Στο σώμα της ψυχής

by Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Αλεξάνδρα Ιωαννίδου (Translator)

Ακόμη κι αν καταφέρουμε να νιώσουμε, να καταλάβουμε και να μελετήσουμε το σώμα μας, η ψυχή εντούτοις αρνείται τους ορισμούς. Τι ακριβώς θέλει να καλύψει; Είναι παρούσα σε όλη τη διάρκεια της ύπαρξής μας, ή μήπως κάνει την εμφάνισή της μόνο σε ορισμένες στιγμές;
Ερωτήματα σαν τα παραπάνω θέτουν τα πρόσωπα που κατοικούν στις σελίδες αυτού του βιβλίου, σε συγκυρίες μοναδικές και καθημερινές μαζί: ένας ιατροδικαστής που αναζητά να βρει ορατά σημάδια, μια απομονωμένη σύζυγος που ανακαλύπτει εκπληκτικές φυσικές δυνάμεις, ένας νέος άντρας που χάνεται σε ένα πολυαγαπημένο τοπίο. Μέσα από ένα υπόγειο παιχνίδι αντηχήσεων, αυτές οι στιγμές που βρίσκονται στο μεταίχμιο ζωής και θανάτου συνθέτουν ένα εκπληκτικό και ευαίσθητο σχεδίασμα του περάσματος στο επέκεινα.
Στο κάθε άλλο παρά συνηθισμένο βιβλίο της, το βυθισμένο σε ένα μειλίχιο φως, η Λουντμίλα Ουλίτσκαγια κάνει να αστράφτουν σπίθες ζωής που ζωγραφίζουν τον άτλαντα της ψυχής.

«Είναι μία από τις σπουδαίες συγγραφείς της σύγχρονης ρωσικής λογοτεχνίας. Στα διηγήματά της, όπως και στα μυθιστορήματά της, οι άνθρωποι, και ιδιαίτερα οι γυναίκες, αγωνίζονται πικρά για την επιβίωσή τους και την ελευθερία τους σε μια Ρωσία σημαδεμένη από απανωτές τραγωδίες. Ζωγραφίζοντας με λεπτότητα και αρκετή δόση μαύρου χιούμορ το καθ' όλα ανθρώπινο πρόσωπο του ολοκληρωτισμού, του εθνικισμού ή του αντισημιτισμού, δημιουργεί χαρακτήρες με αξέχαστη ζωτική δύναμη. Το πληθωρικό και πολύπλευρο έργο της είναι πάνω απ' όλα λογοτεχνία.»
- Arte

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Poetry

205 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

Russian profile here Людмила Улицкая

Lyudmila Ulitskaya is a critically acclaimed modern Russian novelist and short-story writer. She was born in the town of Davlekanovo in Bashkiria in 1943. She grew up in Moscow where she studied biology at the Moscow State University.

Having worked in the field of genetics and biochemistry, Ulitskaya began her literary career by joining the Jewish drama theatre as a literary consultant. She was the author of two movie scripts produced in the early 1990s — The Liberty Sisters (Сестрички Либерти, 1990) and A Woman for All (Женщина для всех, 1991).

Ulitskaya's first novel Sonechka (Сонечка) published in Novy Mir in 1992 almost immediately became extremely popular, and was shortlisted for the Russian Booker Award. Nowadays her works are much admired by the reading public and critics in Russia and many other countries. Her works have been translated into several languages and received several international and Russian literary awards, including the Russian Booker for Kukotsky's Case (2001). Lyudmila Ulitskaya currently resides in Moscow. Ulitskaya's works have been translated into many foreign languages. In Germany her novels have been added to bestseller list thanks to features of her works in a television program hosted by literary critic Elke Heidenreich.

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of beautifully written short stories. Divided into two sections, ‘Girlfriends’ and ‘The Body of the Soul’ the stories cover many themes of life and death, and particularly ageing. There’s some transformations in the latter section (‘Aqua Allegoria’, ‘Woof-Woof’ and ‘The Autopsy’) but my favourite was the second story ‘Alisa Buys Death’ because I found the ending so unexpected.

[Annisha Borah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as i have been exposed to, most Russian writing that people talk about is by straight, cis men. And i don’t really vibe w that. I wanted my first foray into Russian lit to be different, and im really glad that i chose this book! It’s a special one. The different explorations of what the soul is/could be is thoughtful and interesting. And the title is so perfect for this book!

[Nicole Pi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I cannot understand Russian, I cannot judge the quality of Pevear and Volokhonsky's translations, nor am I sure if the words I read were representative of Ulitskaya's original stories. What I can say, however, is that I greatly enjoyed this particular translation of "The Body of the Soul."

The collection is divided into two parts, "Girlfriends" and "The Body of the Soul," each part introduced by a poem.

