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Kompromis
Sergej Dovlatov rođen je 3. septembra 1941. godine u Ufi, prilikom evakuacije, od oca Donata Mečnika, pozorišnog režisera, i majke Nore Dovlatove, glumice. Od 1944. godine živeo je u Lenjingradu; 1959. upisao se na Filološki fakultet (odsek finskog jezika). U to vreme aktivno se bavio boksom. Posle dve godine školovanja udaljen je sa studija. Pozvan je u vojsku, gde je od 1962. do 1965. služio kao čuvar u robijaškom logoru, iz čega je kasnije proistekao roman Zona. Nakon povratka u Lenjingrad, radio je kao novinar i pisao kratke priče koje su se širile u samizdatu, zbog čega su ga sovjetske vlasti proganjale. U svojoj 33. godini, posle jedne pijanke u Lenjingradu, Dovlatov završava u Estoniji, gde ostaje dve godine; ovaj urnebesni period u njegovom životu opisan je u romanu Kompromis.
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
About the author
Sergei Dovlatov
180 books745 followersSergei Dovlatov (Russian: Сергей Довлатов) was born in Ufa, Bashkiria (U.S.S.R.), in 1941. He dropped out of the University of Leningrad after two years and was drafted into the army, serving as a guard in high-security prison camps. In 1965 he began to work as a journalist, first in Leningrad and then in Tallinn, Estonia. After a period of intense harassment by the authorities, he emigrated to the United States in 1978. He lived in New York until his death in 1990.
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June 15, 2025
Truth and lies… What was written and how everything happened in reality…
And Dovlatov was the one who saw the Soviet reality hidden beyond the pompous theatrical decorations… Official hypocrisy on all the levels of official power…
Political power can’t exist without hypocrisy – under tyranny there is tyrannical hypocrisy and under democracy there is democratic hypocrisy.
Yellowed pages. Ten years of lies and dissembling. And yet, some people stood behind them: conversations, feelings, things that actually happened. Not on the pages themselves, but beyond them.
It’s a hard road from the reported facts to the truth.
You can never step into the same river twice. But looking down through the thickness of the water you can make out the river bottom covered with tin cans. And behind magnificent theatrical decorations you can learn to see the brick wall, the ropes, the fire-extinguisher, and the drunken stagehands.
And Dovlatov was the one who saw the Soviet reality hidden beyond the pompous theatrical decorations… Official hypocrisy on all the levels of official power…
Some sort of portrait of Lenin is absolutely required in every executive office. I know of only one exception, and even that one is only partial. I had a friend named Avdeyev, the executive secretary of a youth newspaper. His father was a provincial actor from Lugansk who for years played the role of Lenin in his theater. So Avdeyev rather cleverly managed to get out of this situation by hanging over his desk a huge photograph of his papa in the role of Vladimir Ilych. No one could complain: it does seem like Lenin, but all the same it’s Papa.
Political power can’t exist without hypocrisy – under tyranny there is tyrannical hypocrisy and under democracy there is democratic hypocrisy.
September 8, 2018
„Altmjae je seo u kabinu. Bikover je celim putem ćutao. Kad smo stigli, filozofski je primetio:
-Čovek živeo, živeo, pa umro.
-A šta bi ti hteo? – kažem.“
Dovlatov je pre svega jedan jako zanimljiv tip, pa mu je tako zanimljiv i ovaj roman, jer sve što piše manjeviše je autobiografsko.
Elem, čovek se malo zapio i (iz Lenjingrada) završio u Talinu, Estoniji, gde je onda proveo potonje dve godine radeći kao novinar. Anegdotna, epizodna forma – data kroz naslovne „kompromise“ tojest njegove novinske članke – možda i najviše godi ovakvoj vrsti priče, jer je brza i koncizna (takav je i Dovlatovljev simpatični stil krcat dobrim aforizmima) i jakojakojako smešna. Mrtva trka izmedju Dovlatova i Pračeta za količinu smeha koju su mi izmamili, pri čemu, kao i Pračet, Dovlatov takodje ume da dodje do nekih zanimljivih, ali i ciničnih životnih istina.
Dok sam ja čitao ovu, baba je čitala Puškinova brda i njen utisak je dosta bledji nego moj. Da li je to do tematike tog drugog romana (koji čujem ima nešto izraženiji kritički sentiment) ili do moje i dalje velike čitalačke svežine, ne znam, ali sigurno ću saznati. Do tada, ovo je riznica zabave i „kad bi Hemingvej imao crnji smisao za humor“.
5-
-Čovek živeo, živeo, pa umro.
-A šta bi ti hteo? – kažem.“
Dovlatov je pre svega jedan jako zanimljiv tip, pa mu je tako zanimljiv i ovaj roman, jer sve što piše manjeviše je autobiografsko.
