Of Sunshine and Bedbugs: Essential Stories

by Isaac Babel, Boris Dralyuk (Translator)

A new selection of Isaac Babel's 26 most vital and beautiful stories, in acclaimed translations by Boris Dralyuk

Isaac Babel honed one of the most distinctive styles in all Russian literature. Brashly conversational one moment, dreamily lyrical the next, his stories exult in the richness of everyday speech and sensual pleasure only to be shaken by brutal jolts of violence.

These stories take us from the underworld of Babel's native Odessa, city of gangsters and lowlives, of drunken brawls and bleeding sunsets, to the terror and absurdity of life as a soldier in the Polish-Soviet War.

Selected and translated by the prize-winning Boris Dralyuk, this collection captures the irreverence, passion and coarse beauty of Babel's singular voice.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Russia, Classics

224 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2022

About the author

Isaak Emmanuilovich Babel (Russian: Исаак Эммануилович Бабель; 1894 - 1940) was a Russian language journalist, playwright, literary translator, and short story writer. He is best known as the author of Red Cavalry, Story of my Dovecote and Tales of Odessa, all of which are considered masterpieces of Russian literature. Babel has also been acclaimed as "the greatest prose writer of Russian Jewry."

Loyal to, but not uncritical of, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Isaak Babel fell victim to Joseph Stalin's Great Purge due to his longterm affair with the wife of NKVD chief Nikolai Yezhov. Babel was arrested by the NKVD at Peredelkino on the night of May 15, 1939. After "confessing", under torture, to being a Trotskyist terrorist and foreign spy, Babel was shot on January 27, 1940. The arrest and execution of Isaak Babel has been labeled a catastrophe for the world of literature.

Reviews

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Isaac Babel (1894–1940) was not an author I knew or had come across earlier but when this volume of Essential Stories appeared from Pushkin Press, I decided to (somewhat blindly) give it a try. Babel was an author, journalist, and translator among other things, described by Gorky as ‘the greatest Russia has to offer’ (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...). In 1939, he was arrested on false charges of espionage and executed in January 1940.

Of Sunshine and Bedbugs: Essential Stories features 26 stories classified in three sections. The stories have been taken from two previous volumes translated by Boris Dralyuk, and included a freshly translated opening piece ‘Guy de Maupassant’ and a preface by Dralyuk which I felt contextualised the stories and helped me understand and appreciate them better.

The first section, ‘Childhood and Youth’ features autobiographical tales of Babel’s childhood, though I read later (via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_B...) that while he presents his family in these accounts as ‘destitute and muddleheaded’, they were quite well-off. While the first two stories are far more serious in tone dealing with the Pogrom in 1905, the death and loss, and helplessness felt by people (including his father who looks for help when his shop is being looted, only for the Cossacks to simply ride past), all witnessed through the eyes of a child, the later stories take on a much lighter tone, with eccentric family members embarrassing him before his wealthy friend, and Isaac’s adventures from cutting music class to spend time at the Odessa port to falling in with theatre-ticket black-marketeers. Of these, the first story, ‘The Story of My Dovecote’ is a powerful, heart-rending piece dealing with discrimination and corruption, childhood dreams shattered, and innocence lost. Isaac as a young boy has always dreamed of a dovecote of his own, and his father promises he will get one once he is admitted to school. Isaac is clever, able to secure a place in school in the toughest of circumstances when the Jewish quota at school is ‘only five per cent’ (two students), only to have it taken away when another wealthy parent pays a bribe. He tries again the following year, this time his name making it to the list to the joy and pride of all his family:

It was thus that David, King of Jews had defeated Goliath in ancient times, and just as I had triumphed over Goliath, so too would our people, by the power of our minds, vanquish our enemies, who now surround us thirsting for our blood.

New things are bought, his mother receiving as much childish pleasure from them as himself, and school begins. And now it is time for his father to make good on the promise but unfortunately the day little Isaac goes to the market to buy his precious doves, riots break out, and what was to be a joyous day quickly turns into a horrifying experience scarring him.

