Избрани творби

by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, Lesia Ukrainka

До видання ввійшли вибрані художні твори класика української літератури.

Genres: Ukraine

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Mykhailo Mykhailovych Kotsiubynsky (Ukrainian: Михайло Михайлович Коцюбинський), (September 17, 1864 – April 25, 1913) was a Ukrainian author whose writings described typical Ukrainian life at the start of the 20th century. Kotsiubynsky's early stories were described as examples of ethnographic realism; in the years to come, with his style of writing becoming more and more sophisticated, he evolved into one of the most talented Ukrainian impressionist and modernist writers.
During the Soviet period, Kotsiubynsky was honoured as a realist and a revolutionary democrat. A literary-memorial museum was opened in Vinnytsia in 1927 in the house where he was born.

About twenty novels were published during Kotsiubynsky's life. Several of them have been translated to other European languages.

Reviews

[Artem Lukianov · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing that surprised me about this collection of prose is how varied are the subjects of Kotsiubynsky's work. I didn't take much pleasure from his famous novellas, 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors' and 'Fata morgana'. However his shorter works most of which were written in 1900s made quite an impression on me. The progression in terms of depths as well as command of language is apparent throughout this collection. From ethnographic realism of his earlier works (which he revisited later in his literary career, particularly in 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors') to a thorough assessment of human condition, social sentiments, impending social, political and economic change, through this artistic journey, Kotsiubynsky is transformed into a truly exemplary modernist writer. Despite intense urbanisation of that period, he had noted the vitality of social life in villages and documented the process of trickling down of revolutionary ideas to the commonest strata of society.

Ukrainian literature has always been obsessed with life in the country side and the struggles of the poor against wealthy owners of land. Unlike his predecessors, Kotsiubynsky deals with the subject by introducing significant innovation in the style of prose and deep psychological analysis marking versatile features of his characters beyond what is presupposed by adherence to rural working class.

My favourite pieces of his work are: 'Under the Minarets' (1904), 'Laughter' (1906), 'On the Road' (improvised translation) (1907), 'Intermezzo' (1908), 'The Dream' (1911).