Elem, čovek se malo zapio i (iz Lenjingrada) završio u Talinu, Estoniji, gde je onda proveo potonje dve godine radeći kao novinar. Anegdotna, epizodna forma – data kroz naslovne „kompromise“ tojest njegove novinske članke – možda i najviše godi ovakvoj vrsti priče, jer je brza i koncizna (takav je i Dovlatovljev simpatični stil krcat dobrim aforizmima) i jakojakojako smešna. Mrtva trka izmedju Dovlatova i Pračeta za količinu smeha koju su mi izmamili, pri čemu, kao i Pračet, Dovlatov takodje ume da dodje do nekih zanimljivih, ali i ciničnih životnih istina.
Dok sam ja čitao ovu, baba je čitala Puškinova brda i njen utisak je dosta bledji nego moj. Da li je to do tematike tog drugog romana (koji čujem ima nešto izraženiji kritički sentiment) ili do moje i dalje velike čitalačke svežine, ne znam, ali sigurno ću saznati. Do tada, ovo je riznica zabave i „kad bi Hemingvej imao crnji smisao za humor“.
5-
October 28, 2019
Nisam pala u nesvest, pre 20 godina možda i bih, ali mi nije smorio popodne.
Sve što unutra ima da se nađe je već viđeno.
Mogla bih da obrazlažem svoje stavove, ali mi se ne čini vrednim truda.
Volela bih da je Dovlatovu neko rekao da, ako se hoće biti bolanjovski tip frajera, mora se bivstvovati na ivici egzistencije, dok nivo Harmsovog bića zahteva spremnost i na smrt od gladi.
Za čašicu razgovora bih radije izabrala i možda i slabijeg pisca Begbedea, ali manje vapećeg za kuloćom, ili milionstruko kulskijeg frajera Knausgora (o'zgo i boljeg pisca).
Nemam ništa protiv pijanih ljudi, naročito ne Rusa, no ne trpim nikakva potenciranja, naročito kad pijani Rusi stalno pričaju kol'ko su pijani i ko god da se time bavi, ma čim da pride raspolaže, granicu osrednjosti ne može preći.
Sve što unutra ima da se nađe je već viđeno.
Mogla bih da obrazlažem svoje stavove, ali mi se ne čini vrednim truda.
Volela bih da je Dovlatovu neko rekao da, ako se hoće biti bolanjovski tip frajera, mora se bivstvovati na ivici egzistencije, dok nivo Harmsovog bića zahteva spremnost i na smrt od gladi.
Za čašicu razgovora bih radije izabrala i možda i slabijeg pisca Begbedea, ali manje vapećeg za kuloćom, ili milionstruko kulskijeg frajera Knausgora (o'zgo i boljeg pisca).
Nemam ništa protiv pijanih ljudi, naročito ne Rusa, no ne trpim nikakva potenciranja, naročito kad pijani Rusi stalno pričaju kol'ko su pijani i ko god da se time bavi, ma čim da pride raspolaže, granicu osrednjosti ne može preći.
June 1, 2011
A very different read than my usual book. This is a collection of newspaper articles written in Estonia during the late 1970s, each followed by a longer description, often satirical (intended? or otherwise) which provides the true background of the articles. Through this the reader sees a sample of what is happening in the outskirts of the Soviet Union though a few peoples' eyes. We see the futility of many peoples' lives, the disruption of drink, the looseness of truth.
I was considering 3.5 as a rating but will bump it to 4. This author was recommended to me by one of my doctors who is also a Russian emigre. (I asked her for recommendations at my last appointment).
I was considering 3.5 as a rating but will bump it to 4. This author was recommended to me by one of my doctors who is also a Russian emigre. (I asked her for recommendations at my last appointment).
May 31, 2020
Овај роман (збирка прича?) настао је на основу дванаест цртица које је Довлатов писао за естонски совјетски лист седамдесетих година ХХ века.
Поглавља су насловљена "Први компромис", "Други компромис" итд. и започињу цртицом која је објвљена у новинама, а потом следи позадина како је та вест настала или детаљи о описаној личности. Текстови су, наравно, пуни хвалоспева радном совјетском народу и славе совјетски напредак, док је заправо стварност прилично другачија, што се описује кроз приче.
Довлатов пише бритко, на моменте прилично духовито, али не могу рећи да сам баш пао у несвест.
Поглавља су насловљена "Први компромис", "Други компромис" итд. и започињу цртицом која је објвљена у новинама, а потом следи позадина како је та вест настала или детаљи о описаној личности. Текстови су, наравно, пуни хвалоспева радном совјетском народу и славе совјетски напредак, док је заправо стварност прилично другачија, што се описује кроз приче.
Довлатов пише бритко, на моменте прилично духовито, али не могу рећи да сам баш пао у несвест.
June 6, 2019
Osim toga, nisam siguran da u životu poslije zločina neizbježno slijedi kajanje, a poslije podviga - blaženstvo.
