Children of the Sun

by Maxim Gorky, Andrew Upton (Translator)

I didn't read your books. I licked them, I rubbed them all over my naked body and licked them.Protasov, detached and idealistic, wants only to immerse himself in chemical experiments to perfect mankind. He's more or less oblivious to the voracious advances of the half-crazed widow Melaniya and his best friend's unrelenting pursuit of his wife, let alone the cholera epidemic and the starving mob at his gates. While Nanny fusses round, Protasov's admiring circle, variously skeptical, romantic and lovesick, spar over culture and the cosmos. Only Liza, neurotic and patronized, feels the suffering of the peasantry and senses that their own privileged world is in jeopardy.Gone? They're everywhere. Have you heard about the riots? The starvation and the flagrant disregard of authority. This disregard is building walls and barriers between us all. And they are massing. The crowds of angry people. And the hate... the hate between us all... kills everything.Written during the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905, Maxim Gorky's darkly comic Children of the Sun depicts the new middle-class, foolish perhaps but likeable, as they flounder around, philosophizing, yearning, or scuttling between test tubes, blind to their impending annihilation.This is Andrew Upton's fourth English version of a play for the National by one of the great Russian masters, including his acclaimed adaptation of Gorky's Philistines.

Genres: Plays, Russia, Russian Literature, Drama, Fiction, Classics, Literature

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1905

About the author

Russian writer Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov (Russian: Алексей Максимович Пешков) supported the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 and helped to develop socialist realism as the officially accepted literary aesthetic; his works include The Life of Klim Samgin (1927-1936), an unfinished cycle of novels.

This Soviet author founded the socialist realism literary method and a political activist. People also nominated him five times for the Nobel Prize in literature. From 1906 to 1913 and from 1921 to 1929, he lived abroad, mostly in Capri, Italy; after his return to the Soviet Union, he accepted the cultural policies of the time.

Reviews

[Brodolomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Deca Sunca“ drama Maksima Gorkog je Čehov koji sanja krv. Kažu da je premijera 1905. bila vrlo napeta i da se ruska publika, zaoranih živaca zbog izbijanja i gušenja prve revolucije, tresla od straha na uzvike pobunjenih masa u četvrtom činu. Ta napetost jednog vremenom se danas izgubila, te kamerni kružook srednjoklasnih intelektualaca u drami budi više asocijacije na Čehovljev teatar, nego na soc. realizam kako ga percipiramo na osnovu onoga što piše u istorijama književnosti ili na osnovu Gorkovljevog najpoznatijeg komada „Na dnu“, izvedenog 3 godine ranije. Nešto od Čehova sigurno su morali da osećaju i onovremeni moskovski gledaoci, pošto je reč o istim МХАТ daskama, istom režiseru Stanislavskom i istim glumcima, uključujujući i Olgu Kniper, Čehovljevu suprugu, koja je u „Deci sunca“ igrala Melaniju. A opet „Deca sunca“ su sve samo ne Čehov, ma koliko bio Čehov i obrnuto.

Mnogo manji umor od života odlikuje Gorkovljevu priviligovano građanstvo, nego onu nastanjenu u Čehovljevim „komedijama“ . Više se insistira na njihovoj izdvojenosti i nepoznavanju života izvan ograda intelektualnih dvorišta i onog pročitanog u idealističkoj literaturi, nego na surovosti života koji izbijaju na mariginama komada. Oni su „Deca sunca“ (idiom u značenju „zlatna generacija“ ili „zlatna mladež“), racionalni idealisti, okrenuti nauci i umetnosti, što bi se reklo, veruju u kuce, mace, leptiriće, svi ljudi teže plemenitom itd. Protasof, glavni junak, suštinski otelotvoruje ovaj ideal, dok su ostali raspoređeni na skali idealizma nasuprot cinizmu. Njegova sestra Lisa, paradokslano, dok tone u iracionalnost i patološki strah od života, postaje Kasandra izričući nekoliko „proročansta“ o budućnosti „najboljih“ u generaciji. Za Gorkog ova „klasa“ će uvek biti uništavana sabijena između krupnog kapitala i nižih klasa. Prvi jer nemaju preteranu korist od nje (hemija kojom se bavi Protasof se ne može iskoristiti za proizvodnju sapuna), dok će niže klase uvek da je mrze jer imaju više od njih, bolje žive, pa i zbog toga što su civilizovaniji.

Struktura drame na tematsko-motivskom nivou povezana je kolopletom ljubavnih mnogouglova, kao i dolaskom kolere u područje odigravanja radnje. Upravo dolazak bolesti najviše može da približi "Decu sunca" savremenom čitaoacu zbog nedavno obustavljene kovid epidemije. Diskurs niže klase o koleri onog vremena je po mnogo čemu sličan dobro poznatom diskursu teorija zavere današnjice – kolera je nastala u laboratoriji, kolera je puštena da bi medicinska industrija zaradila, lek je gore nego bolest, pa i ona služavka koja je pojela sapun neodoljivo podseća na one nesrećnike što su ispijali sredstva za dezinfekciju na Trampov predlog kako bi se zaštitili od korone. Sve se već dogodilo, i sve je već ispričano.

[philosophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A play that centers around the children of the sun, the privileged human beings that stubbornly refuse to see past their selfishness at what is happening around them, drowned in the safety of their bourgeois class. By not dealing with anything of altruistic character but their personal needs and feelings, they end up colliding into each other, cracking the sphere of naivety which surrounded them.

An exceptional social criticism that demonstrates the need for change, without falling into ideological traps.

