What do you think?
Rate this book
Stalin's Scribe: Literature, Ambition, and Survival: The Life of Mikhail Sholokhov
Mikhail Sholokhov is arguable one of the most contentious recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature. As a young man, Sholokhov’s epic novel, Quiet Don, became an unprecedented overnight success.
Stalin’s Scribe is the first biography of a man who was once one of the Soviet Union’s most prominent political figures. Thanks to the opening of Russia’s archives, Brian Boeck discovers that Sholokhov’s official Soviet biography is actually a tangled web of legends, half-truths, and contradictions. Boeck examines the complex connection between an author and a dictator, revealing how a Stalinist courtier became an ideological acrobat and consummate politician in order to stay in favor and remain relevant after the dictator’s death.
Stalin's Scribe is remarkable biography that both reinforces and clashes with our understanding of the Soviet system. It reveals a Sholokhov who is bold, uncompromising, and sympathetic—and reconciles him with the vindictive and mean-spirited man described in so many accounts of late Soviet history.
Shockingly, at the height of the terror, which claimed over a million lives, Sholokhov became a member of the most minuscule subset of the Soviet Union’s population—the handful of individuals whom Stalin personally intervened to save.
Stalin’s Scribe is the first biography of a man who was once one of the Soviet Union’s most prominent political figures. Thanks to the opening of Russia’s archives, Brian Boeck discovers that Sholokhov’s official Soviet biography is actually a tangled web of legends, half-truths, and contradictions. Boeck examines the complex connection between an author and a dictator, revealing how a Stalinist courtier became an ideological acrobat and consummate politician in order to stay in favor and remain relevant after the dictator’s death.
Stalin's Scribe is remarkable biography that both reinforces and clashes with our understanding of the Soviet system. It reveals a Sholokhov who is bold, uncompromising, and sympathetic—and reconciles him with the vindictive and mean-spirited man described in so many accounts of late Soviet history.
Shockingly, at the height of the terror, which claimed over a million lives, Sholokhov became a member of the most minuscule subset of the Soviet Union’s population—the handful of individuals whom Stalin personally intervened to save.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2019
7 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 16, 2019
Earlier this summer I read about Franco’s poet. When I saw “Stalin’s Scribe” at the library I had to check it out.
Mikhail Sholokhov of Russia and Leopoldo Panero of Spain were born 4 years apart in countries soon to have bloody civil cars. They came of age in the brutal aftermath of these wars. As young men, both were imprisoned for their humanitarian leanings which they had to put aside to survive. Panero remained productive his entire adult life, not just in writing but in promoting the cultural life of Spain. Sholokhov wrote his major work as a young man and fans, which included dictators, waited anxiously for more work that he was slow in creating.
The Age of Disenchantments: The Epic Story of Spain's Most Notorious Literary Family and the Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War and Stalin’s Scribe are very different books. Shulman focuses on the Panero’s family, and Boeck hardly mentions Sholokhov’s. Mrs. S. gets a mention when they marry, have their third child, move during the war and travel to Stockholm. There are two quotes that show her to be feisty.
Sholokhov, clearly, lived in a more lethal world than Panero. Panero had to follow narrow speech and behavior protocols, but they did not change. His job, more than his life was at risk. Boeck shows how Sholokhov had to safeguard what influence he had by carefully choosing words and picking battles. Living outside of Moscow gave him some autonomy, but there was no getting away from a totalitarian system where career ladders of others were built on denouncing others for small deviations from the ever changing party line. It appears that writing is lucrative, Sholokhov has a much higher standard of living than Panero.
There were not many who complained to Stalin – but Sholokhov did - and was able to help friends and stave off some of the famine produced by Stalin’s policies.
Throughout his career, Sholokhov was dogged by accusations of plagiarism for this most acclaimed work: “The Quiet Don” as it is known is Russia It appears that the main story was based on the work of another writer, but it is Sholokhov who brought it to life.
Through Sholokhov’s story you see the role of literature at the highest levels of Russian government. Stalin wants the great work – equal to Tolstoy – to show the (Stalin’s) heroism in WWII; but he is also a keen reader of literature. Khrushchev likewise is heavily involved with writers and literature. Brezhnev, too ill to attend Sholokhov’s birthday party, sends an elaborate gift. Putin has made a pilgrimage to Sholokhov’s home and the site where Sholokhov burned his papers.
Also, in this book you see the politics of the Nobel Prize, how a country can and cannot promote its writers. In the Soviet Union there is a backlash to Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn who made their careers showing their homeland in a bad way.
There are very few Americans who will recognize this writer’s name, in the Epilogue, Boech anecdotally shows that he remains very popular in Russia.
The writing is very good as is the research; however, I can only recommend this to those who are interested in this topic. Some of the content, by nature of the subject, is grim.
Mikhail Sholokhov of Russia and Leopoldo Panero of Spain were born 4 years apart in countries soon to have bloody civil cars. They came of age in the brutal aftermath of these wars. As young men, both were imprisoned for their humanitarian leanings which they had to put aside to survive. Panero remained productive his entire adult life, not just in writing but in promoting the cultural life of Spain. Sholokhov wrote his major work as a young man and fans, which included dictators, waited anxiously for more work that he was slow in creating.
The Age of Disenchantments: The Epic Story of Spain's Most Notorious Literary Family and the Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War and Stalin’s Scribe are very different books. Shulman focuses on the Panero’s family, and Boeck hardly mentions Sholokhov’s. Mrs. S. gets a mention when they marry, have their third child, move during the war and travel to Stockholm. There are two quotes that show her to be feisty.
Sholokhov, clearly, lived in a more lethal world than Panero. Panero had to follow narrow speech and behavior protocols, but they did not change. His job, more than his life was at risk. Boeck shows how Sholokhov had to safeguard what influence he had by carefully choosing words and picking battles. Living outside of Moscow gave him some autonomy, but there was no getting away from a totalitarian system where career ladders of others were built on denouncing others for small deviations from the ever changing party line. It appears that writing is lucrative, Sholokhov has a much higher standard of living than Panero.
There were not many who complained to Stalin – but Sholokhov did - and was able to help friends and stave off some of the famine produced by Stalin’s policies.
Throughout his career, Sholokhov was dogged by accusations of plagiarism for this most acclaimed work: “The Quiet Don” as it is known is Russia It appears that the main story was based on the work of another writer, but it is Sholokhov who brought it to life.
Through Sholokhov’s story you see the role of literature at the highest levels of Russian government. Stalin wants the great work – equal to Tolstoy – to show the (Stalin’s) heroism in WWII; but he is also a keen reader of literature. Khrushchev likewise is heavily involved with writers and literature. Brezhnev, too ill to attend Sholokhov’s birthday party, sends an elaborate gift. Putin has made a pilgrimage to Sholokhov’s home and the site where Sholokhov burned his papers.
Also, in this book you see the politics of the Nobel Prize, how a country can and cannot promote its writers. In the Soviet Union there is a backlash to Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn who made their careers showing their homeland in a bad way.
There are very few Americans who will recognize this writer’s name, in the Epilogue, Boech anecdotally shows that he remains very popular in Russia.
