Pushkin: A Biography

by Elaine Feinstein

A biography of one of the great literary lights of Russia explores the tumultuous career of this great poet, and the life of political censorship, unrequited love, dramatic duels, and artistic fervor it encompassed.

Genres: History, Russia, Biography, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction, Russian Literature

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 1998

About the author

Elaine Feinstein was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge and has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as an editor for Cambridge University Press (1960-62), as Lecturer in English at Bishop's Stortford Training College (1963-6), as Assistant Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Essex (1967-70), and as a journalist.

She has contributed to many periodicals, including the Times Literary Supplement, and was formerly Writer in Residence for the British Council in Singapore and Tromsø, Norway.

Of Russian-Jewish ancestry, she has been influenced by Russian writers, especially Marina Tsvetayeva and Anna Akhmatova.

She is the author of a number of plays for television and radio and several biographies, including singer Bessie Smith, writer D. H. Lawrence, Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and Anna Akhmatova.

Reviews

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

কালজয়ী সাহিত্যের রূপকারদের মধ্যে পুশকিন অন্যতম। টলস্টয়ের জ্যেষ্ঠ তিনি, অথচ স্বভাবে চিরনবীন , রোম্যান্টিক , সাহসী এক যুবক , এক অসামান্য সাহিত্যিক ও কবি। চল্লিশ বছর ছোঁয়ার আগেই তিনি পৃথিবী থেকে বিদায় নিয়েছিলেন। কিন্তু আজও মানুষ তাঁর কবিতা পড়ে , তাঁকে স্মরণ করে নিবিড় ভাবে। আধুনিক রুশ গদ্য সাহিত্যের বিশাল বনস্পতির বীজও তাঁর হাতে বোনা।

Russians more often than not, deem Alexander Pushkin as the grand initiator of their Literature. Not only is he a determining figure in poetry, but also in prose. Classic literary endeavour happens to be one of mankind's most imperative connection to the spiritual and divine within him. Not only does it offer man with a sense of inspiration but also imbues him with love of life, optimism and import. Alexander Pushkin has simply done that for so many of his countrymen and those around the globe. Feinstein gives the reader a reasonable description of the foremost works created by Pushkin.

The initial chapters of Feinstein's work was a tad sluggish owing to the tedious staging of Pushkin's affairs one painstakingly followed by another. Nevertheless, a number of finely constructed poems found inclusion, which reflected the poet’s infantile and frolicsome temperament. Making an allowance for the air of inviolability that was built up around Pushkin's repute as the torchbearer of Russian literature after his death, this biography does to some extent help coat a picture of who the factual Pushkin in point of fact was. The book picks up rapidity towards the end, with the overture of Georges d'Anthés (Pushkin’s assassin who shot him in a duel) and the portrayal of d'Anthés' unrestricted dillydallying with Pushkin's wife Natalya.
Feinstein offers loads of substantiation in an attempt to underscore on d'Anthés' convoluted persona and why precisely did things come about as they did. Even though most of this substantiation is tentative, it yet makes for captivating reading.

পুশকিন যে নিষ্ঠুর সময়ে জন্মেছিলেন, সেই সময় এখন অতীত। কিন্তু কালা কানুন ও অত্যাচার এখনো দুনিয়া থেকে থেকে লোপ পায়নি। তাই এই সময়ে পুশকিনকে সঙ্গী হিসেবে পেলে মন্দ হয়না।

[Karie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Really fleshes Pushkin out. Good descriptions of him in boyhood, his personality, his antics, his intelligence. I feel I know him much better.

[Lawrence Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched and well-written. One has little sympathy for Pushkin, wondering how his brittle, offensive personality allowed him to live as long as he did. This is also an excellent study for the social history of Russia in the early 19th century.

[Paul W. B. Marsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super biography by Elaine Feinstein that uses more sources of Baron Georges d’Anthès to build up to the deadly duel that killed Pushkin by d’Anthès at just 37 years old. Feinstein speaks Russian and understands Russian people so can surface more of Pushkin’s thinking.
I also appreciate that Feinstein demonstrates that he was proud of his African heritage rather than sweep it under the carpet (like some biographers). Pushkin’s maternal grandfather was Gannibal, a former Black slave adopted and educated by Peter the Great. Gannibal became a civil engineer and general in the Russian army.
Throughout this biography Feinstein translates Pushkin’s poetry (as best as any translation can do justice) to demonstrate his innovations, ideas and original way of expressing his ideas and thoughts.
Highly recommended.

[Tilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, well documented. Elaine paints a clear picture of the social context of XIXth century Russia, as well as bringing to life the literary bard. I throughly enjoyed staring 2026 with this book and Im now interested in discovering Puskin's work.

[Clay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this biography of Pushkin a couple weeks ago. Who knew that the father of Russian literature was the grandson of an African slave (on his mother's side) adopted by Peter the Great? I've read much more engaging biographies, but Feinstein does a good job of setting the stage for what has come to be known as the Golden Age of Russian literature. Before Pushkin, very little in the way of poetry or literature was written in Russian. At the time, the Russian aristocracy (of which Pushkin was a part, although he was always made to defend his lineage and was not rich like most in his social circle) conversed in French, read French literature, and for the most part, wrote to a French-speaking readership. Pushkin broke with these norms and wrote in common Russian about themes that were previously not found in the Russian language. Sadly, his life was filled with struggle, particularly financial, and he ended up being killed at the age of 37 in a duel against a man who was in love with his beautiful wife and dishonored his sister-in-law. Very ironically, in his most well-known work, "Eugene Onegin," Pushkin writes about another young man who dies in a duel before his time, "in the romantic style, we say, though what's romantic here I simply fail to perceive - that's by the way." For anyone interested in delving into the major works of Russian literature, I wholeheartedly recommend starting with Pushkin. Otherwise, if you just want to dip your toes in, skip Pushkin and go straight to Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.

[julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

elaine feinstein should be stopped from writing pretend biographies - like Anna Akhmatova, Pushkin is an endlessly fascinating character and she does NOT do him justice. perhaps she should have actually learned something about him before attempting to write his biography.

[Anthony Bello · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels more like a series of annotations than a single narrative.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very impressively researched and written with a real sympathy for the poet. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Pushkin's life and works.