The second segment, ‘Gangsters and Other Old Odessans’ takes us into more disreputable quarters with gangsters, innkeepers, dealers in contraband, and other curious and similarly seedy characters. Among these is the gangster Benya Krik (based on real-life Mishka Yaponckik), who outsmarts the police, keeps everyone on their toes, has a sense of justice, but can also commit cruelties and kill at the drop of a hat. Benya seems almost larger than life, and the picture we get of him is certainly romanticized though Babel doesn’t gloss over his activities or cruelty. Dralyuk’s preface helps one see how to a child who witnessed pogroms and discrimination, these characters who stood up to the system and could outwit it would seem fascinating, but at the same time, ones whose cruelty he can’t overlook either. We see Benya in more than one of the stories witnessing his sister’s wedding while also outsmarting the police (‘The King’), his rise to power (‘How It Was Done in Odessa’), and how, as one character describes it, ‘he cuts through lies and looks for justice …’ where others ‘can’t be bothered with justice’ (‘Justice in Quotes’).

The final segment ‘Red Cavalry’ contains stories from Babel’s best-known collection ‘Red Cavalry’. These are stories or rather snippets from the Polish–Soviet war based on Babel’s diary when a journalist assigned to the first cavalry. These stories bring the reader face to face with the brutalities and cruelties that took place with vivid gruesome imagery—bodies, blood, slaughter. Nature, the moon, with its beauty stands in contrast to these cruel scenes, and amidst this we come upon some curious characters as well. But striking through these stories are, and while they turn one back to that basic debate once again—why do we keep doing the same thing (war) over and over—of the three sections, these just made me want to close my eyes or put the book away.

I think this volume was a good way for someone like me, who had never read Babel, to get a good idea of the kind of range his work has (even though this isn’t all), as well as from the initial section to also get an idea of Babel himself, his childhood, the different experiences that informed his writing and in the context of which we should see his work. Reading his descriptions of nature in the Red Cavalry section, one thinks back to advice given to him as a child when he showed some of his writings to Yefim Nikitich Smolich, a journalist (who helped teach him to swim as well):

And you dare to write? A person who doesn’t live in nature—as a stone or an animal lives in nature—will never manage to wrote two worthwhile lines in all his life…

One can also see immediately that Babel is an inveterate storyteller bringing ‘life’ into his stories whether it was ones he regaled classmates with or as in the opening story ‘Guy de Maupassant’ breathed life into a dry translation by a wealthy lady who loved Maupassant but didn’t succeed in getting across the feel of the stories.

Also, before I actually started reading the book, I had no idea that Babel was from Odessa, so we do get glimpses of that port city as well, its emerald waters, businessmen dreaming of turning it into ‘Marseilles or Naples’, its bustling port with exotic products coming in, dealings in contraband, and also its seedier quarters.

These are stories which I think can be best appreciated if read slowly and spread out (rather than reading all together like I did since this was a review copy), and if and when I am in the mind to be able face the more brutal aspects again, I would like to give the last section another try.

There is violence against animals in at least three of the stories which those who are bothered by this like I am should bear in mind but in two of these, one can get past or shut one’s eyes to this fairly successfully. Also a few too many women with large bosoms in the opening story—Guy de Maupassant—(and a few in a couple of other stories) for my liking.

3.75 stars

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of short stories first published in the 1920s and 30s. Divided into three sections, the first are stories based on his childhood, the second are about gangsters in Odessa and the third, Red Cavalry are war stories. There is plenty of dark humour, subtle writing about violent events.
The horrors of war are on display (‘Salt’ in particular was quite stunning).

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Collection for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my [way too] honest opinion.

I have not read much Russian literature, but if this is it, I don't know if I want it...

I've heard of Babel before, he's not the most famous of Russian writers, but not the most obscure. So I thought I might take a chance on this.

This was very disappointing and quite frankly boring. I don't like to give out negative reviews, but I'm not sure this one deserves a positive one. There is absolutely nothing about this book that felt worth reading...sorry?

I practically passed out three pages in from how boring it was. No aspect of this was interesting. I know I'm not giving much specifics, but that's probably because I can't remember a single thing from this.

I'm not joking too; I couldn't tell you what happened in this.

Alright, that's the end of my rant for how boring this was.

all in all: can I say something negative about something I don't even know about?

[aqilahreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

such a bummer...DNF-ed 20% through...

the structure was quite disorganized and it was hard to read bc of it in the first place. wasnt able to give my full attention as there wasnt proper paragraphing/breaks in between and probably im just not a fan with this kind of format.

i couldnt quite get what the story was all about. tried to reread a couple of times and kept losing it halfway.

// thank you netgalley for a review copy in exchange of an honest review.

[Graychin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babel’s stories are comical, earthy, heart-breaking, and outrageous. Most of them center on his childhood and family, the colorful gangsters of Odessa’s Jewish district, and his experiences in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. My favorites include “In the Basement,” “The Awakening” and “The King.”