The writing is very good as is the research; however, I can only recommend this to those who are interested in this topic. Some of the content, by nature of the subject, is grim.
March 19, 2019
I liked this book quite well - I felt like I learned some things about Soviet history and at the same time I was engaged by the story.
As is sometimes the case, however, I am not sure how much other folks might like this. My basic college degree was in Russian & Soviet studies, so I had much of the context already. Much as the author of this book reported about himself, I had a rather simplistic understanding of the Soviet author and Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Mikhail Sholokhov - that he was a Stalinist sycophant and had plagiarized his great novel "Quiet Flows the Don." And that his plagiarism was proven by his inability to repeat his success with a great novel after that.
This book fills out a much more complicated story about the life of the writer Sholokhov, in particular his complicated and rather amazing relationship with Joseph Stalin. In some ways, what it has to say about how Stalin chose to use Sholokhov, the nature of their almost symbiotic relationship, is the most interesting - it is a more nuanced sense of Stalin as a leader than one gets simply thinking of him plotting against others and signing death warrants during the Great Terror.
Perhaps the only weak aspect of the book's story is that since it is the story loses some of its drama after towards the end, particularly the last decade of Sholkhov's life under Brezhnev. But on some level, this is hardly surprising - Brezhnev's leadership was eventually considered the period of "stagnation" by Russians.
It is also somewhat amazing as a reader how long Sholokhov was able to continue his life in at least modestly good health despite his alcoholism, which led to numerous dramatic incidents described in the book but took decades to eventually kill him (along with smoking and other aspects of Soviet life).
The book answered one question I had, which is why the title of Sholokhov's most famous book was rendered in English as "Quiet flows the Don" referencing the Don river when the Russian title is simply the Russian of "Quiet Don" - the British publisher didn't want English readers to think it was a book about a British academic (a university "don").
Sholokhov never produced a great WWII novel as he promised Stalin he would, but he still had the occasional inspired moments. After Gagarin flew in space, numerous cultural figures wrote flowery praise that was published in newspapers such as Pravda. Sholokhov's offering was "Vot eto da" - a kind of folksy idiom that said little yet said what many were thinking.
In some ways, particularly in certain activities such as his multi-year pursuit of the Novel Prize, Sholokhov is portrayed as singlemindedly interested more recognition and little else. But then there were numerous examples of his speaking up for those who he felt were unjustly prosecuted during the Great Terror, which is quite remarkable for his tenacity in his efforts and his successes.
But to return to my first point, for me, this book builds on the basic understanding of Soviet history and Soviet literature and culture. For someone for example who did not know who Mikhail Sholokhov is, would it work so well? I don't know.
As is sometimes the case, however, I am not sure how much other folks might like this. My basic college degree was in Russian & Soviet studies, so I had much of the context already. Much as the author of this book reported about himself, I had a rather simplistic understanding of the Soviet author and Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Mikhail Sholokhov - that he was a Stalinist sycophant and had plagiarized his great novel "Quiet Flows the Don." And that his plagiarism was proven by his inability to repeat his success with a great novel after that.
This book fills out a much more complicated story about the life of the writer Sholokhov, in particular his complicated and rather amazing relationship with Joseph Stalin. In some ways, what it has to say about how Stalin chose to use Sholokhov, the nature of their almost symbiotic relationship, is the most interesting - it is a more nuanced sense of Stalin as a leader than one gets simply thinking of him plotting against others and signing death warrants during the Great Terror.
Perhaps the only weak aspect of the book's story is that since it is the story loses some of its drama after towards the end, particularly the last decade of Sholkhov's life under Brezhnev. But on some level, this is hardly surprising - Brezhnev's leadership was eventually considered the period of "stagnation" by Russians.
It is also somewhat amazing as a reader how long Sholokhov was able to continue his life in at least modestly good health despite his alcoholism, which led to numerous dramatic incidents described in the book but took decades to eventually kill him (along with smoking and other aspects of Soviet life).
The book answered one question I had, which is why the title of Sholokhov's most famous book was rendered in English as "Quiet flows the Don" referencing the Don river when the Russian title is simply the Russian of "Quiet Don" - the British publisher didn't want English readers to think it was a book about a British academic (a university "don").
Sholokhov never produced a great WWII novel as he promised Stalin he would, but he still had the occasional inspired moments. After Gagarin flew in space, numerous cultural figures wrote flowery praise that was published in newspapers such as Pravda. Sholokhov's offering was "Vot eto da" - a kind of folksy idiom that said little yet said what many were thinking.
In some ways, particularly in certain activities such as his multi-year pursuit of the Novel Prize, Sholokhov is portrayed as singlemindedly interested more recognition and little else. But then there were numerous examples of his speaking up for those who he felt were unjustly prosecuted during the Great Terror, which is quite remarkable for his tenacity in his efforts and his successes.
But to return to my first point, for me, this book builds on the basic understanding of Soviet history and Soviet literature and culture. For someone for example who did not know who Mikhail Sholokhov is, would it work so well? I don't know.
Read
April 28, 2019No review or personal rating. I got about a third of the way through and abandoned. I'm sure it is at least a 4 star non-fiction biography. Boech has done all the translation and nuance for the Russian language and documenting himself.
The author is impeccable in his research and detailing. It's the depth and severe outcomes, my own cultural clashes for this horrendous and horrific mindset especially, that just went over the top. More than I ever want to know about these folks or their strictures.
It makes you wonder; survival in such company and under this kind of public exposure? You'd have to learn to love supping with monsters.
The author is impeccable in his research and detailing. It's the depth and severe outcomes, my own cultural clashes for this horrendous and horrific mindset especially, that just went over the top. More than I ever want to know about these folks or their strictures.
It makes you wonder; survival in such company and under this kind of public exposure? You'd have to learn to love supping with monsters.
November 28, 2023
The first third sets the tone of Sholokov’s early adult life, his relationship with Stalin, before Gulags, beginnings and early Ukrainian conversions. Relative to current Ukrainian war, perhaps some cultural behaviors become genetic and can’t be adapted or modified out-of-existence in one or two generations. (40 years).
I skimmed the last two thirds which cover Sholokov’s attempts to make his writing suit his political situation and continue to stay alive. Not a happy situation to live one’s life.
The last chapter by the author, Boech, puts Sholokov’s life and the effect of his life in perspective. It also offers insights into the Russian character.
Perhaps an explanation why immigration will always continue towards a place/country where humans can have the potential to be their best selves (carrot) and stay alive (stick).
Thank you Brian Boech. A fine legacy….
I skimmed the last two thirds which cover Sholokov’s attempts to make his writing suit his political situation and continue to stay alive. Not a happy situation to live one’s life.
The last chapter by the author, Boech, puts Sholokov’s life and the effect of his life in perspective. It also offers insights into the Russian character.
Perhaps an explanation why immigration will always continue towards a place/country where humans can have the potential to be their best selves (carrot) and stay alive (stick).
Thank you Brian Boech. A fine legacy….