I love love loved "Girlfriends." "Alisa Buys death" and "A Foreigner" were especially captivating in their complex female characters. The stories in "The Body of the Soul" had more fantastical elements, which isn't really my thing. But throughout the collection, I greatly enjoyed the connecting theme of the elevation of the human soul.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for the eARC. All thoughts were my own.

[The Bibliophile Doctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The body of the soul is brilliant collection of short stories written by Ludmila Ulitskaya and translated from Russian to English by artfully by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Yes the Anna Karenina translators. The best translation of Anna Karenina is said to be by these two. That was one of the reason that I requested this book.

I finished this book a long time back and yet I kept musing over what should I really write in the review because this might be one of the most difficult books to review but I will try my best to bring Justine to the book.

Ulitskaya in this book maps the edges of our lives, tracing a delicate geography of the soul as per the blurb but what does it mean really? These short stories explore such vast and unexplored and infinitely out of one's mind's reach topics. Some are so marvellous that I had to take a break to process my thoughts.

You have to be a very patient reader when reading this book. When I started I thought of quitting so many times. I couldn't understand what was happening. And the translation felt fractured and like I always say that something is lost in translation (of course not at the expense or fault of translators) but there are some words which exist only in one language but can not in other. I understand this being an Indian so obviously I'm a multilingual. So either keep your mind open to be blown or just don't pick up this book.

The book has two parts, each starts with a beautiful poem - Girlfriends (4 stories) and the body of the soul (7 stories) compiling total 11 short stories.

Girlfriends

*Thedragon and the Phoenix - "It is impossible to tell who in it is the warrior, who the sorcerer, who is evil and who is good, because they are bound forever into one immobile and indissoluble ring." A lesbian couple , one is strong but dying, and another who is dependent is praying for her life, not wanting to live without other. Armenian vs Azerbaijani. And then there's priestess who can do soul transfers? So many questions unanswered.
Ludmila has left all stories open to interpretation by her readers and that's what makes these stories even more intriguing. Rating-4/5

*Alisa Buys death - Hers was not a burdensome asceticism, but one of rare, insignifi cant aff airs that put her on a par with her peers in life experience. Alisa has been independent whole her life especially after seeing her mother's transgressions following one man after the other ending up in suicide. But one day after experiencing something terrifying she decides what to do with her life. "Alisa was sixty- four. She was in good health, except for the fainting fi t that had unexpectedly reminded her of the finiteness of life." She already had decided not to give any man a chance but then there comes a person in her life who is worthy of it all. What will happen though? Fate is in favour of Alisa or not? One of my favourite stories from collection. Rating -5/5

*Aforeigner -Another good story of a headstrong girl Lilya who marries a foreigner Salikh and has a daughter but life takes a turn for the worst. All that's ends well though. Rating- 4/5

*Blessed Are Those Who - two estranged daughters attending funeral of their mom and somehow in the end they are closer than they ever had been. A death can bring people together. Rating 3/5


The body of the soul

*Slaughtered Souls - Zhenya has to visit a meat factory. "The American moccasins were ruined, their joyful color of pine bark never returned, even af-ter prolonged cleaning; they turned a dull brown." This reminded me of one time when I went to buy meat and saw butcher in action in front of me. I couldn't eat meat for a long time after that.
Rating -4/5

*Aqua Allegoria - "There was no sign at all of any Kafkian insects." A retelling of Kafka's metamorphosis but it doesn't have to be ugly every time, does it? Rating- 4/5

*Two Together - an old man reminiscing times with his wife. Rating 3/5

*A Man in a Mountainous Landscape - A story of a young boy and his mother. "The orphanage where she had lived till the age of sixteen, Valentina had learned how to survive, but had not learned how to love." Valentina showed great patience. She had it where others
have love. Tolik, too, knew little about love, but gratitude."
Tolik isn't bright in school but is bright at something else. But he becomes sick with an illness. The ending of this one was one of the best. Rating: 4.5/5


*Woof- Woof - A story of how a belief can turn even an literate an educated person blind to their faith.

*Autopsy - There was not the slightest trace of mysticism in what was happening. A convincing reality . . . A story of faith and following.
Rating-4/5

*A Serpentine road-This was just an okay one. Rating 2.5/5



Thank you Netgalley and Yale University press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Simone Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Splittrad vad gäller helhetskänslan av denna novellsamling. Första delen, Girlfriends, skänkte vackra tankeställande människoporträtt medan andra delen innehöll flera kortare noveller som jag upplevde som mer andefattiga och symboliken mer repetitiv. Definitivt ett författarskap jag vill utforska mer dock.

[lonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting short story collection for a fall release. .