Dobar je Serž. Na malom prostoru temljit i iscrpan. U potrazi za poslom mogao je biti krojač. Krojio bi maske i prikrivao istinu. Izabrao je novinarstvo. Istina kakva takva uz meki kompromis počela je da se obijelodanjuje. Sovjetski Savez i njegovo zamješateljstvo. Zanimljivo je kako se Kompromisi kotrljaju. Od onih "trivijalnih" koje čitaoci manje priželjkuju do onih crnohroničnih. U novinskim člancima Dovlatov prikazuje sudbine protraćenih ljudskih potencijala. Članci variraju od pijanog ekonomiste koji traži kult ličnosti do Pejpsove koja je izmuzla rekordan broj mlijeka i tim činom primljena u partiju. Dovlatovovi junaci se ne dijele na dobre i zle, crne i bijele, već su onakvi shodno datoj situaciji. Kakve su okolnosti i osjećanja takva su i ponašanja.
January 24, 2013
Довлатов снова ожидаемо прекрасно складывает слова в преложения, а преложения в рассказы.
Одна из тех книг, которые приносят радость от того, что я могу читать на русском языке в оригинале.
Одна из тех книг, которые приносят радость от того, что я могу читать на русском языке в оригинале.
May 7, 2012
Я давно не смеялась над книгами. Так же давно, как не находила в них свои мысли, сформулированные более чётко и грамотно, чем они звучат в моей голове. Наверное, именно это и заставляет меня вообще писать некое подобие рецензии и действительно рекомендовать эту книгу к прочтению. Кстати, одна из цитат, оставшаяся в памяти:
"Я ненавижу кладбищенские церемонии. Не потому, что кто-то умер, ведь близких хоронить мне не доводилось. А к посторонним я равнодушен. И все-таки ненавижу похороны. На фоне чьей-то смерти любое движение кажется безнравственным. Я ненавижу похороны за ощущение красивой убедительной скорби. За слезы чужих, посторонних людей. За подавляемое чувство радости: "Умер не ты, а другой". За тайное беспокойство относительно предстоящей выпивки. За неумеренные комплименты в адрес покойного. (Мне всегда хотелось крикнуть: "Ему наплевать. Будьте снисходительнее к живым. То есть ко мне, например".)"
"Я ненавижу кладбищенские церемонии. Не потому, что кто-то умер, ведь близких хоронить мне не доводилось. А к посторонним я равнодушен. И все-таки ненавижу похороны. На фоне чьей-то смерти любое движение кажется безнравственным. Я ненавижу похороны за ощущение красивой убедительной скорби. За слезы чужих, посторонних людей. За подавляемое чувство радости: "Умер не ты, а другой". За тайное беспокойство относительно предстоящей выпивки. За неумеренные комплименты в адрес покойного. (Мне всегда хотелось крикнуть: "Ему наплевать. Будьте снисходительнее к живым. То есть ко мне, например".)"
August 10, 2019
‘Is het waar dat alle journalisten ervan dromen een roman te schrijven?’, vroeg Alla.
‘Nee,’ loog ik.
‘Nee,’ loog ik.
December 18, 2016
Я долго добиралась до Довлатова. Не раз и не два его обсуждали в моём кругу, но для меня он стал открытием только в этом году. Я начала с "Компромисса" - новелла о работе Довлатова в Прибалтике.
Очаровательный неряшливый французский стиль, невозможная лёгкость, с которой он пишет о советской цензуре, ироничная обаятельность - Довлатов создаёт невероятные произведения, от которых не хочется отрываться. Объемные персонажи, глубокомысленные и безалаберные разговоры, многослойный юмор.
Лишь время от времени я ловила себя на мысли, что его произведения на самом деле полны чёрного отчаяния человека, который не имеет возможности реализовать свой талант и призвание. Человека, которому тесно в его общественной оболочке. Человека, которого в любой момент может разорвать от этого внутреннего давления, метания и приглушённого ужаса.
И ещё меня не покидало ощущение, что я читаю "1984", только от имени другого персонажа. Очень нужно прочитать тем, кто скучает по Советскому Союзу.
Очаровательный неряшливый французский стиль, невозможная лёгкость, с которой он пишет о советской цензуре, ироничная обаятельность - Довлатов создаёт невероятные произведения, от которых не хочется отрываться. Объемные персонажи, глубокомысленные и безалаберные разговоры, многослойный юмор.
Лишь время от времени я ловила себя на мысли, что его произведения на самом деле полны чёрного отчаяния человека, который не имеет возможности реализовать свой талант и призвание. Человека, которому тесно в его общественной оболочке. Человека, которого в любой момент может разорвать от этого внутреннего давления, метания и приглушённого ужаса.
И ещё меня не покидало ощущение, что я читаю "1984", только от имени другого персонажа. Очень нужно прочитать тем, кто скучает по Советскому Союзу.
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December 6, 2020Volim da se danima uspavljujem sa Dovlatovljevim anegdotama.