December 30, 2021
Great piece of historical non-fiction. I came across this book with my Audible subscription and it fit very well in my Russian craze in the last year. Sholokhov was a institution of its own in the Eastern Block, an exemplary of Stalinist realism. I still haven't read it but will definitely add it to my list. It is the fate of all great Russian writes to lead lives deserving of an epic novel in their own turn. Sholokhov's life follows in this pattern as well. Picked up on the wings of The Revolution, lived through the horrid years of Stalin's horrors, lived through WW2, battling unfounded accusations of plagiarism, busy with party machinations, he never managed to live up to The Quiet Don
June 17, 2019
"Literature cannot be judged by courts... ideas can only be combated with ideas, not camps and jails." --Lidiia Chukovskaia
I read 'Scribe' in the hopes of learning more about Quiet Don, Sholokov, and its controversial position in world literature. 'Stalin's Scribe' covers the the controversial position very well, Sholokov pretty well, and Quiet Don (somewhat surprisingly) very little.
I really liked the primer/abridged history on the Soviet Union (I can't imagine a book like this not covering this topic). I really liked learning how Sholokov worked the system, battling conflicts of his love of the Don and his supposed writing career with necessary loyalties to Moscow. Without question his ability to walk this decades-long tightrope would have been hampered (if not impossible) without his Quiet Don talisman.
This book is very political, and needs more details about Sholokov's early life/family life and the history/inspriation of the characters and plots of Quiet Don itself (both plagarism and unique aurthorship is recognized by Boeck) to really present a full picture. 'Scribe' did not grip me as tightly as 'The Zhivago Affair' for these reasons, combined with the fact that protagonists on the run (e.g. Pasternak: tracked by the government, extramarital affair, etc.) simply hold your attention more than the alternative (e.g. Sholokov: protected by the government, struggling alchoholic).
'Scribe' is a challenging, but well-researched read. If you're looking for a entry point into Russian literature, start with Doctor Zhivago/The Zhivago Affair. For those with an already-developed love for Russian lit, 'Scribe' (and for that matter: 'Quiet Don', aka 'And Quiet Flows the Don' + 'The Don Flows Home to the Sea') is certainly worth your time.
_______
tl;dr - SPOILERS and chapter summaries below.
One
Avoided capital punishment for tax manipulation by dad lying about his age.
Tax collector during famine.
Moved to Moscow. circulated with students.
Loves Maria. Lenin dies. Back and forth to Moscow. Starts small writing gigs. Dressed as if civil war veteran.
Got published in multiple journals, courted scandal.
Two
Soviets opened up to Cossacks. He saw an opportunity to reunite with his homeland who rejected him, and a market opportunity with these story snippets from WWI. Could fall back in favor with Cossacks, who never accepted him as a youth because of bastard birth, mothers remarraige.
Three
Quiet Don a smash success. Wanted to base final volume on a shot Cossack, Yermakov. Plagiarism rumors find Stalin, Sholo comes out of tribunal innocent. Sholo now distrusts the Moscow literary circles. Chose to live in country in Vioshki.
Four
Assisted and spoke out against kulaks. Outed in newspaper. Luckily a poorly run investigation absolved him, declaring him politically ignorant. Worked anti kulak rhetoric into aqfd, applied to Communist party.
Five
Gorky disagreed with Lenin, outed from USSR. Stalin liked Gorky. Gorky liked Sholo. Sholo cleared to visit Gorky in Italy, but got stuck in Germany. Saw fascist Germany shut down theatres playing All Quiet. Sholo returned to USSR, wanted to publish more aqfd, but blocked by Fadeev. Sholo did not want to spin Gregor. Sholo wrote Gorky for support. Sholo wrote Stalin about poor agriculture. Gorky and Stalin met with Sholo.
Six
Sholo survives Stalins line of questions with excellence. He knows how to answer cunningly, playing to Stalins ears. Agrees to write on collectivization, gets Stalins phone number. Stalin agrees to help get quiet don past obstinate publishers.
Seven
Platonov writes satire, changes the rules of USSR publications.
Writes with sweat and blood/virgin soil upturned. Publishers scared of the work. With a direct call to Stalin, Stalin approved.
Eight
Sholo and Fadeev partay with Ygod secret police. Fadeev worried.
RAPP liquidated. Sholo forced to not support RAPP.
Rural investigators falsely think grain is plentiful.
Gorky holds dinner with Stalin and writers. Cultural puges to begin. Stalin supports RAPP workers, Sholo. Stalin: you are the engineers of human souls.
Nine
Policies introduced to force grain from everyone. Starvation, humanity crimes ensued. Sholo disgusted, wrote Stalin: you are our only hope. Investigations conducted, most everyone absolved, original leader restored to region, Sholo justified. Sholo feels like a wheel of fortune is spinning and Stalin controls it.
Ten
Sholo put to party tribunal in Moscow. He passed with crafted answers and crowd support. Did not resolve tensions with party leader. Went to Writers Congress. Elankin plagiarism controversy (somewhat true). While in Europe, Kirov assassinated.
Eleven
Gorky plane crashes. Fear terrorism is afoot. Very short investigation that blamed private plane. Red Partisans urged Sholo to push questions down southward. Sholo talked to Stalin about agriculture ideas. Cossacks celebrated in Moscow, as a part to being them in to defend against Germany. Gorky dies. Sholo terse in mourning, unfounded fear that Stalin would not appear for funeral.
Twelve
Trotskyist witchhunt heads to Sholos region. Sholos friends arrested. Stalin awaiting final chapters of QD. Sholo dejected, heads to Moscow. Silently denied by Stalin. Returns to country in fear, Red walls are closing in. Gets defiant note from imprisoned Kraisukov, gives hope.
Thirteen
Three friends tortured in Moscow. Sholo investigated, found to be suicidal. Stalin intervened, rehabilitated Sholo, allowed him to see friends. Friends rehabilitated, Sholo finished QD.
Fourteen
Sholo elected in staged election. Crossed paths with Malkin, left him disgusted. Asked Stalin for better investigation in his village. Sholo exonerated, after tip from on factory worker Yazov incriminated. Tured secret police upside down, last act of Great Terror.
** Fifteen
Sholo Haunted by Stalins comment that he was not Gorky. Revealed that Gorky was poisoned in an organized plot. Sholo toured Gorky museum, was disturbed by all the state messaging. Sholo coaches Platanov on how to plea to Stalin. Sholo asked to address Congress, despite his misgivings. Turns to alcohol. Recalls that Yagoda almost poisoned him to death in Moscow. He decides best option is to deliver speech, lesser of two evils. Alludes to stealing enemy papers to write literature. Drunk sunstroke on solo fishing trip to escape the stress, fears he wont finish QD in this near death condition.
Sixteen
Recovers, finishes QD. Writes 60th birthday letter to Stalin, Pravda, that is different from all his other praise. Gets tip from Tolstoi that his will be passed over for Stalin Prize because Melekov is not party line. He gets 3rd, a backhanded compliment. Does not want to accept prize money.
Seventeen
Reports from war front are lies. Sholo assigned reporter position, kept away from dangerous work. German POWs refute Tolstoi's reports of sexual atrocities. Sholo cannot tell the truth to public. Ukraine falling to Germans, Don in danger.
Eighteen
Vioshki collapsing. Sholo feels guilt for friends. Writes story portraying Russian soldier who perseveres. Stalin invites him to write more, sends wine and cheese. Vioshki bombed, Sholo escapes but mother is killed.
