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CLASSIC RUSSIAN Short Stories Vol.I
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Running Time: 4.5 hours • Reviews Below
3 cassettes $24. • #2201-4 ISBN#1-929718-10-1
1 MP3-CD $20. • #2201-M ISBN#1-929718-29-2
Download this #292 on audible.com
With sound effects and music
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Russian literature exudes an atmosphere of mysticism, which is said to be a natural result of the simplicity of her people. Often, instead of being “about” anything, Russian stories sometimes seem to be the “thing” in itself. Be this as it may, it is an undeniable fact that with hardly any portent of future greatness to come, Russian literature suddenly sprang fully developed into existence in the 19th century. One after another, from Pushkin to Chekhov, some of the greatest writers who have ever lived emerged from the steppes, forests and cities of Mother Russia.
Selections in Volume I: THE SHOT by Alexander Pushkin - A duel is postponed so that it may be continued at a more propitious time. THE OVERCOAT by Nikolai Gogol - The hilarious tale of a lowly bureaucrat who suddenly finds himself in need of a new overcoat. THE TRYST by Ivan Turganev - This is a gorgeous, masterfully written first person narrative of a hunter who overhears two young people: one who loves and one who does not. THE WEDDING by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - When a man is invited to a children’s ball, he witnesses an amazing incident. Five years later, a posh wedding clarifies everything.
A PRISONER IN THE CAUCASUS by Leo Tolstoy - Tartar rebels take a Russian officer prisoner in order to collect a ransom. But the officer’s one thought throughout his cruel ordeal is to escape. AN UPHEAVAL by Anton Chekhov - A young governess accused of theft learns the identity of the real culprit.
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AUDIO EXCERPT:
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Previous Selection Page • Next Page
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Audio Connoisseur is a small, Atlanta-based company that brings out only a few titles a year, but each is consistently well-produced. Charlton Griffin, who co-owns the company and narrates all of the productions, has a lush, deep voice that garnered him an industry award last year. Classic Russian Short Stories, Volume 1, features stories by Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Pushkin, Gogol, and Turgenev read by Charlton Griffin. Griffin captures the mood and mysticism in each story, changing his accent and tone for each character. He is also one of the few male readers who convincingly can adopt a female voice.
Rochelle Marie O'Gorman
The Boston Globe
The survey begins with Pushkin's "The Shot." Why should an officer who can shoot a fly with his pistol be so reluctant to use that instrument to save his honor? It ends with Gogol's "The Overcoat." A poor clerk bets his life on a new coat. This may be one of the funniest stories ever written; it is certainly one of the saddest. Charlton Griffin is an extraordinarily gifted narrator, and his performance is enhanced with music and sound effects. There are six different stories, and six different writers. Since Griffin's voice is the same, and since so much ground is being covered, the listener must pay attention or else be lost. The effort is rewarded. These are the classics.
Benjamin H. Cheever
AudioFile Magazine
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