Večeras sam se jedva setila koju sam knjigu čitala, ali mi je prijala dok sam je čitala :)
Večeras sam se jedva setila koju sam knjigu čitala, ali mi je prijala dok sam je čitala :)
October 23, 2026
Lucked out in serendipitously finding a used copy locally. Dovlatov is one of my favorite writers. I'm not sure whether this is fiction or nonfiction or something in between, but it is surely based on Dovlatov's own career.
He writes sardonically about the backstories of a Soviet journalist's articles. As it happens, the Dovaltov character is working for an Estonia newspaper in this book. (In fact, he did move to Estonia after growing up, studying and working in Soviet Russia.) Each chapter is headed by a short article: two or three bland paragraphs on a mundane topic--published in an Estonian newspaper. (Although often there is a thoughtful end note to the piece.)
Then the text of the article falls aside to reveal how the story got written. There are crazy colleagues, drunken road trips, amorous adventures, and the insanity of twisting reality to fit into the strictures of Soviet politics. Time after time the newspaper's writers, assigned to come up with topical or human interest stories, have to abandon promising subjects becuse they reaize the thing is 'unsuitable'. That is, the prospective interviewee is Jewish, or an Ethiopian student studying in Russia who happens to have married a Caucasian women and fathered a child with her, or ... The editor lets them know that this doesn't fit the 'normal person' profile they've been assigned. But in some cases they find that the person who was at first glance interesting turns out to be truly unsuitable: a fan of Stalin's personality cult, or a former SS officer, or... In other words, life is complicated.
Dovlatov's passive aggresssive methods of pushing his editor to admit the real reason he can't write the truth drive the editor to distraction and exact for Dovlatov at least some revenge for having to compromise his professional integrity to earn a living. Dovlatov serves up delicious sarcasm and a probably faithful, hilarious view into the vodka-sodden world of journalism in such environments. As well as its bitterness.
For example, the editor assigns Dovlvatov on short notice to attend a funeral of a television producer for the newspaper. Dovlatov pleads to be allowed to cover an out-of-town story instead. What follows is yet another contretemps between stubborn, this-is-the-principle-of-it Dovlatov and his this-is-the-politics-of-publishing-a-newspaper editor.
By the by, to learn more about the German presence in the Baltics, you might find a 1935 novel set in Latvia interesting: I Loved A German. I confess that I don't know whether there is any similarity in the German presence in Latvia and Estonia, but it came to mind as I wrote this review.
He writes sardonically about the backstories of a Soviet journalist's articles. As it happens, the Dovaltov character is working for an Estonia newspaper in this book. (In fact, he did move to Estonia after growing up, studying and working in Soviet Russia.) Each chapter is headed by a short article: two or three bland paragraphs on a mundane topic--published in an Estonian newspaper. (Although often there is a thoughtful end note to the piece.)
Then the text of the article falls aside to reveal how the story got written. There are crazy colleagues, drunken road trips, amorous adventures, and the insanity of twisting reality to fit into the strictures of Soviet politics. Time after time the newspaper's writers, assigned to come up with topical or human interest stories, have to abandon promising subjects becuse they reaize the thing is 'unsuitable'. That is, the prospective interviewee is Jewish, or an Ethiopian student studying in Russia who happens to have married a Caucasian women and fathered a child with her, or ... The editor lets them know that this doesn't fit the 'normal person' profile they've been assigned. But in some cases they find that the person who was at first glance interesting turns out to be truly unsuitable: a fan of Stalin's personality cult, or a former SS officer, or... In other words, life is complicated.
Dovlatov's passive aggresssive methods of pushing his editor to admit the real reason he can't write the truth drive the editor to distraction and exact for Dovlatov at least some revenge for having to compromise his professional integrity to earn a living. Dovlatov serves up delicious sarcasm and a probably faithful, hilarious view into the vodka-sodden world of journalism in such environments. As well as its bitterness.
For example, the editor assigns Dovlvatov on short notice to attend a funeral of a television producer for the newspaper. Dovlatov pleads to be allowed to cover an out-of-town story instead. What follows is yet another contretemps between stubborn, this-is-the-principle-of-it Dovlatov and his this-is-the-politics-of-publishing-a-newspaper editor.
Editor: "Out of the question. You don't produce topical articles."
"They don't assign me any, so I don't produce them."
"You were assigned a piece on the Germans living in Estonia, and you refused."
"I think they should be allowed to leave."
"You're a naive person. To put it mildly."
"Why? In the Union there are more Germans than Armenians. But they haven't even been granted their own autonomy."
"But what kind of Germans are they? Third generation colonists. They became Estonians long ago in their language, culture, their way of thinking. They're typical Estonians. Their fathers and grandfathers lived in Estonia..."
"The grandfather of Boris Roiblat also lived in Estonia. And his father too. But Borya remains a Jew all the same. And remains unemployed.."
"You know, Dovlatov, it is impossible to talk with you. You have certain demogogic ways of arguing. We gave you work, met you halfway.We thought you'd mature, conduct yourself more respectably."
"Well, I work. I write."