Nineteen
Sees damage of war. Starts writing Fought for Motherland middle chapters without plot. Solicited help for Vioshki. Called by Stalin, reminded to hurry up with publication. Returned to Visohki, saw woman crushed in tank tread. Became anxious as WWII came to a close. Almost drowned in drunk boating accident.
Twenty
Nominated for Nobel. Feels pressure to print. USSR buys him a house. Appeals to Stalin to leave, plea was horribly timed and worded. Silent treatment. Allowed to travel to Poland to deliver red rhetoric. Wrecks brain and liver trying to figure out what went wrong. Rewrites QD with red rhetoric, seeks approval from Stalin. Blew appointment with him by getting drunk. Ki
Twenty one
Stalin dies. New trio takes over. Sholos fate uncertain, no one wants to publish his old sounding red rhetoric as stalin cult is dismantled. Application for Nobel was late, Sholo infuriated. Tries to write, but struggles with drinking. 50th birthday: Order of Lenin. Everyone wants more writing, Sholo paralyzed. Sholo admitted to hospital for detox. Next year Nobel did not accept, Sholo not relevant.
** Twenty two
Gulag detainees return home by th e thousands. How can Sholo revive career? He purged his catalog of all Stalin rhetoric. Met emaciated Makarev after 10+ years in gulag. Makarev sees his records, finds that friend Fadeev threw Mak under the bus. Sholo appalled. Sholo rips into Fadeev at Congress speech. Anon publisher fires back in the press, seems like Fadeev. Fadeev kills himself, death report includes doctor from Sholos detox. Sholo shocked, and suspicious of foulplay. Fadeev obit is all about alcoholism, Sholo sees himself. Sholo rips into committee for not honoring a war veteran, committee says that if he read Fadeev suicide note, Sholo wouldn't be talking like this. Did Fadeev sing about Sholo plagiarism?
Twenty three
Stalin supporters now critics. Sholo writes short story supporting the returning detainees. Goes straight to Kru, Kru and Sholo bond. USSR wants to send Sholo to detox with hypnotic doctor, Kru intervenes. Sholo stays sober on Euro tour. Kru now in power. Kru has ridiculous goals for collectiviatzation. Kru discloses how Stalin died to Sholo.
Twenty four
Pasternak rumored to get nod for Nobel. Sholo campaign faltered by photo that shows him looking too common, haggard. Press condemn Pasternak, Sholo reserves comment. Sholo goes on European tour, starts talking about Pasternak. USSR doesnt like. Makarev kills himself. False rumors spread about Virgin Soil, Sholo tells Kru that he will finish it. Kru invites Sholo to America, Sholo effectively ignored by USA on the trip.
Twenty five
Krus leadership in the war mythologized. Krus programs sputtered. Sholo not delivering in war novel. Sholo just says oh yeah! for Gagarin. Kru denouncing Stalin cult. Sholo appointed to Committee. Kru buries Stalin far away from memorial. Kru let's Sholo print QD for big money. Novo has mass riot due to meat shortages, Red army kills civilians. Press covers it up. Sholo repulsed.
Twenty Six
Solhen rises as the new voice in Russian lit. Sholo feels slighted. Kru is schizo over left vs right leanings. Erinburgh blames Kru for being a Stalinist. Erinburg himself benefitted from Stalin. Erinburg says it's no good to write the leader, a backhand to Sholo. Sholo knows that sometimes that worked for good. Repression is crumbling, but do Kru and sholokov believe in the new regime?
Twenty Seven
Kru not looking good after Cuban Missle Crisis. Sholo uncertain as to whether to back him. Holds meeting where he is clearly in charge. Sholo speaks little, denounces Erinburg. Kru upholds Sholo as a model who was ignored by Stalin. Sholo indirectly corrects Krus edits via papers, Kru ignores Sholos hunting invites.
Twenty eight
Sholo realizes that QD is his only real work. Kru voted down by CC, Brezhnev voted in. Sholo finds favor with Brez. Snow stirs nomination for Nobel. Sarte rejects Nobel prize. Sholo asks CC for guidance, CC says he can accept. Sholo wins, finds out while on hunting trip.
Twenty nine
Sholo wins Nobel. Lobbyed by liberals to support arrested authors, Sholo declined and spoke in favor of punishment. Sholo disagreed with ecological wreckage, but otherwise stuck to Stalin line. Called a 'former writer', told 'literature cannot be judged by courts, ideas can only be combated with ideas, not camps and jails' --Lidiia Chukovskaia. Solzhen stirs up plagarism talks.
Thirty
Camp with Gagarin and writers, defends himself, regrets becoming famous, following power. Asked to review Solzhen works, declares him a lunatic. Solzhen equally hateful to Sholo. Sholo tries to publish poorly written war chapters, no one takes them. Tries to blackmail Breznev with NYT, did not work. Writers union expels Solzhen, Sholo also attacks. Solzhen wins Nobel, ratchets up plagarism investigations with another writer. Sholo losing sway with CC.
Thirty one
Solzhen publishes attack on QD. Attack is empty. Sholo is defended by another writer. USSR decides to play silent, distressing Sholo and Solzhen. Silent treatment worked, Solzhen backed down. Sholo 70th birthday approaching, suffers stroke.
Thirty two
Birthday party happens without Sholo. Norwegian uses computer to defend authenticity of QD. Sholo writes Politburo fearing that Soviet culture is dying. USSR refutes claim. USSR allows some defense of QD to be published. Publisher publishes 'complete works' of Sholo, but Sholo is still alive, he is insulted. Throat cancer, Sholo decides to die at home with no meds. "Where is my CC?" final words. Buried on the banks of the Don. He burned everything about the war novel before dying.
I read 'Scribe' in the hopes of learning more about Quiet Don, Sholokov, and its controversial position in world literature. 'Stalin's Scribe' covers the the controversial position very well, Sholokov pretty well, and Quiet Don (somewhat surprisingly) very little.
I really liked the primer/abridged history on the Soviet Union (I can't imagine a book like this not covering this topic). I really liked learning how Sholokov worked the system, battling conflicts of his love of the Don and his supposed writing career with necessary loyalties to Moscow. Without question his ability to walk this decades-long tightrope would have been hampered (if not impossible) without his Quiet Don talisman.
This book is very political, and needs more details about Sholokov's early life/family life and the history/inspriation of the characters and plots of Quiet Don itself (both plagarism and unique aurthorship is recognized by Boeck) to really present a full picture. 'Scribe' did not grip me as tightly as 'The Zhivago Affair' for these reasons, combined with the fact that protagonists on the run (e.g. Pasternak: tracked by the government, extramarital affair, etc.) simply hold your attention more than the alternative (e.g. Sholokov: protected by the government, struggling alchoholic).
'Scribe' is a challenging, but well-researched read. If you're looking for a entry point into Russian literature, start with Doctor Zhivago/The Zhivago Affair. For those with an already-developed love for Russian lit, 'Scribe' (and for that matter: 'Quiet Don', aka 'And Quiet Flows the Don' + 'The Don Flows Home to the Sea') is certainly worth your time.
