Taras BulbaThe First New Translation in Forty Years Set sometime between the mid-sixteenth and early-seventeenth century, Gogol’s epic tale recounts both a bloody Cossack revolt against the Poles (led by the bold Taras Bulba of Ukrainian folk mythology) and the trials of Taras Bulba’s two sons. As Robert Kaplan writes in his Introduction, “[Taras Bulba] has a Kiplingesque gusto . . . that makes it a pleasure to read, but central to its theme is an unredemptive, darkly evil violence that is far beyond anything that Kipling ever touched on. We need more works like Taras Bulba to better understand the emotional wellsprings of the threat we face today in places like the Middle East and Central Asia.” And the critic John Cournos has noted, “A clue to all Russian realism may be found in a Russian critic’s observation about Gogol: ‘Seldom has nature created a man so romantic in bent, yet so masterly in portraying all that is unromantic in life.’ But this statement does not cover the whole ground, for it is easy to see in almost all of Gogol’s work his ‘free Cossack soul’ trying to break through the shell of sordid today like some ancient demon, essentially Dionysian. So that his works, true though they are to our life, are at once a reproach, a protest, and a challenge, ever calling for joy, ancient joy, that is no more with us. And they have all the joy and sadness of the Ukrainian songs he loved so much.” |
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Common terms and phrases
already Andri arms army asked Ataman battle beautiful began body boys bread brothers brought called captain carousing carry carts colonel companies comrades Cossacks covered crowd dark death ducats earth enemy everything eyes face faith father fell felt field fight finally fire followed front give Gogol gold grass hand head heard heart holding honor horses kind Kukubenko lived longer looked lowered managed mother never night Ostap Poles Polish powerful raised regiment remembered rode Russian saber Sech seen shouted side single sleep sons soul speak square standing steppes stood stopped street strength strong suddenly Taras Bulba Tatar Tatar woman tears tell things thought took town turned vodka voice walked walls whole wide women Yankel young Zaporozhians