"And you don't write badly either.... But I'm talking about something else. Your apolitical stand, your infantilism. . . You can always be counted on to act out of step.You make two hundred and fifty rubles a month. . . The question is, what do you give back in return? Why do I have to waste time on these fruitless conversations?..."
By the by, to learn more about the German presence in the Baltics, you might find a 1935 novel set in Latvia interesting: I Loved A German. I confess that I don't know whether there is any similarity in the German presence in Latvia and Estonia, but it came to mind as I wrote this review.
November 8, 2019
Objavljivanje sabranih djela Sergeja Dovlatova je izdavački poduhvat decenije, hvala LOM.
Fantastičan pisac, dva metra visok, sklon alkoholu, duhovit, u sukobu sa totalitarističkim režimom, jedno vrijeme ima 'status' ketmana, da bi sa nekih 40 godina ipak otišao na zapad, mnogo i predano pisao, umro mlad, u godinama u kojima je umrla i zemlja iz koje je pobjegao. Dovlatov i Pekić, izgleda, ne dijele samo moje oduševljenje, već i životnu sudbinu.
Fantastičan pisac, dva metra visok, sklon alkoholu, duhovit, u sukobu sa totalitarističkim režimom, jedno vrijeme ima 'status' ketmana, da bi sa nekih 40 godina ipak otišao na zapad, mnogo i predano pisao, umro mlad, u godinama u kojima je umrla i zemlja iz koje je pobjegao. Dovlatov i Pekić, izgleda, ne dijele samo moje oduševljenje, već i životnu sudbinu.
October 19, 2019
The books represent a kind of a compilation of various sketches (called compromises in the book) that depict life in Estonia when it was a part of the Soviet Union. Dovlatov with cynism and specific humor describes how he as a journalist tries to succeed in his work but his honesty, inability to be bent by regime and bureaucracy stay on his way. Some situations seemed to be absurd and grotesque but they perfectly describe how even talented people cannot achieve much because nothing really matters as much as abiding by the ideology of the Soviet Communist party.
Dovlatov has a personal style of describing all the events in short sharp phrases with a bunch of dialogues that draw characters' unique features - how they express their feelings, their opinions about the regime, behavioral patterns, how they drink, how other people treat them.
A friend of mine compared Dovlatov style to Haruki Murakami's and I saw some similarities too. Dovlatov writes everything down as he is just a distant observer, not the participant of those events and this is something I noticed Murakami's books as well.
Although I'm not actually a fan of Russian literature probably because I studied it in school and sometimes school programs worsen the impressions of the works but I like this book. It is different in comparison to the works of classic Russian literature which describe the same time period. Maybe because Dovlatov does not restrain himself in expressing the actual opinions of the people about the Soviet ideology. Or maybe because he describes the life of the intelligentsia as it was - poor, dangerous and full of alcohol - with no embellishments and flattery.
Dovlatov has a personal style of describing all the events in short sharp phrases with a bunch of dialogues that draw characters' unique features - how they express their feelings, their opinions about the regime, behavioral patterns, how they drink, how other people treat them.
A friend of mine compared Dovlatov style to Haruki Murakami's and I saw some similarities too. Dovlatov writes everything down as he is just a distant observer, not the participant of those events and this is something I noticed Murakami's books as well.
Although I'm not actually a fan of Russian literature probably because I studied it in school and sometimes school programs worsen the impressions of the works but I like this book. It is different in comparison to the works of classic Russian literature which describe the same time period. Maybe because Dovlatov does not restrain himself in expressing the actual opinions of the people about the Soviet ideology. Or maybe because he describes the life of the intelligentsia as it was - poor, dangerous and full of alcohol - with no embellishments and flattery.
March 4, 2017
Dark, bleak, bitterly funny and absurd semi-autobiographical stories of a Russian journalist working in Soviet Estonia. Especially resonant now, in a time of autocrats coming to power in the West, and widespread attacks on truth and facts.
June 28, 2017
Fun read, dar Geamantanul mi-a placut mai mult; a fost mai inchegata...
Read
March 26, 2019Sergej Dovlatov se, kao sav normalan svet, bavio novinarstvom u Lenjingradu, a onda se jednom prilikom toliko olešio od alkohola da se probudio tek kada je voz, u kome se našao ni sam ne znajući kako, polako ulazio u Talin u Estoniji. Šta je, tu je… Kada se otreznio i zalečio mamurluk Dovlatov je pokušao da nađe posao novinara u Talinu. „“Sovjetska Estonija“ mu je pružila šansu i on se snašao. Kako se snašao opisao je docnije, iza daleke emigrantske pozadine u Njujorku, u knjizi „Kompromis“. U pitanju je zbirka priča ili blago povezan roman gde svaka priča-poglavlje započinje novinskim člankom pisanim strogim sovjetskim stilom i jezikom bliskom sovjetskom radnom narodu i natčoveku socijalističkog rada, a zatim sledi i objašnjenje kroz priču šta se zapravo krije iza tog „potemkinovskog“ članka. Za Dovlatova obično kažu da je „ruski Hemingvej“. Jedina razlika između njih dvojice jeste u tome što je ruski parnjak veoma duhovit u svojim delima.