_______
tl;dr - SPOILERS and chapter summaries below.
One
Avoided capital punishment for tax manipulation by dad lying about his age.
Tax collector during famine.
Moved to Moscow. circulated with students.
Loves Maria. Lenin dies. Back and forth to Moscow. Starts small writing gigs. Dressed as if civil war veteran.
Got published in multiple journals, courted scandal.
Two
Soviets opened up to Cossacks. He saw an opportunity to reunite with his homeland who rejected him, and a market opportunity with these story snippets from WWI. Could fall back in favor with Cossacks, who never accepted him as a youth because of bastard birth, mothers remarraige.
Three
Quiet Don a smash success. Wanted to base final volume on a shot Cossack, Yermakov. Plagiarism rumors find Stalin, Sholo comes out of tribunal innocent. Sholo now distrusts the Moscow literary circles. Chose to live in country in Vioshki.
Four
Assisted and spoke out against kulaks. Outed in newspaper. Luckily a poorly run investigation absolved him, declaring him politically ignorant. Worked anti kulak rhetoric into aqfd, applied to Communist party.
Five
Gorky disagreed with Lenin, outed from USSR. Stalin liked Gorky. Gorky liked Sholo. Sholo cleared to visit Gorky in Italy, but got stuck in Germany. Saw fascist Germany shut down theatres playing All Quiet. Sholo returned to USSR, wanted to publish more aqfd, but blocked by Fadeev. Sholo did not want to spin Gregor. Sholo wrote Gorky for support. Sholo wrote Stalin about poor agriculture. Gorky and Stalin met with Sholo.
Six
Sholo survives Stalins line of questions with excellence. He knows how to answer cunningly, playing to Stalins ears. Agrees to write on collectivization, gets Stalins phone number. Stalin agrees to help get quiet don past obstinate publishers.
Seven
Platonov writes satire, changes the rules of USSR publications.
Writes with sweat and blood/virgin soil upturned. Publishers scared of the work. With a direct call to Stalin, Stalin approved.
Eight
Sholo and Fadeev partay with Ygod secret police. Fadeev worried.
RAPP liquidated. Sholo forced to not support RAPP.
Rural investigators falsely think grain is plentiful.
Gorky holds dinner with Stalin and writers. Cultural puges to begin. Stalin supports RAPP workers, Sholo. Stalin: you are the engineers of human souls.
Nine
Policies introduced to force grain from everyone. Starvation, humanity crimes ensued. Sholo disgusted, wrote Stalin: you are our only hope. Investigations conducted, most everyone absolved, original leader restored to region, Sholo justified. Sholo feels like a wheel of fortune is spinning and Stalin controls it.
Ten
Sholo put to party tribunal in Moscow. He passed with crafted answers and crowd support. Did not resolve tensions with party leader. Went to Writers Congress. Elankin plagiarism controversy (somewhat true). While in Europe, Kirov assassinated.
Eleven
Gorky plane crashes. Fear terrorism is afoot. Very short investigation that blamed private plane. Red Partisans urged Sholo to push questions down southward. Sholo talked to Stalin about agriculture ideas. Cossacks celebrated in Moscow, as a part to being them in to defend against Germany. Gorky dies. Sholo terse in mourning, unfounded fear that Stalin would not appear for funeral.
Twelve
Trotskyist witchhunt heads to Sholos region. Sholos friends arrested. Stalin awaiting final chapters of QD. Sholo dejected, heads to Moscow. Silently denied by Stalin. Returns to country in fear, Red walls are closing in. Gets defiant note from imprisoned Kraisukov, gives hope.
Thirteen
Three friends tortured in Moscow. Sholo investigated, found to be suicidal. Stalin intervened, rehabilitated Sholo, allowed him to see friends. Friends rehabilitated, Sholo finished QD.
Fourteen
Sholo elected in staged election. Crossed paths with Malkin, left him disgusted. Asked Stalin for better investigation in his village. Sholo exonerated, after tip from on factory worker Yazov incriminated. Tured secret police upside down, last act of Great Terror.
** Fifteen
Sholo Haunted by Stalins comment that he was not Gorky. Revealed that Gorky was poisoned in an organized plot. Sholo toured Gorky museum, was disturbed by all the state messaging. Sholo coaches Platanov on how to plea to Stalin. Sholo asked to address Congress, despite his misgivings. Turns to alcohol. Recalls that Yagoda almost poisoned him to death in Moscow. He decides best option is to deliver speech, lesser of two evils. Alludes to stealing enemy papers to write literature. Drunk sunstroke on solo fishing trip to escape the stress, fears he wont finish QD in this near death condition.
Sixteen
Recovers, finishes QD. Writes 60th birthday letter to Stalin, Pravda, that is different from all his other praise. Gets tip from Tolstoi that his will be passed over for Stalin Prize because Melekov is not party line. He gets 3rd, a backhanded compliment. Does not want to accept prize money.
Seventeen
Reports from war front are lies. Sholo assigned reporter position, kept away from dangerous work. German POWs refute Tolstoi's reports of sexual atrocities. Sholo cannot tell the truth to public. Ukraine falling to Germans, Don in danger.
Eighteen
Vioshki collapsing. Sholo feels guilt for friends. Writes story portraying Russian soldier who perseveres. Stalin invites him to write more, sends wine and cheese. Vioshki bombed, Sholo escapes but mother is killed.
Nineteen
Sees damage of war. Starts writing Fought for Motherland middle chapters without plot. Solicited help for Vioshki. Called by Stalin, reminded to hurry up with publication. Returned to Visohki, saw woman crushed in tank tread. Became anxious as WWII came to a close. Almost drowned in drunk boating accident.
Twenty
Nominated for Nobel. Feels pressure to print. USSR buys him a house. Appeals to Stalin to leave, plea was horribly timed and worded. Silent treatment. Allowed to travel to Poland to deliver red rhetoric. Wrecks brain and liver trying to figure out what went wrong. Rewrites QD with red rhetoric, seeks approval from Stalin. Blew appointment with him by getting drunk. Ki
Twenty one
Stalin dies. New trio takes over. Sholos fate uncertain, no one wants to publish his old sounding red rhetoric as stalin cult is dismantled. Application for Nobel was late, Sholo infuriated. Tries to write, but struggles with drinking. 50th birthday: Order of Lenin. Everyone wants more writing, Sholo paralyzed. Sholo admitted to hospital for detox. Next year Nobel did not accept, Sholo not relevant.
** Twenty two
Gulag detainees return home by th e thousands. How can Sholo revive career? He purged his catalog of all Stalin rhetoric. Met emaciated Makarev after 10+ years in gulag. Makarev sees his records, finds that friend Fadeev threw Mak under the bus. Sholo appalled. Sholo rips into Fadeev at Congress speech. Anon publisher fires back in the press, seems like Fadeev. Fadeev kills himself, death report includes doctor from Sholos detox. Sholo shocked, and suspicious of foulplay. Fadeev obit is all about alcoholism, Sholo sees himself. Sholo rips into committee for not honoring a war veteran, committee says that if he read Fadeev suicide note, Sholo wouldn't be talking like this. Did Fadeev sing about Sholo plagiarism?
