Literature of the Caucasus (Europe and Asia)

Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
First off, it was a toss up as to where to post this thread as the Caucasus lie in both Europe and Asia. Either way, this region has always intrigued me, and I would be well served to read some non-fiction to better understand its complicated history. Does anyone have any recommendations? Of course, I'm always drawn to fiction to teach me some history, and I found an interesting piece on Caucasian literature published by The Calvert Journal in 2017. Although I can't vouch for the book recommendations in the article, I was pleased to be introduced to so many new names. See for yourself!

Caucasian literature: the best contemporary fiction to add to your reading list — The Calvert Journal
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Thanks, Stevie, this list is really inviting. Tomorrow when I am at the
P C I'll add some Georgian authors that are in the thread for Georgian Literature and were indicated by a Georgian member.
 
Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Leseratte said:
Thanks, Stevie, this list is really inviting. Tomorrow when I am at the
P C I'll add some Georgian authors that are in the thread for Georgian Literature and were indicated by a Georgian member.
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I mentored a college student from Georgia years ago. He was not a big fiction reader as he focused on history and politics as a future ambassador (his long-term goal). So I look forward to hearing some recommendations.
 
Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Liam said:
Years ago I came across this Georgian lullaby and instantly fell in love with the culture! Such a unique language, I wish I could read more literature in Georgian (sadly, we lack translations!)--

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Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
 
tiganeasca

tiganeasca

Moderator
I will add some others later, but the first thing that occurs to me is the novella by Tolstoy, Hadji Murat. Takes place in Chechnya, if memory serves. Well worth the time.

P.S. And, duh, Lermontov's Hero of Our Time (and other things, not to mention Pushkin).
 
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Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Here is the link to the Georgian Literature thread:

Georgian Literature

were are you from eric? good job.thnx. "A Man Went Down the Road" by otar chiladze is my favourite book ever... http://burusi.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/122.jpg Famous Georgian writer and poet Otar Chiladze was born in 1933. He emerged in Georgian literature in 1950 and became very popular...
www.worldliteratureforum.com

And here the Georgian Authors recommended on the thread Nino Haratischwilli:

Nino Haratischwili

Nino Haratischwili,German novelist, playwright and theater director, 08 June 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgia. She was raised in Tbilisi, where she attended a drama school. The girl moved with her mother to Germany in the early 1990s to escape the political chaos in her own country. After two years...
www.worldliteratureforum.com

I had a look at Kvachi by Javakhishvili Mikheil. Reminds me of the German Simplicissimus. Seems to be very high literature, am hoping of making it one of my next readings.
 
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Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Liam said:
Years ago I came across this Georgian lullaby and instantly fell in love with the culture! Such a unique language, I wish I could read more literature in Georgian (sadly, we lack translations!)--

Click to expand...
Thanks, @Liam. It's so nostalgic, I almost cried! Had to steal it for the German forum.
 
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Stevie B

Stevie B

Current Member
Leseratte said:
Here is the link to the Georgian Literature thread:

Georgian Literature

were are you from eric? good job.thnx. "A Man Went Down the Road" by otar chiladze is my favourite book ever... http://burusi.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/122.jpg Famous Georgian writer and poet Otar Chiladze was born in 1933. He emerged in Georgian literature in 1950 and became very popular...
www.worldliteratureforum.com

And here the Georgian Authors recommended on the thread Nino Haratischwilli:

Nino Haratischwili

Nino Haratischwili,German novelist, playwright and theater director, 08 June 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgia. She was raised in Tbilisi, where she attended a drama school. The girl moved with her mother to Germany in the early 1990s to escape the political chaos in her own country. After two years...
www.worldliteratureforum.com

I had a look at Kvachi by Javakhishvili Mikheil. Reminds me of the German Simplicissimus. Seems to be very high literature, am hoping of making it one of my next readings.
Click to expand...
Kvachi has been on my radar for several months. It's not available through the university library consortium so I've been trying to locate a cheaper copy that's still in reasonable condition.
 
tiganeasca

tiganeasca

Moderator
It's absolutely astonishing what is out there on the web. So much garbage, but also so much good stuff. You need to get lucky with your searches. And I think I might have. In addition to the piece you found, there is a fascinating essay in The New Yorker that is surprisingly not behind a pay wall: "Blood and Tragedy: The Caucasus in the Literary Imagination." Also, quite an interesting read, I think, "Cultural Depictions of the Caucasus" which discusses Pushkin, Lermontov, and Tolstoy.

And, finally, a recent (June 2021) article, one about a single Dagestani author: "Alisa Ganieva: Giving Dagestan a Voice through Modern Literature."
 
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M

Michael!

New member
tiganeasca said:
I will add some others later, but the first thing that occurs to me is the novella by Tolstoy, Hadji Murat. Takes place in Chechnya, if memory serves. Well worth the time.

P.S. And, duh, Lermontov's Hero of Our Time (and other things, not to mention Pushkin).
Click to expand...

Tolstoy's The Cossacks also takes place in the Caucasus. What I liked most about it was the depictions of life in that region.

The only Georgian author I'm very familiar with is Grigori Chkhartishvili (aka Boris Akunin). He wrote a very popular Russian crime/mystery series (the Erast Fandorin series). I think the only book that actually take's place in the Caucasus is The Black City which is set in Baku.
 
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