All of the stories were solid, but the shorter stories were more impactful for me. There are strong themes about control, death, and transformation in nearly every story. They reminded me of the progression from ripe to overripe, then to rotting and dust. My favorite 2 stories were Aqua Allegoria and A Serpentine Road. The way Ulitslaya subverts their decay at the last moment was thought provoking, with one woman desire for control transforming her entirely and the other’s slow loss of control culminating in an expansion of who she is and her reality. I really liked the hint of the unknown and the surreal at the end of both stories as well.

This is a solid 3.75, but I’m gonna round it up to 4 just for those 2 stories.

[Lizzie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful short stories, I enjoyed almost all of them

[Caroline Forrest · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection was very well written. It was filled with complex characters and broken lives. However, it was extremely sad and at times difficult to read.

[Christine Geisel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thought provoking stories on the human soul and what happens when the body dies.

[Ilianna Kalkatzikou · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This radiant world had no boundaries. It moved, developed, expanded, and unfolded like a serpentine road…”

This collection is something special. I’ve read plenty of short story collections where only a handful stand out, but this is the first time I’ve loved every single one. Ulitskaya’s writing is subtle yet deeply moving, capturing the beauty, tragedy, and humor of everyday life with such grace.

Each story feels like a small, fully realized world, filled with complex, unforgettable characters. There’s a quiet wisdom in her storytelling, nothing feels forced or overly dramatic, just deeply human. Some stories made me smile, others broke my heart, and all of them left me in awe.

I will always recommend this book. It’s the kind of collection that lingers in your mind long after you finish, and I know I’ll be returning to it again and again.

[Amali · Rating 4 out of 5]

«…ἐνῶ ὁ φόβος μὴν καὶ πέσει στὴν ἐξουσία κάποιου ἄλλου ἦταν πιὸ δυνατὸς ἀπ᾿ ὅλους τοὺς ἄλλους γυναικείους φόβους : τὸ φόβο τῆς μονα- ξιᾶς, ἢ τῆς ἀκληρίας, ἢ τῆς φτώχειας.»

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ludmila Ulitskaya’s latest collection of stories is wide-ranging, thought-provoking and frequently moving. She’s never afraid to tackle difficult subjects and does so with empathy and insight. Now 81, her writing has lost none of its power. In this collection women are centre-stage, with all the tragedy, bleakness and difficulties of their lives. The book is in two parts. The first half consists of four stories, focussing on the relationship between women, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, women who often act outside societal expectations. The first story, Girlfriends, I found particularly interesting as it features the lesbian relationship between an Armenian and an Azerbaijani woman, with all the cultural problems that this entails. I also very much enjoyed Alisa Buys Death, in which an independent ageing woman is suddenly faced with her own mortality and realises that her life choices means she will have no one to look after her at the end. Mother and daughter relationships feature prominently in all these stories. The stories in the second half are shorter and more episodic, with less plotting and character development, but still poignant and relatable. Some fantasy and magic realism creeps in, which made some of them less personally relatable to me. However, the book as a whole is a great read, and each story has much to offer.

[David Sheward · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Borrowed from my husband who bought it on Amazon) This was a short book of stories, so I figured I could polish it off before moving on to other longer works. Russian author Ulitskaya offers fascinating portraits of citizens caught between their intellect and their passions. An older woman wants to commit suicide, but then marries the reluctant doctor prescribing the pills to do the job. A stuffed toy dog takes on significance for a deprived family. A librarian gradually loses her command of vocabulary. Hints of magic realism as one character transforms into a butterfly and a coroner receives a visit from the afterlife. Enjoyable and thought-provoking in spite of their brevity. (only 150 pages).

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful translation, and I don’t say that lightly at all!

I will write a more detailed review when I have more time, but the nod to Kafka in Aqua Allegoria was delightful!

This is my first experience of reading queer fiction from a Russian author ( The Dragon and the Phoenix); such a beautiful representation of love and loyalty.

Alisa Buys Death was a strong portrayal of a strong female character - not very many of those in modern Western fiction these days.

In summary, I am gladdened to have read this book - such flowy prose - it was impossible to put it down once I began reading it.

[Js · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body of the Soul is a book of short stories that is divided into two parts. The first is called Girlfriends, beginning with a poem celebrating all the women the author has known in their different moods and diversities. The stories themselves are rather serious, generally slice of life in format, and dealing with issues like death and suicide. The second part is rather different. Called The Body of the Soul, this second part also begins with a poem. These stories though tend more towards transformative situations, and some take a far more fanciful turn.

[Anita Salát · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Ulitskaya's novels and normally not an avid short story reader, yet I dare say that this collection was the best writing I've read from her.

I felt a very personal connection with the first half of the book, maybe because the main characters here are dominantly women, hence the title Girlfriends.

These are standalone novellas but have an intangible common vibe - having read them you must linger on and think about life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for an Advance Review Copy.