“Guy de Maupassant” is a stand-out thematically, and probably his very best story. Boris Dralyuk (editor and translator of my copy) uses it as an introduction to the rest. It includes this wonderful description of the art of writing:

“A phrase comes into the world good and bad at the same time. The secret lies in a barely perceptible turn. The lever sits in your hand, getting warm. You’ve got to turn it once, not twice.”

[meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick to read collection of short stories. They are gathered in three parts according to three over-arching themes: childhood and coming of age ; the narrator's shady dealings ; the narrator's time with the Red Cavalry.

The stories are easy to follow, they are all connected together by the narrator. However, the stories are much easier to follow if readers are somewhat familiar with early 2oth century Russian history. His style is accessible, telling stories of suffering and hardship from the different times in his life.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Literati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Babel's life is characterized by its consistent turmoil and suffering. His initial stories of Odessa are vivid and painful, and his eye for beauty is only matched by his eye for pain. His tales of gangsters are equally fascinating, as are his exploits with the Red Army- Babel is much like Gorky in that he understands the plight of the Russian people, does not patronize them or loathe them, merely present them as they are. Moving as can be.

[Aaron Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has read much of the American master George Saunders knows that Isaac Babel was a tremendous influence. Babel is, in fact, the writer Saunders often cites as his favorite of all the short story masters over the centuries. This collection of Babel's stories is very well translated, making the the author still feel fresh and relevant in our trying era. Babel had plenty of trying events of his own in the early 20th century to write about and his stories are well worth reading, both for lessons on craft and lessons on life.

[Kitty Fogliano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very, very difficult to follow, either due to a translation that uses convoluted syntax (which may be true to the original but is very confusing), my lack of historical background knowledge, or both!

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Isaac Babel with my whole heart. However, not all the stories in this collection are hits. The ones that are, sit squarely in a league of their own. The best of his stories are (IMO) amongst the best ever written. “My First Goose” is such a special story, truly a masterpiece. Including some of my favorite quotes because they speak for themselves:

“This trodden earth had nothing in common with our lives—nothing in common with the anticipation of exams in our lives. Somewhere far away disaster galloped along this very earth on a big horse, but the sound of its hooves was growing weaker, vanishing, and calmness, that bitter calmness that sometimes comes over children during calamities, suddenly obliterated the boundary between my body and the unmoving earth. The earth smelt of damp inner depths, of the grave, of flowers.”

“What I saw in those two was the wondrously shameful life of all the people on earth, and I wanted to fall into the deepest sleep, so as to forget about that life, which exceeded all my dreams”

“Ladies and gentlemen,’ said Benya Krik, ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ he said, and the sun rose over his head like a sentry with a rifle. ‘You came to pay your last respects to an honest worker, who laid down his life for a copper halfcopeck. On my own behalf, and on behalf of all those not gathered here, I thank you. Ladies and gentlemen! What did our dear Joseph manage to see in life? Bupkis is what. How did he occupy himself? Counting other people’s money. What did he die for? He died for the whole working class. There are people in this world who are doomed to die, and there are people who have not yet begun to live. And that bullet—the bullet that flies towards the doomed breast—pierced Joseph, who’d seen bupkis in life. ”

“An orange star had rolled down to the very edge of the horizon and stared at them, wide-eyed.”

“I have nothing but air in front of me. It shines like the sea on a sunny day, this beautiful, empty air.”

“Savitsky, the Sixth Division commander, rose when he saw me, and I marvelled at the beauty of his gigantic body.1 He rose and—with the purple of his breeches, with his crimson cap tilted to one side, with the decorations hammered into his chest—cut the hut in half, as a banner cuts the sky. He smelt of perfume and the overwhelmingly sweet coolness of soap. His long legs looked like a pair of girls clad in shiny shoulder-length jackboots.”

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, this bears some working out. "Red Cavalry" was this translator's first selection of Babel short pieces, and 90 of its 200pp or so of footage from the war's front lines make up Part Three here. In 2016 he knocked up an "Odessa Stories", which I had a good look at and didn't think too much of – it clearly left memories so underwhelming that I'm here again. Since then 2018 saw a new edition of "Odessa Stories", but minus three pieces – two of which Stalin disliked, and were therefore put on the back burner so long the copyright was still in play, and a third which may not even have been written by Babel anyway. The two halves of that make up the larger Parts One and Two of this volume, which then is a Greatest Hits of two Selecteds... With a bonus unreleased track, to conclude the music record comparisons. Still with me?