Divno sam se zabavio čitajući Dovlatova. Jedva čekam da pročitam i ostala njegova nedela. Navukao sam se!
Više o samom autoru i ovoj knjizi možete pročitati u posebnom članku na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/kompromis-duhov...
Divno sam se zabavio čitajući Dovlatova. Jedva čekam da pročitam i ostala njegova nedela. Navukao sam se!
Više o samom autoru i ovoj knjizi možete pročitati u posebnom članku na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/kompromis-duhov...
August 22, 2025
Geinige sterke verhalen. Misja Zjbankov en Erik Busch zijn geweldige personages.
Een soort Seinfeld in de Sovjet Unie: neuroses en absurditeiten die toch herkenbaar alledaags zijn, maar dan op (zeer veel) sterk water en onder het regime van de partij.
Een soort Seinfeld in de Sovjet Unie: neuroses en absurditeiten die toch herkenbaar alledaags zijn, maar dan op (zeer veel) sterk water en onder het regime van de partij.
October 13, 2015
Я так и знала, что Довлатова не любить невозможно.
Read
March 3, 2021Ik heb al meerdere recensies geschreven waarin ik mijn vermoeidheid uit ten opzichte van het ultieme moderne literair personage: man, middelbare leeftijd, alcholist/kettingroker, cynisch, eenzaam, heeft veel seks met jonge vrouwen (wat regelmatig voelt als een onbescheiden gedagdroom van de auteur zelf, zie Peter Estherhazy), artistiek beroep, weet persoonlijke relaties niet goed te onderhouden, loopt weg voor consequenties.
Dit boek is precies dat, maar dan briljant. Dovlatov heeft een onpretentieuze hulpeloosheid over zich heen die bevrijdend voelt. En daarbij gewoon mooie vondsten. Ik ben geen cynicus, daar ben ik zowel te jong als te oud(erwets) voor, maar dit cynisme voel ik wel in mijn botten.
Dergelijke verhalen over de Sovjet-Unie lijken voor mij altijd wat op die over Maoïstisch China (en eigenlijk ook een beetje hedendaags China): Het is absoluut geen goed leven, maar als leeservaring is het een heerlijke, absurde chaos.
Dit boek is precies dat, maar dan briljant. Dovlatov heeft een onpretentieuze hulpeloosheid over zich heen die bevrijdend voelt. En daarbij gewoon mooie vondsten. Ik ben geen cynicus, daar ben ik zowel te jong als te oud(erwets) voor, maar dit cynisme voel ik wel in mijn botten.
Dergelijke verhalen over de Sovjet-Unie lijken voor mij altijd wat op die over Maoïstisch China (en eigenlijk ook een beetje hedendaags China): Het is absoluut geen goed leven, maar als leeservaring is het een heerlijke, absurde chaos.
May 14, 2019
Довлатов - просто золото! И обхохочешься, и как-то грустно, и с ностальгией, и все так четко подмечено. "Чемодан" понравился больше, но "Компромисс" - очень хорошая книга. Обязательно буду продолжать читать автора!
May 26, 2020
Zowel qua vorm (de ware totstandkoming achter twaalf zwaar 'geredigeerde' krantenartikelen), qua stijl (zeer puntig en grappig) en qua onderwerp (werken als journalist in jaren 70 Sovjet-Estland) meer dan zeer geslaagd. De beste fictie over journalistiek die ik ken (vrij naar Milo van Bokkum, 2019).
December 31, 2018
Prima di parlare del libro, vorrei esprimermi brevemente sulla traduzione:
Cara Sellerio, sarà che io su certe cose sono puntigliosa, ma mi hai delusa. Per quale perverso motivo bisognava traslitterare dal russo cognomi e toponimi estoni? Si tratta di un'edizione del 2017, sono abbastanza certa che Google esistesse già allora per verificare almeno la grafia delle località...certe cose non si possono sentire! Quale traduttore dal russo all'italiano chiamerebbe la capitale della Danimarca Kopengagen o manderebbe dei personaggi in un romantico viaggio a Pariž? Mi chiedo perché nell'edizione recente non abbiano applicato la stessa regola all'Estonia, che non fa più parte dell'Unione Sovietica da quasi trent'anni. No, non mi vengono in mente giustificazioni sensate se non la fretta e la noncuranza da parte dell'editore o del traduttore.
Pace, che questa cosa serva di lezione alla mia pigrizia e mi ricordi sempre che è meglio fare un piccolo sforzo in più e, quando ne ho le capacità, leggere un libro nell'originale e non cercare scorciatoie con la traduzione italiana. Primo proposito per il 2019.