[Louise Foerster · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BODY OF THE SOUL by Ludmila Ulitskaya was unlike any other book I've ever read. A deftly woven net of poetry and prose, simple and elemental language, characters who live such thoughtful, conscious lives, her collection drew me into another world, sometimes fantastical and other times down-to earth riotous and frank celebration of our here and now. Her keen intelligence and powerful narrative kept me reading way too late into the night. I look forward to reading more of her work. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

[Noel Cisneros]

Narraciones que ahondan en la vida de mujeres de Rusia del siglo XX y de este siglo, mujeres que aman a otras mujeres a pesar de que sus familias ni siquiera puedan entender lo que eso significa, mujeres que se casan con extranjeros que desaparecen cuando el hijo nace, mujeres que no conocen el amor hasta que deciden que es momento de decidir la forma de dejar este mundo, jóvenes que se transforman en mariposas, un fotógrafo que descubre su vocación desde niño. Cuentos que indagan en las vidas de las personas narrados con atención al detalle y con compasión.

[Lila_Sta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Υπέροχη συλλογή δύο ποιημάτων και έντεκα διηγημάτων. Όλα αποτελούν, το καθένα με τον τρόπο του, μία συνάντηση με την αγωνία του να ζεις και να πεθαίνεις.

Δεν μπόρεσα να μην νιώσω συγγένεια ανάμεσα στην Ulitskaya και την Tokarczuk, και κυρίως με τους Πλάνητες, λόγω των θεματικών που τις απασχολούν ανθρωπιά, περιβάλλον, κρατική υποκρισία.

Το "δεν χρειάζομαι άλλους", το πρώτο ποίημα αντί προλόγου, νομίζω ότι είναι από τα πιο όμορφα ποιήματα που έχω διαβάσει. Σίγουρα θέλω να διαβάσω κι άλλα της ίδιας.

[Santi GN · Rating 3 out of 5]

No conozco mucho del mundo de la literatura rusa contemporánea, pero aprecié mi lectura de estos personajes tan cotidianos, perdidos en sus problemas de amor o desamor, financieros o familiares, pero ante todo, corporales. Siempre me gusta leer a nuestro mundo para recordar que es mentira eso que dicen algunos, que nuestro mundo ya no tiene nada de poético. Hay ternura en estas historias. Mis favoritos fueron "Woof Woof", sobre un perro de peluche y sus peripecias a lo largo de las generaciones de niños que lo tienen por amigo, y "Alisa Buys Death", sobre una mujer de mediana edad que está empecinada en ser ella, y no su cuerpo, quien determine su muerte; en el camino, las relaciones que forma le dan una nueva perspectiva sobre elementos que había ignorado en otras etapas de su vida.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read this extraordinary book of stories again and again. It feels like a very personal book by a writer who revels in sharing her beautiful mind, and her immense gift for storytelling. This is a stunning example of literary fiction, even in translation. The narration by Kate Harper is understated and perfectly matched to the material.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read her work before, both novels and shorts. These were not up to the level of what I expected. There was really nothing of note here, to me at least, in this short collection. Strike that, “Woof, Woof” which followed the progression of a little toy dog claimed by a woman for her granddaughter from a Lendlease package in 1944 through seventy years in a family was thoughtful and provoking

[Wen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ludmila Ulitskaya的短篇集，分成两部分，第一部分Girlfriends的几篇主题是女性、连结，第二部分the body of the soul 的主题是身体、存在。共同的主题有家庭、病症，知识分子和文化冲突。她的写作风格很独特，介绍说她避免传统俄语文学深挖角色内心世界的写法，反而和每个角色都始终隔着观察者的距离：很少用对话，以描述居多。许多短篇就像把一个故事从90%处捏起来，先按照时间顺序转述前90%，再展开/收束结尾。可能是翻译的原因，我其实不是特别喜欢这种笔法，英文读起来比较平淡，像是一份很长的人物背景介绍。有几个故事还挺怪的（尤其是foreigner这篇

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written short stories, very nostalgic and feminine in tone. But maybe they were too short, I could not really connect with the characters, who mostly sounded the same. Happy to have managed to read it in the original language, the writing is really good.

[Tristan Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible and beautiful collection.

[Finn Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The body of the Soul is one of the best collection of short stories I have ever read, each tale was so intriguing. I found the perspectives very interesting, nothing like I have read before.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read translated books I always feel like I’m missing something, or word choices seem strange. This was no exception.

[Electra McNeil · Rating 3 out of 5]

trying not to be harsh as I didn't read it in its native russian. it's Not Bad. second part is better than the first.

[Tommie Whitener · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like her novels a lot better.

[Sally Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and thought provoking collection of stories, with ‘Alisa Buys Death’ from Girlfriends, and ‘Woof-Woof’ and ‘The Autopsy’ from The Body of the Soul being highlights for me.