Twenty three
Stalin supporters now critics. Sholo writes short story supporting the returning detainees. Goes straight to Kru, Kru and Sholo bond. USSR wants to send Sholo to detox with hypnotic doctor, Kru intervenes. Sholo stays sober on Euro tour. Kru now in power. Kru has ridiculous goals for collectiviatzation. Kru discloses how Stalin died to Sholo.
Twenty four
Pasternak rumored to get nod for Nobel. Sholo campaign faltered by photo that shows him looking too common, haggard. Press condemn Pasternak, Sholo reserves comment. Sholo goes on European tour, starts talking about Pasternak. USSR doesnt like. Makarev kills himself. False rumors spread about Virgin Soil, Sholo tells Kru that he will finish it. Kru invites Sholo to America, Sholo effectively ignored by USA on the trip.
Twenty five
Krus leadership in the war mythologized. Krus programs sputtered. Sholo not delivering in war novel. Sholo just says oh yeah! for Gagarin. Kru denouncing Stalin cult. Sholo appointed to Committee. Kru buries Stalin far away from memorial. Kru let's Sholo print QD for big money. Novo has mass riot due to meat shortages, Red army kills civilians. Press covers it up. Sholo repulsed.
Twenty Six
Solhen rises as the new voice in Russian lit. Sholo feels slighted. Kru is schizo over left vs right leanings. Erinburgh blames Kru for being a Stalinist. Erinburg himself benefitted from Stalin. Erinburg says it's no good to write the leader, a backhand to Sholo. Sholo knows that sometimes that worked for good. Repression is crumbling, but do Kru and sholokov believe in the new regime?
Twenty Seven
Kru not looking good after Cuban Missle Crisis. Sholo uncertain as to whether to back him. Holds meeting where he is clearly in charge. Sholo speaks little, denounces Erinburg. Kru upholds Sholo as a model who was ignored by Stalin. Sholo indirectly corrects Krus edits via papers, Kru ignores Sholos hunting invites.
Twenty eight
Sholo realizes that QD is his only real work. Kru voted down by CC, Brezhnev voted in. Sholo finds favor with Brez. Snow stirs nomination for Nobel. Sarte rejects Nobel prize. Sholo asks CC for guidance, CC says he can accept. Sholo wins, finds out while on hunting trip.
Twenty nine
Sholo wins Nobel. Lobbyed by liberals to support arrested authors, Sholo declined and spoke in favor of punishment. Sholo disagreed with ecological wreckage, but otherwise stuck to Stalin line. Called a 'former writer', told 'literature cannot be judged by courts, ideas can only be combated with ideas, not camps and jails' --Lidiia Chukovskaia. Solzhen stirs up plagarism talks.
Thirty
Camp with Gagarin and writers, defends himself, regrets becoming famous, following power. Asked to review Solzhen works, declares him a lunatic. Solzhen equally hateful to Sholo. Sholo tries to publish poorly written war chapters, no one takes them. Tries to blackmail Breznev with NYT, did not work. Writers union expels Solzhen, Sholo also attacks. Solzhen wins Nobel, ratchets up plagarism investigations with another writer. Sholo losing sway with CC.
Thirty one
Solzhen publishes attack on QD. Attack is empty. Sholo is defended by another writer. USSR decides to play silent, distressing Sholo and Solzhen. Silent treatment worked, Solzhen backed down. Sholo 70th birthday approaching, suffers stroke.
Thirty two
Birthday party happens without Sholo. Norwegian uses computer to defend authenticity of QD. Sholo writes Politburo fearing that Soviet culture is dying. USSR refutes claim. USSR allows some defense of QD to be published. Publisher publishes 'complete works' of Sholo, but Sholo is still alive, he is insulted. Throat cancer, Sholo decides to die at home with no meds. "Where is my CC?" final words. Buried on the banks of the Don. He burned everything about the war novel before dying.
September 17, 2022
I’ve never made much progress with Sholokhov’s novels but I appreciated this solid biography and expect it will give me the strength to try the Nobel prize winning author another go. The biography explains the author’s literary strengths and also his flaws and complicated relationship with power.
June 14, 2022
Stalin had a high regard for artists as "engineers of the soul" and kept an iron grip on artists to control the narrative of his rule. Many artists who displeased Stalin ended up dead or in a labor camp but Sholokhov escaped his ire because Stalin admired the novelist. I once read the novelist's Quiet on the Don and found it to be worthy of being one of the great Russian novels. In his later years Sholokhov became an apologist for the Soviet Union who condemned dissidents. It was fascinating but I could not admire the man personally.
September 10, 2022
One of the more interesting books on Russian history in recent years.
"The Quiet Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov is a very important novel to me. It probably is the source of my interest in Russian history.
"Stalin's Scribe" is an unusual biography of Sholokhov. It is perhaps more of a career study, but it shows the contortions and pressures on a writer in the Soviet era.
Much of Sholokhov is controversial. Did he speak out against collectivization and play a part in the fall of Yezhov? Yes. Did he bitterly criticize dissident writers? Yes.
"Stalin's Scribe" shows the toll a totalitarian society takes on its writers. It is not a simple story of heroes and villains but of flawed people making hard choises.
"The Quiet Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov is a very important novel to me. It probably is the source of my interest in Russian history.
"Stalin's Scribe" is an unusual biography of Sholokhov. It is perhaps more of a career study, but it shows the contortions and pressures on a writer in the Soviet era.
Much of Sholokhov is controversial. Did he speak out against collectivization and play a part in the fall of Yezhov? Yes. Did he bitterly criticize dissident writers? Yes.
"Stalin's Scribe" shows the toll a totalitarian society takes on its writers. It is not a simple story of heroes and villains but of flawed people making hard choises.
June 11, 2019
Stalin’s Scribe offers a very readable, scholarly presentation of the courage and skill Mikhail Sholokhov displayed in completing, A Quiet Flows the Don, known in the Russian as, Quiet Don. Boeck’s book bluntly details the compromises and opportunism that Sholokhov later practiced in order to survive Stalin’s Terror. At the end of the book, Boeck concludes that the terror had scarred Sholokhov permanently. It is offered as a partial explanation for his courageous intervention to save friends against the terror while at the same time denouncing other writers and officials, many of them innocent. Later, even after Stalin's death, the scars from the terror, along with professional jealousy and resentment, prompted Sholokhov to denounce Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn.
Boeck returns multiple times to the accusations of plagiarism made against Sholokhov throughout his life, including accusations made by Solzhynitzyn. He grants Sholokhov a pass for parts of Quiet Don which the author may have taken from anonymous sources. It was Sholokhov’s skill as a writer that molded any lifted sections of other works into a literary narrative, Boeck tells us.
One problem I had with an otherwise good recommendation was Brian J. Boeck’s description of collectivization, 1932-24, which included Ukraine as well as the Don region. Boeck’s description of collectivization reads like a detached technical manual. Primo Levi was able to describe his year at Auschwitz with the detachment of the chemist because he was a prisoner there! In Levi’s hand, such a detached style intensified the horror. Boeck cannot be given the same dispensation, not when one of the greatest genocides by a leader against his own people was being perpetrated. Boeck's detached style in this section of the book calls attention to the author, pushing us outside the narrative -- something no author wants to invite.
