Цар Риба

by Victor Astafiev, Виктор Астафиев, Иван Бояджиев (Translator)

Russian Book. Azbuka. 480. 2017. Paperback.

Genres: Fiction, Russian Literature, Russia, Literature, Classics

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Виктор Астафьев
Viktor Petrovich Astafyev also spelled Astafiev or Astaf'ev (Russian: Виктор Петрович Астафьев; 1 May 1924 – 29 November 2001), was a prominent Soviet and Russian writer.

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Siberian river Yenisey is one of the largest in the world… And it feeds all those who live on its banks… Rare mammoth sturgeon – Queen Fish – swimming at large in the gelid waters is a dream of all the fishermen and poachers… But the nature of the north is harsh and unwelcoming…

The tundra was now engulfed in deep silence. The shadows, still motionless and noiseless, fell upon the tundra from above, squeezed out the light and dwarfed the open spaces. The winter huntsmen guessed that the sun had set till spring and their hearts missed a beat, the cold blast of a parting, the like of which they had never known, swept over them and an almost tangible feeling of hopelessness gripped them so that although they had been wandering about separately they suddenly decided as one: “We’ll go!”
Then out in the tundra something moved, there was a rustle in the snow, life rippled through the space in front of them, here and there sparkles of light flared up and the sky, which had seemed dark, turbid and empty but a few moments before, suddenly opened wide to let forth flickering crystal-clear light. The lads’ hearts were filled with fear and wonder. They ought to have made off, but they did not have sufficient power over themselves.

Natives, settlers, drifters, exiles, jailbirds and tramps are the motley inhabitants of the region… Hunting, fishing and poaching are favourite occupations… Alcohol is a universal remedy for wretchedness and all the troubles… Existence is laden with hardships, deprivation and misfortune…

The Kasyan kids, as they were called, grew in freedom without restriction or supervision. For them the greatest concern and joy was to survive until spring, until the sun, until the warmth, until fish and the berries, and the whole of Boganida waited for spring as for the mercy of God. Locked in damp, airless hut, which was up to the chimney in drifts and cut off from the rest of the world by snow, the family endured many miserable winter months, which, to the children, seemed like years! And then, at last, some of them in rags, some quite bare-tummied, the children climbed out, dirty, from their soggy, stinking burrow into the world.
Blinded by the bright light, choked by the burning fresh air, the brood of children did not jump or rejoice. Wiping their red, streaming eyes with their little fists, the children looked mistrustfully around, their mouths open, gums bleeding from scurvy, presenting their pallid faces to the life-giving warmth and stretching out their hands to the sun. Their heads swam and the bright light hurt their eyes as they perched on the earthbank by the house…

Misery is no fife – one can’t cease to play it for life.

[Lex Poot · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first part the taiga is primarily the main character. Main draw was the constant mentioning of the cruel fishing methods used. Nearing the end of the first part I decided to put it aside. However finishing it on my daily commute I forgot to bring a 2nd book. Thus I decided to keep reading. I was immediately drawn into the story. The second book is much better than the first part. The taiga really comes to live and the story of the hunter Akim is very compelling. The books is worth the read for the second part alone.

[Maria Padusenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга замечательная для любителей природы, для тех, кто читая восторженное и детальное описание завораживающей красоты рек, рассветов, лесов, цветов, может при этом не уходить в свои мысли. Я к сожалению к таким читателям не отношусь. А природе посвящена большая часть книги.
Но когда повествование переходит к судьбам людей, оторваться просто невозможно. Будь я режиссером, я непременно сняла бы фильм о жизни Акимки. Персонаж, к которому не относилась серьезно вначале книги, захватил все мысли к концу повествования.

[Jun Du · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intoxicating and lyrical Siberian forest story around human-nature relationship. With less descriptive and more capturing images, the author depicts the toughness of survival in there with moral contemplations about love and dignity upon life. The author seemed to abandon some of the social norms, yet he just did not express straightforward; instead twisting them all into the character’s life with an ethical filter. Making it heart-puncturing while romantic.

Apparently the second book would have be, in my mind, a more immersive reading than the book one, especially the almost heroic story of Akim. But definitely worth a second view.

[dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Так что же я ищу? Отчего мучаюсь? Почему? Зачем? Нет мне ответа.»
Мне эта книга в принципе понравилась, но надо ее скорее всего перечитать попозже.

[Brenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

03.29-30 读至第二篇有感
随着作者细腻的笔锋走进了西伯利亚广袤的天地。放佛用文字描绘出一部生动的西伯利亚风貌纪录片，身处其中的人物经历如何已不再重要了，重要的是人与人、人与动物、人与自然相碰撞、相交融时那温柔又强烈的心灵震撼，如莹莹流彩的晶亮泛在恒久的时光长河中。

04.08 如油画般细腻丰饶，又如天籁般动人心魄。

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb mijn favoriete schrijver gevonden. Tot nu toe...

[Zhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

严酷与厄运

[Mimily · Rating 4 out of 5]

自然、人、辽阔的西伯利亚，是散文体小说，核心还是在说人和一切生物体共处的问题，有敬畏感，气度开阔。（就是太厚了

[Kam D]

Белая Рыба. Сказание о Бай и Ю, 2,5 звезд

[Alexandr Novikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Сборник рассказов. Есть некоторые неплохие рассказы из жизни на реке Енисее. Охота, рыбалка и просто жизнь простого народа в глухих сибирских местах. Ну а в основном скучновато.

[多余人-Lishnye Lyudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

大自然与其说是母亲还不如说是后娘，它把人抛进生活，只赐予他一丝不挂的、软弱无力的、微不足道的躯体和一颗充满着烦恼、恍惚和情欲的灵魂，然而在这个大半夜窒息的灵魂里，理智和才华的神圣的火星将永远存留。（圣奥古斯丁）……人类像蛆虫一样在大地的尸体上蠕动……

[astraeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

the translation is quite lousy lol, but there are sadly no up to date english version