[Davide Delli Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

La prosa è molto confusa, ma è chiaramente una scelta stilistica per rappresentare le difficoltà della piccola borghesia ai tempi della grande frattura. Gorky è un po' il Pirandello russo (e in quanto russo è estremamente triste)

[notgettingenough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorky? Amazon? Methinks not.

http://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpres...

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s been said that Gorky has written the play while he was briefly imprisoned in St. Petersburg during the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905. The plot is based on an 1862 cholera epidemic, but clearly understood to relate to contemporary events. The play was initially banned, after his release, but was allowed to premiere Oct. 24. 1905 at the Moscow Art Theatre, with Olga Knipper (wife of Chekhov) as Lisa. The title refers to the privileged intellectual elite of Russia, rather idealistic, but basically unaware of what is going on around them in the society.

[Trounin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Говорить о проблемах народа, не являясь представителем того самого народа, – любимое занятие человека. Но человек вообще любит говорить о том, что его не касается, свято веря: думает о том он правильно. И Горький склонялся к мысли, будто происходящее в России – есть отражение времени. Но разве рост самосознания одной части населения способен отражать весь процесс мысли полностью? Проблемы рабочих и крестьян – оставались проблемами рабочих и крестьян, тогда как остальным жителям страны до них не было никакого дела. Проще говоря, каждый живёт присущими лично ему интересами, не способный понять нужды других: в силу неумения принять чуждые ему жизненные обстоятельства. Собственно, и Горький, к чему бы он не склонялся, если о чём и мог размышлять, то сугубо о порывах революционно настроенных людей. При этом не имело значения, кто и в чём нуждается на самом деле. Да и сам Горький принимал облик страдальца, на которого ополчилась царская власть. Будучи заключённым в Петропавловскую крепость, он написал ещё одно произведение для драматургии – пьесу “Дети солнца”.

(c) Trounin

[Shaurya Aarav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very diverse characters. Pavel: loved in the future good, justifying today's miseries. Lisa: worried about the present, aware, but maybe just worried too much. Boris: madly in love. i kinda identified with him. Not ignorant like Pavel but not frantic like Lisa about surroundings. Yelena: the strong woman trapped but shines through in times of distress (fav character). Dmitri: same as Pavel but for arts. Nanny: endlessly loyal and devoted to her masters. Melena: searching for love, desire. Poor woman.

[Lashoun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This piece is probably best appreciated with knowledge of its historical context, which I lack. However, there were a few inspiring or funny scenes in it, and I appreciated how modern the writing felt. The situation also transposed well with the current COVID pandemic!

[Jace Manetsch · Rating 2 out of 5]

i feel like a like a guest in a house where the family starts fighting and you’re like „i can leave if it’s not the right time rn“ and they just tell you „nooo don’t worry we want you here“ but you just feel like you don’t belong there following all this conversations.

[Hekmatjar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I also saw it and it was one of the best theatre experiences of my life.

[GreyAtlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very profound psychological passages and an interesting ending, reminded me of Demons from Dostoevsky.

[Caroline]

i saw this at PAC in may and it was one of the best plays i’ve seen all year. so fun to reread it’s just really special

[Ivan Damjanović · Rating 3 out of 5]

Komad odrezan Ujevićev(sk)im skalpelom kaosa, ali ne toliko kaotičan kao razvikanija Na dnu. Jedna od premisa je kao u π Aronofskog (duboko poniranje u znanost te buđenje iz te uronjenosti- različito motivirano; varijacija na temu, dakle). Smisao patetičnom ljubavnom suicidu pri kraju drame mogao bi se iščitati u namjeri satiriziranja određenih instanci (tadašnjeg) ruskog društva, kao i u napadu rulje na "ljekara" na kraju- žena je umrla navodno od kolere, ljekarovom krivicom, a muž ju je tukao. Osim toga, satirizira se plitkost umjetnika kroz lik slikara, neukost i plitkost likom Melanije te sponzorstvo kroz lik mlade sluškinje inspirirane nečašću starijih žena čije manire ona poprima. Prilično bolji dojam od Na dnu.
Apropos, nedavno sam nabavio knjîga među kojima je i ova iz 1916. pa je to, izm. ost., povod čitanju.

[Johann Guenther · Rating 5 out of 5]

GORKI, Maxim: „Kinder der Sonne“, Bremen 2011
Gorki zeigt in diesem Drama die Diskrepanz zwischen den Adeligen Russlands vor der Revolution mit den Arbeitern auf. Wie verschieden und unterschiedlich diese beiden Gesellschaftsschichten sind. „Zwischen uns und den gewöhnlichen Leuten ist ein der Tat eine weite Kluft … und es muss etwas geschehen, um das Volk uns näher zu bringen.“ (Seite 103)
Innerhalb der adeligen Familie passieren Beziehungen und Liebschaften. In einer erhängt sich der abgewiesene Liebhaber, worauf die Angebetete wahnsinnig wird.
Im Zuge der Revolution erheben sich treue Untergebene und werden zu Feinden. Die Aristokraten haben sich als eine bessere Gesellschaft gesehen, als „Kinder der Sonne.“
(Hinterbrühl, 04.06.2012)

[Livinginthecastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to get going, but a great version which marries the insular concerns of love and science in a middle class Russian family with the explosive distrustful outside world.

[Cody Beebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, one of my favorite plays I have ever read...ever.

[nikivar]

If someday you wanted to hit one of characters of Chehov's pieces, this piece is for you. Chehov's characters who are dreaming about sky full of diamond and about clear beautiful people are going to be hit by common people who don't know about such sort of things. It's a huge piece of gratification.