Boeck, a scholar, has indexed his book thoroughly -- his footnotes number 41 pages. It takes some skill to bring such a well-researched book to the public free of the caveat that it can be a slog. Boeck's book is hardly that. Note: the library book in my possession spells the author's name, Boeck, not h. Correction of above.
Boeck returns multiple times to the accusations of plagiarism made against Sholokhov throughout his life, including accusations made by Solzhynitzyn. He grants Sholokhov a pass for parts of Quiet Don which the author may have taken from anonymous sources. It was Sholokhov’s skill as a writer that molded any lifted sections of other works into a literary narrative, Boeck tells us.
One problem I had with an otherwise good recommendation was Brian J. Boeck’s description of collectivization, 1932-24, which included Ukraine as well as the Don region. Boeck’s description of collectivization reads like a detached technical manual. Primo Levi was able to describe his year at Auschwitz with the detachment of the chemist because he was a prisoner there! In Levi’s hand, such a detached style intensified the horror. Boeck cannot be given the same dispensation, not when one of the greatest genocides by a leader against his own people was being perpetrated. Boeck's detached style in this section of the book calls attention to the author, pushing us outside the narrative -- something no author wants to invite.
Boeck, a scholar, has indexed his book thoroughly -- his footnotes number 41 pages. It takes some skill to bring such a well-researched book to the public free of the caveat that it can be a slog. Boeck's book is hardly that. Note: the library book in my possession spells the author's name, Boeck, not h. Correction of above.
May 10, 2020
I first read Mikhail Sholokhov’s And Quiet Flows the Don when I was way too young to understand it. I’ve since reread it twice, as well as some of Sholokhov’s other work. Even though I sometimes still get lost while trying to thread my way through the tangle of 20th Century Russian and Soviet politics, he is one of my favorite authors. I knew of some of the controversy surrounding him—accusations of plagiarism, friendship with Stalin, feuds with Pasternak and other authors—but I knew precious little else about Sholokhov’s life. Boeck’s biography helps clear up some, but not all of the mystery.
Interestingly, Boeck chooses to begin the story when Sholokhov is already a young man. It’s frustrating not to learn more about his childhood, but apparently there is not enough credible evidence on which to build anything more than a series of speculations. Boeck also makes it clear, either in endnotes or the main text itself, when events as reported are uncertain. All in all, this is a fascinating read about a complex man, one who deserves a wider readership here in the States.
Interestingly, Boeck chooses to begin the story when Sholokhov is already a young man. It’s frustrating not to learn more about his childhood, but apparently there is not enough credible evidence on which to build anything more than a series of speculations. Boeck also makes it clear, either in endnotes or the main text itself, when events as reported are uncertain. All in all, this is a fascinating read about a complex man, one who deserves a wider readership here in the States.
May 3, 2024
This book was immense! It was as if someone went into the archives and pulled out everything interesting, organized it into a well narrated book, and thereby made readily available to everyone who doesn't feel like wandering through archival material for months and even years. So much respect for this book!
October 5, 2020
I bought this book on a whim whilst on holiday in the town of my Alma Mater, St Andrews university. It was my first time visiting Toppings Books and I happily spent a few hours in there.
I've had a fascination with the Stalin era of the Soviet Union since my army days when I studied GCSE Russian Studies and wrote a paper on the show trials and purges.
You might find this a little hard to believe, but I had never heard of Sholokhov, or his famous novel The Quiet Don. Why should it be hard to believe? Because I studied Russian language and literature for four years and spent years living in the former Soviet Union. When I saw the book in Toppings, I thought I was buying a book written about Stalin by his official scribe!
So, even though I thought I was reading something else entirely, I found myself completely drawn in anyway.
On the face of it, it's about an author whose magnum opus 'The Quiet Don' is iffy at best because of plagiarism charges levelled against Sholokhov, and who wrote very little of note after that. But there is so much more to it than that.
It's about an author who was able to navigate the tricky political landscape and still managed to stay alive, become wealthy and even win the Nobel Prize for Literature. That in itself makes for a good story, and that is exactly what this book turned out to be.
Sholokhov was not afraid of speaking truth to power and was able to use his influence over the years, including instigating the release of 3 political prisoners released from the clutches of the NKVD after he'd learned of the truth behind the great terror.
Not only did Sholokhov manage to keep from being imprisoned, exiled or shot, he also managed to stay in the good books of the leaders of the Soviet Union right up to the present, as it is mentioned in the afterword that Putin visited Sholokhov's home in Vioshki in 2005 to mark the centenary of Sholokhov's birth.
The writing style of the book made it easy to read. The research was well done and obviously extensive. It did seem to jump forward in time pretty fast towards the end, but I guess that's because there wasn't much else to say? Maybe it was edited down to make it shorter and an easier read? I'm sure it could quite easily have been twice as long.
It was interesting to read that there are still documents in locked archives.
"Though some of his secrets no doubt remain buried deep in closed archives, his contributions to Soviet history can now be recognized."
P338
And Santa Barbara gets a mention in the afterword. That made me laugh. I spent a year in Odessa during my undergrad degree in 1995/96 and my landlady was obsessed with that show. She was also quite fond of Mr Bean.
I've had a fascination with the Stalin era of the Soviet Union since my army days when I studied GCSE Russian Studies and wrote a paper on the show trials and purges.
You might find this a little hard to believe, but I had never heard of Sholokhov, or his famous novel The Quiet Don. Why should it be hard to believe? Because I studied Russian language and literature for four years and spent years living in the former Soviet Union. When I saw the book in Toppings, I thought I was buying a book written about Stalin by his official scribe!
So, even though I thought I was reading something else entirely, I found myself completely drawn in anyway.
On the face of it, it's about an author whose magnum opus 'The Quiet Don' is iffy at best because of plagiarism charges levelled against Sholokhov, and who wrote very little of note after that. But there is so much more to it than that.
It's about an author who was able to navigate the tricky political landscape and still managed to stay alive, become wealthy and even win the Nobel Prize for Literature. That in itself makes for a good story, and that is exactly what this book turned out to be.
Sholokhov was not afraid of speaking truth to power and was able to use his influence over the years, including instigating the release of 3 political prisoners released from the clutches of the NKVD after he'd learned of the truth behind the great terror.
Not only did Sholokhov manage to keep from being imprisoned, exiled or shot, he also managed to stay in the good books of the leaders of the Soviet Union right up to the present, as it is mentioned in the afterword that Putin visited Sholokhov's home in Vioshki in 2005 to mark the centenary of Sholokhov's birth.
The writing style of the book made it easy to read. The research was well done and obviously extensive. It did seem to jump forward in time pretty fast towards the end, but I guess that's because there wasn't much else to say? Maybe it was edited down to make it shorter and an easier read? I'm sure it could quite easily have been twice as long.
It was interesting to read that there are still documents in locked archives.
"Though some of his secrets no doubt remain buried deep in closed archives, his contributions to Soviet history can now be recognized."
P338
And Santa Barbara gets a mention in the afterword. That made me laugh. I spent a year in Odessa during my undergrad degree in 1995/96 and my landlady was obsessed with that show. She was also quite fond of Mr Bean.
