Μην πεθαίνεις πριν το θάνατό σου

by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Ελένη Μπακοπούλου (Translator)

Infused with a passionate lyricism and vision, this stunning, extraordinarily insightful, autobiographical novel about life, love, and politics in contemporary Russia, written by renowned poet and political activist Yevtushenko, presages all too accurately the strife that grips Russia today.

Genres: Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature

628 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Евгений Евтушенко
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (Russian: Евгений Александрович Евтушенко; born 18 July 1933 in Zima Junction, Siberia) is a Soviet and Russian poet. He is also a novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, actor, editor, and a director of several films.

Reviews

[Jonfaith · Rating 5 out of 5]

While sublime on its own accord, it should be perhaps pursued in tandem w/ Remnick's Lenin's Tomb for purposes of context. One couldn't imagine a better example of poet's journalism. This shouldn't be confused with poetic journalism, of which Robert Musil was a licensed practitioner. No this a poet parsing reality as history hemorrhages. The eloquence of the event becomes an image: Rostapovich with a Kalashnikov and a girl named Boat lost to the whimsy of Time.

[Deborah Rohne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stirb nicht vor deiner Zeit ist ein berührendes Werk über Russland im Umbruch zwischen Diktatur und Demokratie, Freiheit und Unterdrückung, über den Augustputsch 1991 gegen Gorbatschow. Wir begegnen den verschiedensten Personen, einem Untersuchungsrichter, der um seine Ehe kämpft, einem Fußballer, dessen Ruhm längst vergangen ist und natürlich Jewtuschenko selbst, deren Geschichten miteinander verwoben werden und schließlich im August 1991 auf dem Platz vor dem weißen Haus in Moskau aufeinandertreffen, wo sie aus verschiedensten Gründen aufstehen, um die Demokratie zu verteidigen.
"Stirb nicht vor deiner Zeit", spricht Bötchen zu ihrem geliebten Fußballer Salysin, als sie ihn nach all den Jahren wiedersieht. Es ist ein Aufruf an ihn, an uns alle für das einzustehen, was im Leben wichtig ist, anstatt sich den Umständen zu ergeben. Und er steht auf. Wie so viele Russen und Russinen im August 1991. Denn wie der Roman in zweien meiner Lieblingssätze schreibt: "Hier waren junge Mütter, die sich nicht fürchteten, der Vergangenheit mit Kinderwagen den Weg zu versperren" und "Hier waren die Schullehrer, denen die Geschichte ihre Geschichtsbücher weggenommen hatte und die diese Geschichte heute selber schrieben".
Unübertroffen bleibt Jewtuschenkos Benennung von Charakteren (der kristallklare Kommunist, der Große Lagerspezialist, der Sohn des georgischen Lehrers etc.), deren Entschlüsselung sich nur mit historischem Hintergrundwissen oder googeln ergibt. Doch eben das macht einen Reiz des Werkes aus. Es lädt zum Mitdenken und Nachlesen ein, sodass ein Ersterben des Lesers vor seiner Zeit unmöglich bleibt.

[A.J. Knauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Yevtushenko in the 90s when he was traveling in NY. His zeal for life was inspiring then and remains inspiring now. Hearing him read his poems live on stage (in Russian, with an English translator who then read the translated version) was a thrill. So I am biased in that his outsized personality now shines through anything I read by him. This is a very enjoyable book.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story takes place in Russia before & during the attempted 1991 coup to overthrow Gorbachev. Very human - funny and touching, but my ignorance and forgetfulness in regards to historical/political events hindered me greatly; much of the book went right over my head, I'm afraid. Vivid characters though -- I caught & appreciated those!

[Michãel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written. I don't know enough Soviet/Russian history and politics to have gotten the most out of it.

[Serage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it prose or poetry ? I can't for the life of me figure out which it is !
a wonderful piece of work !

- I do not know about you but I would take this one with me to the grave.

[Norman Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed parts of this book, but those parts were often interrupted by other parts that I didn't. The sections about the ex-soccer player, for example, and especially the flashbacks, really did not contribute to the story.

In a couple of cases, I wondered if the flashbacks were supposed to add humour to the story, but if you have to wonder about that, you know it isn't working.

I also found that the style was not my cup of tea. Perhaps this is a matter of a different literary tradition, or problems in translation, or that the author was working in a form with which he was unaccustomed, but I found the characters were basically stereotypes and one-dimensional.

The events of the story, the coup attempt in August, 1991, were very interesting on the other hand. In cases where the author's personal experiences were described, it was very good. Some of the characters were also engaging. On the whole, though, I found that I was slogging through the slow bits to get to the interesting stuff.

[Meihan Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book of my dream. A complex and kaleidoscopic Russian political fairy tale setting in the intensive drama of the most historic, "revolutionary"moment in the history of New Russia, the nature and legacy of which is no short of ambiguity in retrospect. Told in an extremely passionate, reflective and emphatic tone. Also a rich account of the Soviet/Russian history of "moeurs"-culture, manners and custom. David Remnick's Lenin's Tomb could be read as a companion, but by no means as sweeping and enriched with privileged insider's insightful details as this one. Outstanding. Outstanding. Outstanding.

[John Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a review for this and it has disappeared.

[Buddy Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful surprise this book turned out to be. I've been reading about Russia for a few months, and when I found this book at a thrift store, I thought it might add a lot. Indeed it did. The book covers the unsuccessful coup of August 1991, when the Communists who were being made superfluous by Gorbachav's Perestroika and Glasnost. We meet dozens of fascinating characters, representing many sides of the Russian experience in this time. I call this both history and historical fiction since it has elements of a memoir, including non-fiction episodes in which the author took part, but it also has clearly novelized sections of people who might have models but who aren't reperesented as purely historical. i can't give the book five stars in a world with Brothers K and War and Peace, but it's a good read.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a fascinating memoir / novel of the end of the USSR! The characters are touching, with just enough of that Russian darkness to keep it from becoming sappy. Plus, I learned alot about how that all went down...

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best works of autobiography I've come across. Not as lyrical as Speak, Memory or other brilliant biographies of his countrymen, but written with the passion and insight that a true Slavic poet brings.

[Michael S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!! Great insights into Russia before, during, and after Gorbachev.