A parte questo problema, Compromesso di Sergej Dovlatov ha soddisfatto in pieno le mie aspettative. Si tratta di una raccolta di brevi racconti dall'umorismo dark e pungente, dal tono che oscilla continuamente tra il malinconico e il dissacrante.
Ciascun racconto parte da un articolo di giornale scritto dallo stesso Dovlatov quando faceva il giornalista a Tallinn negli anni '70 del secolo scorso e ne svela la storia e il background.
Siamo nel periodo della Stagnazione di Brežnev, un periodo in cui l'ideologia con il suio linguaggio e i suoi riti sembra essersi cristallizzata in una forma rigida e anacronistica nella sua altisonanza, mentre la società si evolve e trasforma rapidamente. Questo fenomeno, che mi fa pensare all'acqua che scorre veloce sotto un sottile strato di ghiaccio che va disfandosi, emerge chiaramente nei vari racconti.
"Compromesso sesto" si apre con:
Il breve programma radio di L. Agapova e S. Dovlatov viene dedicato all'economista prof. Vladimir Grigor’evič Merkin. Voi ascolterete dalla sua viva voce interessantissime informazioni sul progresso economico in URSS e sull'attuale, irreversibile crisi economica dell'Occidente. Nell'intervallo trasmetteremo il giornale-radio ed un «Intervallo musicale».
Segue la tragicomica storia della ricerca, da parte dell'autore e della sua collega Lidia, di un personaggio da intervistare per la trasmissione radiofonica "Un incontro con una persona interessante":
- Lidočka, voglio proporle una nuova rubrica. «Un incontro con una persona interessante». E non è detto che debba necessariamente essere uno scienziato o un astronauta. La gamma qui è di ampiezza totale. Un hobby di rispetto, un passatempo originale, qualche pittorico tratto biografico. Supponiamo, un oscuro capufficio della nomenclatura segretamente... che ne so... qualsiasi cosa... ora non mi viene in mente... Supponiamo che segretamente lui...
- Sia un pedofilo - suggerì Lida.
Io intendevo un’altra cosa. Supponiamo che segretamente lui...
- Studi il sanscrito...
Qualcosa del genere. Solo un po’ più rilevante sul piano sociale. [...] Bisogna pensare a qualcosa di nuovo. Supponiamo, un vecchio generale si sottopone ad un’operazione e nel chirurgo riconosce il suo ex attendente...
- Il cognome?
- Di chi?
- Il cognome del generale! O dell’attendente!
- Era un’idea... La cosa fondamentale qui è l’effetto sorpresa, il mistero, il caso... Una vita poliedrica... Esteriormente una cosa, intimamente tutt’altra...
- Sono in molti in questa situazione - sospirò Lida.
Emergono in questa raccolta una moltitudine di temi controversi tanto nell'Unione Sovietica di allora che nel mondo di oggi, come l'antisemitismo (Dovlatov era di origini ebraiche), la questione dell'internazionalismo, i rapporti tra uomini e donne, la memoria storica e il pervadente alcolismo...così dietro ogni spassoso siparietto si cela più che una punta di amarezza.
Personalmente, ho trovato il libro doppiamente interessante perché parla di Tallinn, dell'Estonia e degli estoni dando un ritratto di com'era questo mondo solo quarant'anni fa, sebbene sembri passata un'intera era geologica da allora.
Ma più in generale, sono convinta che sia una lettura universale, assolutamente godibile indipendentemente che si conosca o no la storia di questo paese.
Tallinn nel 1976
Cara Sellerio, sarà che io su certe cose sono puntigliosa, ma mi hai delusa. Per quale perverso motivo bisognava traslitterare dal russo cognomi e toponimi estoni? Si tratta di un'edizione del 2017, sono abbastanza certa che Google esistesse già allora per verificare almeno la grafia delle località...certe cose non si possono sentire! Quale traduttore dal russo all'italiano chiamerebbe la capitale della Danimarca Kopengagen o manderebbe dei personaggi in un romantico viaggio a Pariž? Mi chiedo perché nell'edizione recente non abbiano applicato la stessa regola all'Estonia, che non fa più parte dell'Unione Sovietica da quasi trent'anni. No, non mi vengono in mente giustificazioni sensate se non la fretta e la noncuranza da parte dell'editore o del traduttore.
Pace, che questa cosa serva di lezione alla mia pigrizia e mi ricordi sempre che è meglio fare un piccolo sforzo in più e, quando ne ho le capacità, leggere un libro nell'originale e non cercare scorciatoie con la traduzione italiana. Primo proposito per il 2019.
A parte questo problema, Compromesso di Sergej Dovlatov ha soddisfatto in pieno le mie aspettative. Si tratta di una raccolta di brevi racconti dall'umorismo dark e pungente, dal tono che oscilla continuamente tra il malinconico e il dissacrante.
Ciascun racconto parte da un articolo di giornale scritto dallo stesso Dovlatov quando faceva il giornalista a Tallinn negli anni '70 del secolo scorso e ne svela la storia e il background.