September 2, 2019
Imagine writing an epic saga at the age of 22... and then bear the pressure of high expectations from society and none other than Stalin himself. And we are left to wonder: did he write the book himself? This could well be tight rope he'd had to spend his life walking on; or it could have been immaterial. In Stalin's world, filled with paranoia, whether or not Sholokhov was the genuine author was of minor importance: what mattered was that the next chapters of the novel should convey the best possible messages about marxism, the Party, the resilience of the Russian people.
By meeting and corresponding to Stalin often, Sholokhov maintained a dialogue lasting decades, with each exchange potentially signalling a favor from Stalin, a dry rebuke, complete and fearsome silence or exhortations for a new novel (to depict WWII). That is how the volatile politics of the Soviet state under Stalin entangled Sholokhov personally, thus making him a central figure in the Soviet literature and also politics. He used this weird sort of friendship to request food relief for his community, he tried to defend and support his friends, he ensured wealth for his and his family. When a conspiracy reached him and his friends, who were arrested, he remained untouched due to Stalin's own pardon. So, even though Sholokhov saw with his own eyes the famine being caused by collectivization of farms, or how people were disappearing during the Great Terror, even then he had to resort to writing long elegies to the Supreme Leader, hailing his for his vision as an architect of souls.
What impressed me the most was the fact that Sholokhov was not politically cunning, in fact, he was untactful and many occasions and barely survived them. He was not also a good writer - nothing he wrote after Quiet Don had any importance. He was not evil-spirited, having felt genuinely crushed and ready to action when his best friends were arrested. He was not brilliant in any way, perhaps his ambitions lay in earning good money and status as a writer. So, despite this highly eventful life (after Stalin he had to get closer to Kruschev and Brezhnev, to keep close to their hearts, as well) he never ceased to be a weak, hesitant boot-licker. I believe this is the most riveting story about a bland and insipid man whose novel became a propaganda tool to Stalinism.
February 6, 2020
In 1928, Mikhail Sholokhov published the first instalment of “And Quiet Flows the Don (Quiet Don)” which was to become a four-volume epic describing an extended family of Cossacks living in the Crimean area. The opening chapters of Stalin’s Scribe describe Sholokhov’s writing and publication of the first volume with suggestions he may have somehow obtained a manuscript written by the then recently deceased Cossack writer, Fyodor Kryukov, and Quiet Don was a plagerisation of that work. The book goes on to describe the publication of subsequent sections of Quiet Don first in Russian magazines and then in book form, the 28 years it took him to write his second novel, “Virgin Soil Upturned” and his work on a World War II novel which he didn’t finish, in part due to his problems with alcohol. What I found most of interest was the interest and favour in his writing shown by Joseph Stalin, their correspondence and occasional meetings and, after Stalin’s death, the interest in his works by Khrushchev and how especially Quiet Don was revised to suit the moods of the time set by the two leaders of the USSR. The book was thoroughly researched and well written.
January 11, 2023
Thanks, Mike Samerdyke, for the recommendation and for suggesting the Don saga so many years ago. (I read Virgin Soil, too; it arrived from a bookseller that sent the wrong book after I ordered one of the later volumes of Quiet Don.) I've been aware of controversy around Sholokov's Nobel prize for literature, but I never knew the details. This book provided the details and the context. It well complements what I've read about Shostakovich's perilous relationship with Stalin and the NKVD during the high stakes, life-and-death fear and paranoia of the Great Terror. It provides contrast with what I've learned of the more dire stories of Akhmatova, Mandelstam, and Tsvetaeva. There's a different spin on Solzhenitsyn, too, than the one I grew up with in the 70s.
Sholokov's story is particularly interesting, I think, because of its complications and contradictions. He was often heroic and principled. He was vain and self-serving and willing to audaciously exploit the same characteristics of those in power. He produced a great, multi-volume book and another very interesting book. He was earthy, even crude, and from extremely humble origins. Reading this biography of a career (as Mike describes it), one holds one's breath watching the heavy weight of Sholokov skate the thin ice that cracked under so many other less fortunate artists.
Sholokov's story is particularly interesting, I think, because of its complications and contradictions. He was often heroic and principled. He was vain and self-serving and willing to audaciously exploit the same characteristics of those in power. He produced a great, multi-volume book and another very interesting book. He was earthy, even crude, and from extremely humble origins. Reading this biography of a career (as Mike describes it), one holds one's breath watching the heavy weight of Sholokov skate the thin ice that cracked under so many other less fortunate artists.
February 3, 2021
This is an interesting story, and Professor Boech is undoubtedly an expert in the field, but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of detail concerning Sholokhov's life. The book purports to be the first biography of the famous Russian author, but the first 17-18 years of his life are given just a few lines. We learn almost nothing of his early life, his parents, wife or children. Boech's interest and expertise are clearly in Sholokhov's important historical relationship to the Soviet state and not in his literature, but I was also disappointed that there was so little treatment of the novels. Boech devotes a great deal of the book to the question of whether Sholokhov plagiarized his Don novels. I personally also enjoyed the author's collective farm novels, 'Virgin Soil Upturned' and 'Harvest on the Don.' 'Harvest' was not published until 1960, and it seems to me that this fact should be taken into account when considering whether Sholokhov was truly a plagiarist. 'Stalin's Scribe' is a fascinating look at an important novelist that could have used a little more editing.
May 3, 2019
An interesting portrait of an author whom I was previously unacquainted. Boeck delivers unique insights into not only Mikhail Sholokov, but also the Soviet Union under Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev. This is a well written and readable tale of ambition, fame, and compromises. It raises the question of can one fake their way to success at the highest levels? If so what are the consequences? How does one famous or less so speak to power and address societal ills, when doing so is extremely dangerous not only to oneself but to those you hope to help or protect? These questions seem especially timely. Ultimately, I’m left satisfied but also intrigued to learn more.
September 23, 2020
I understand Mikhaïl Sholokhov .... I don’t understand Sholokhov ....
This is a complex individual in history and I am so intrigued. The writing is excellent, and contains a wealth of information that I found enlightening even with a decent understanding of Soviet history.
It will probably never be known for sure if Sholokhov plagiarized his novel, And Quiet Flows the Don. It doesn’t really matter anymore, since it’s greatness seems to be in substance rather than author.
This is a complex individual in history and I am so intrigued. The writing is excellent, and contains a wealth of information that I found enlightening even with a decent understanding of Soviet history.
It will probably never be known for sure if Sholokhov plagiarized his novel, And Quiet Flows the Don. It doesn’t really matter anymore, since it’s greatness seems to be in substance rather than author.
Read
October 29, 2021I highly recommend this book. If you have an interest in Russian literature, writers, history or Russian culture, or all of the above, then you will love this book. Full of surprising and interesting details about Sholokhov and his era.
October 3, 2022
The high price one has to pay to stay alive. Moving story.
December 4, 2022
Aspects were interesting, but I got very little sense about who Sholokhov was as a person.
December 31, 2022
Scary view into the rotten communist Russia. Terrifying parallels with current western political systems.
April 6, 2023
It was an interesting book but I will admit I didn't pay attention 100% of the time.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews