Nocturne

by Bulat Okudzhava

(From the Notes of Lt. Amiran Amilakhvari, Retired)

In a crumbling wooden mansion on the edge of St. Petersburg, Myatlev, the melancholy prince of this intensely romantic story, drifts through his days, self-exiled from the Tsar’s court, from the affairs of state appropriate to his rank, and from his rowdy former companions in the Horse Guards. The time is the 1840s. Tsar Nicholas I, whose reign began with an army uprising, now rules as an absolute autocrat, surrounded by courtiers and spies. When the Tsar beckons to the lovely baroness whom Myatlev madly desires, and she is – so to speak – preempted, the prince lapses into bitter resignation.
One dark and stormy day, Myatlev saves a young woman from the onrushing wheels of a runaway carriage. He brings her home, tends her, and falls in love…

316 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava (also transliterated as Boulat Okudjava, Bulat Okudjava, Boulat Okoudjava, or Okoudzhava; Russian: Була́т Ша́лвович Окуджа́ва, Georgian: ბულატ ოკუჯავა) (May 9, 1924 – June 12, 1997) was a Soviet poet, writer, musician, novelist,singer-songwriter. He was one of the founders of the Russian genre called "author's song" (авторская песня, avtorskaya pesnya). He was of Georgian-Armenian origin, born in Moscow and died in Paris. He was the author of about 200 songs, set to his own poetry. His songs are a mixture of Russian poetic and folksong traditions and the French chansonnier style represented by such contemporaries of Okudzhava as Georges Brassens. Though his songs were never overtly political (in contrast to those of some of his fellow "bards"), the freshness and independence of Okudzhava's artistic voice presented a subtle challenge to Soviet cultural authorities, who were thus hesitant for many years to give official sanction to Okudzhava as a singer-songwriter.

Reviews

[John Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is TRAVELS OF THE DILETTANTES by Bulat Okudzhava, translated into English by Antonina W. Bouis and published 1978. (I can only assume that the US publisher, Harper & Row, came up with the insipid title NOCTURNE.) The novel itself is one of my favourite reading experiences of all time. It was recommended to me ages ago by a Russian (during the decline of the Soviet Union) and it took me a few years to track it down, partly because I had only the Russian title. Finally found it, and then it sat on my shelves until this year, 2015, when I finally picked it up. I devoured it hungrily and read many passages over again for the sheer pleasure of it. This is a novel beloved by many Russians, and I can understand why. For this American who is keen on Russian history and Russian literature, reading TRAVELS OF THE DILETTANTES was a revelation. Although it is a modern novel in its knowingness and sensibilities, it plays with the conventions of the 19th century Russian novel in clever ways. It reflects our memories of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, and Tolstoy. At its heart, it is a Romantic story of a man's search for meaning and for a lasting love. Yes, it's a love story. But it's far more than that. Love in a time of terror, love in an age when neighbours spy on one another and no one can be trusted. By presenting us a portrait of the repressive years under Tsar Nicholas I, Okudzhava actually holds up a scary mirror reflecting back the most repressive Soviet regimes, not to mention any repressive and paranoid tradition-bound society. This is, to my mind, an absolute classic novel that is a must-read for anyone with any interest in Russia. An unforgettable reading experience. The Russian edition is here on goodreads.