afford and reading in the cafe over lunch 🥰🥰🥰 won‘t be able to treat myself like this many days in the run up to Christmas but it was lovely and luxurious today! Back to soup and leftovers at my desk tomorrow

marleed Oh enjoy! I just googled a bougie salad - sounds great! 5y
65 likes1 comment
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Emilymdxn
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Snatching a few mins to read before I go celebrate a friend‘s birthday! It has a low litsy rating which I think is partly because it‘s marketed and promoted as a different kind of book than it is - it goes quite hardcore on literary criticism and is less of a memoir than the blurb wants you to think but if you want some theory combined with some memoir and some cultural criticism it‘s fantastic!

#24b4monday @Andrew65 @jb72 @TheReadingMermaid

Andrew65 Hope you enjoy it and the birthday celebrations. 😊 5y
batsy I loved this! 5y
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jdenslow
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Mehso-so

Batuman's book has a promising beginning, an introduction that made me laugh out loud. The rest of the book doesn't live up to the intro. The bulk of the story is about Elif's sojourns abroad and deep, thoughtful analysis of Russian and Uzbek literature. The title should have warned me, I guess, but I think the introduction foreshadowed a lighter read. The last sentences of the book, above, do reaffirm Batuman's belief in the power of literature.

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jdenslow
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jdenslow
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Even just a few pages in, I think the yellow cover does the best job of communicating the tone of this very funny memoir of grad school. #judgingabookbyitscover #bookcover

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gileilsel
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Pretty tough to go through so far. But it talks about graduate school life for a Humanities major, so I'm hoping to pick up some inspiration and tips.

TheAnitaAlvarez This looks great! And I‘m a Russian lit lover, so I‘ll definitely give it a read too 7y
2 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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karenna
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Day 2 #RiotGrams--yellow covers

3 likes1 stack add
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Betty_Bookworm
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Pickpick

When I picked this up earlier today and started it, I was not expecting to laugh so hard. Seriously. Tears of laughter. I love her and can't wait to read her novel.