My review of Parts One and Two still stand, then – it's at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . Basically, childhood stuff yes, gangster stuff no thank you. But what of the military reportage, and that brand-new old offering? Well, the one-off is readable, but ends clumsily. The wartime snippets, meanwhile, are very much for a select few – yes, there are flashes of the remarkable, as when a young mother boards a troop train and manages to be the only female the wartorn country doesn't try and have its way with, but some are really not for the common browser such as I at all.

Which means this is rather the pointless volume. I don't think Babel serves the general, Clapham Omnibus user, commuting reader, and on the other hand his devotees have got both the prior books in full on their shelves already. Were they to jump on this for a brand new four-page introduction, and that exclusive slice of the literary life, well then, all power to them. But I'm at a loss when it comes to seeing the appeal.

[Nicole Alanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Managed to finish and still, no idea.
I had no knowledge of Babel or his stories before picking this up. Having said that, without a quick Google, I'd still have no idea, as I couldn't make head nor tails of this book!
For some reason, I felt compelled to keep reading and finish the book, laborious though it was. There were aspects of Babel's writing which were so poetic and visceral, for example:
"A homeless moon drifted about the town. And I walked along with her, nursing impossible dreams and discordant songs."
But, those aspects composed about 15% of this collection, with the other 85% being plots I couldn't follow, events I couldn't understand, and so many character names and street names that I didn't know where I was or who I was following!

All in all, I think it's possible that Babel's life is more interesting than his stories.

[Ian, etc. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Fablesque. And then very much not — gruesome reporting from the front lines of a war I know too little about to properly situate myself within the grand political framework “Of Sunshine and Bedbugs.”

Short story collection, but mostly enhanced autobiography, and similar to “Human Acts” in its tendency to proceed linearly with somewhat the same cast of characters for long stretches, approaching but not quite attaining the traditional novel form. A life littered with death, edges rounded only minimally with macabre humor. At its best in its pastoral modes, observing “the green tranquility of the graves,” moonlight that “lay frozen on unknown bushes, on trees without names…” Perfect compliment to the abundant chiasms scattered through the prose — a solemn, noble, strict stillness. A never leaving.

Standouts: “In the Basement,” “Justice in Quotes,” “Gedali”

[Olivia]

(Note: I received a proof of this book from NetGalley)

Despite really loving literature from Ukraine, Russia and the region, I have not read any Isaac Babel, in Russian or English, so I enjoyed reading these stories. These stories, in terms of style, are both unique and somehow very contemporary or modern. He's famous for his characters and their personalities, and doesn't disappoint.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Babel fans only, probably, or perhaps those new to his work and who want an overview of his style, range and subject matter. I’m not an enthusiast myself, certainly not of the Odessa tales, so my rating reflects my view of this as a collection rather than the literary merit of the writing. And as a collection, it’s both useful and enjoyable.

[Alaina Sloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read Isaac Babel before and I loved this collection. I was wowed by how much he can evoke about a time, a place, and a culture with so few words, and how he can make larger than life stories feel real. With this collection, he joins of the ranks of my favorite short story writers, alongside Alice Munro.

[John Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incomparable short tales from a masterful writer, in a clear and resonant English translation. I adored this timeless collection and will be reading more Isaac Babel stories in the future. Babel unfortunately fell victim to Stalin’s purges, so could have given us so many more fictions if he’d not been executed at 45 years of age in 1940.

[Dot Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories inspired by Babel’s childhood were worthy of 5 stars alone, but as the book progressed and we had stories of the civil war, of destruction and terror, the enchantment of seeing whimsical characters through the eyes of a young boy faded, replaced with a strange lyrical realism that didn’t quite work for me, and the second half of the book was certainly not as riveting as the first.

[Aria Harlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping selection of short stories that I raced through. All were beautifully written and raw in their narrative featuring some of the hardest times in history as well as some of the darkest people within the society that the book is written in. It was a quicmk and compelling read.

[Archana Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley. I had not read Isaac Babel before. I enjoyed reading these stories. The stories are interesting and quite contemporary in feel despite being written long ago. Strongly recommended.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

five star stories: the story of my dovecote, in the basement, the awakening, the end of the almshouse, crossing the zbrucz, pan apolek, the italian sun, gedali, the rebbe

all these contain imagery and language I will remember.

[Isabella Jaffery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories, but not the best to be read straight through/in one sitting, as the subject matter ends up a bit repetitive.

[Lucaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy shit🤌🏽

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way he writes is too much and just enough at the same time. Every story has a different texture.

[Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked maybe 1/3 of this book? Many stories were really confusing and hard to connect.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

More missed than hits in this collection