Siamo nel periodo della Stagnazione di Brežnev, un periodo in cui l'ideologia con il suio linguaggio e i suoi riti sembra essersi cristallizzata in una forma rigida e anacronistica nella sua altisonanza, mentre la società si evolve e trasforma rapidamente. Questo fenomeno, che mi fa pensare all'acqua che scorre veloce sotto un sottile strato di ghiaccio che va disfandosi, emerge chiaramente nei vari racconti.
"Compromesso sesto" si apre con:
Il breve programma radio di L. Agapova e S. Dovlatov viene dedicato all'economista prof. Vladimir Grigor’evič Merkin. Voi ascolterete dalla sua viva voce interessantissime informazioni sul progresso economico in URSS e sull'attuale, irreversibile crisi economica dell'Occidente. Nell'intervallo trasmetteremo il giornale-radio ed un «Intervallo musicale».
Segue la tragicomica storia della ricerca, da parte dell'autore e della sua collega Lidia, di un personaggio da intervistare per la trasmissione radiofonica "Un incontro con una persona interessante":
- Lidočka, voglio proporle una nuova rubrica. «Un incontro con una persona interessante». E non è detto che debba necessariamente essere uno scienziato o un astronauta. La gamma qui è di ampiezza totale. Un hobby di rispetto, un passatempo originale, qualche pittorico tratto biografico. Supponiamo, un oscuro capufficio della nomenclatura segretamente... che ne so... qualsiasi cosa... ora non mi viene in mente... Supponiamo che segretamente lui...
- Sia un pedofilo - suggerì Lida.
Io intendevo un’altra cosa. Supponiamo che segretamente lui...
- Studi il sanscrito...
Qualcosa del genere. Solo un po’ più rilevante sul piano sociale. [...] Bisogna pensare a qualcosa di nuovo. Supponiamo, un vecchio generale si sottopone ad un’operazione e nel chirurgo riconosce il suo ex attendente...
- Il cognome?
- Di chi?
- Il cognome del generale! O dell’attendente!
- Era un’idea... La cosa fondamentale qui è l’effetto sorpresa, il mistero, il caso... Una vita poliedrica... Esteriormente una cosa, intimamente tutt’altra...
- Sono in molti in questa situazione - sospirò Lida.
Emergono in questa raccolta una moltitudine di temi controversi tanto nell'Unione Sovietica di allora che nel mondo di oggi, come l'antisemitismo (Dovlatov era di origini ebraiche), la questione dell'internazionalismo, i rapporti tra uomini e donne, la memoria storica e il pervadente alcolismo...così dietro ogni spassoso siparietto si cela più che una punta di amarezza.
Personalmente, ho trovato il libro doppiamente interessante perché parla di Tallinn, dell'Estonia e degli estoni dando un ritratto di com'era questo mondo solo quarant'anni fa, sebbene sembri passata un'intera era geologica da allora.
Ma più in generale, sono convinta che sia una lettura universale, assolutamente godibile indipendentemente che si conosca o no la storia di questo paese.
Tallinn nel 1976
November 27, 2018
A second reading, after 32 years, confirms my original rating and my high opinion of this writer.
August 16, 2025
Amb tres histories. Ja n’hi ha prou. Ves la “libertar “ del sistema comunista. Es un periodista completament desencantar i borratxo
March 22, 2026
La mentira, si es gratuita, no es mentira sino poesía.
August 4, 2025
Original retrat d’una professió (periodista) en un país sense llibertat de premsa. A voltes confús en algun compromís, segurament per l’excés d’alcohol del protagonista i els qui l’envolten. Ironia i humor que captiven.
August 2, 2024
первая половина скучная, во второй половине есть забавные главы. но почему автор эти истории назвал компромиссами, я не догнал
April 10, 2025
This is the second book I’ve read from Dovlátov and it’s equally good! I love his tragicomic narrative. How he smoothly blend the important with the meaningless!
June 17, 2017
So what do you do if you were a newspaper man in Tallin Estonia and have now immigrated to White Plaines N.Y? You gather up all your old clippings and write the actual story behind what you wrote for the "Soviet Estonia" in the 70's. That's "The Compromise" a behind the scenes look at what actually happened to Dovlatov while he wrote for the paper. Many of the stories are funny, even to us westerners. Stories such as the funeral he attended where he gave part of the eulogy to a T.V. producer. A funeral where the people in charge had Dovlatov get the body from the morgue, be a pall bearer, give part of the eulogy, and write the story of the funeral for the morning edition. Oh by the way, Dovlatov's photographer, who was also drafted to be a pallbearer, recognizes that the guy in the coffin at the cemetery is not the T.V. producer but some one else. Or the horse fixing deal Dovlatov was involved in, until his jockey was arrested. Or the trip to a farm where a milk maid had milked an unholy amount of milk from her cows etc. The whole book will have you smiling and at the same time give you a window into how news is made and reported in a oppressive regime. An interesting window in our current age.
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