Greatest Russian Novels of All Time (196 books)

Genius literary novels by writers from Russia.

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1	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.29 avg rating — 1,067,222 ratings score: 21,038, and 213 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 4.10 avg rating — 925,111 ratings score: 16,967, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.39 avg rating — 382,524 ratings score: 15,294, and 156 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4.17 avg rating — 363,767 ratings score: 14,634, and 149 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.28 avg rating — 416,242 ratings score: 13,434, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.21 avg rating — 215,268 ratings score: 8,088, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.87 avg rating — 939,336 ratings score: 7,167, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol 3.98 avg rating — 95,695 ratings score: 6,935, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Notes from Underground, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, and Selections from The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.19 avg rating — 78,417 ratings score: 6,417, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 4.01 avg rating — 102,566 ratings score: 5,452, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 3.98 avg rating — 124,555 ratings score: 5,384, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 100,582 ratings score: 5,256, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin 4.10 avg rating — 70,459 ratings score: 4,310, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	We by Yevgeny Zamyatin 3.88 avg rating — 111,614 ratings score: 3,957, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov 4.11 avg rating — 63,939 ratings score: 3,747, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.08 avg rating — 71,537 ratings score: 3,674, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.30 avg rating — 62,119 ratings score: 3,627, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov 4.14 avg rating — 42,455 ratings score: 3,575, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.91 avg rating — 118,800 ratings score: 2,418, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov 4.11 avg rating — 13,180 ratings score: 2,218, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4.26 avg rating — 17,520 ratings score: 1,811, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Mother by Maxim Gorky 3.97 avg rating — 18,958 ratings score: 1,670, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman 4.46 avg rating — 15,300 ratings score: 1,645, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Death of Ivan Ilych and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy 4.12 avg rating — 17,050 ratings score: 1,392, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy 4.17 avg rating — 28,121 ratings score: 1,286, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov 3.92 avg rating — 19,895 ratings score: 1,206, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Home of the Gentry by Ivan Turgenev 3.92 avg rating — 5,563 ratings score: 1,162, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol 4.15 avg rating — 50,904 ratings score: 1,149, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4.26 avg rating — 10,177 ratings score: 1,074, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.05 avg rating — 35,440 ratings score: 1,014, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.67 avg rating — 42,712 ratings score: 995, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky 4.12 avg rating — 86,067 ratings score: 975, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Gift by Vladimir Nabokov really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4,853 ratings score: 936, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Moscow to the End of the Line by Venedikt Erofeev 4.03 avg rating — 12,996 ratings score: 926, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.17 avg rating — 224,385 ratings score: 923, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov 4.17 avg rating — 57,226 ratings score: 888, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Petersburg by Andrei Bely 3.98 avg rating — 5,690 ratings score: 881, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy 4.14 avg rating — 219,032 ratings score: 833, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.08 avg rating — 328,295 ratings score: 809, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy 3.86 avg rating — 35,289 ratings score: 796, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Spring Torrents by Ivan Turgenev 3.95 avg rating — 5,747 ratings score: 772, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Envy by Yury Olesha 3.69 avg rating — 3,974 ratings score: 622, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Nose by Catherine Cowan (Retold by) 3.95 avg rating — 14,051 ratings score: 616, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Twelve Chairs by Ilya Ilf 4.39 avg rating — 24,405 ratings score: 602, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov 3.90 avg rating — 10,116 ratings score: 578, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Foundation Pit by Andrei Platonov 3.78 avg rating — 6,392 ratings score: 520, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Poor Folk and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.87 avg rating — 1,086 ratings score: 520, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Slynx by Tatiana Tolstaia 3.81 avg rating — 5,623 ratings score: 514, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Winter Queen (Erast Fandorin Mysteries, #1) by Boris Akunin 3.91 avg rating — 14,333 ratings score: 493, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Inspector General by Nikolai Gogol 3.96 avg rating — 19,236 ratings score: 489, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Letter Killers Club by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky 3.74 avg rating — 1,046 ratings score: 453, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov 4.33 avg rating — 8,254 ratings score: 445, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Sebastopol Sketches by Leo Tolstoy 3.85 avg rating — 3,760 ratings score: 445, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Белая гвардия by Mikhail Bulgakov really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,077 ratings score: 443, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Gorky Park (Arkady Renko, #1) by Martin Cruz Smith 4.04 avg rating — 69,740 ratings score: 439, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Luzhin Defense by Vladimir Nabokov 3.94 avg rating — 15,956 ratings score: 427, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge 4.12 avg rating — 1,585 ratings score: 425, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Volume 1 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4.35 avg rating — 13,780 ratings score: 422, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin 4.21 avg rating — 11,979 ratings score: 398, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Eternal Husband by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.75 avg rating — 15,509 ratings score: 397, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.03 avg rating — 40,471 ratings score: 381, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Night Watch (Watch, #1) by Sergei Lukyanenko 3.97 avg rating — 45,123 ratings score: 379, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov 3.88 avg rating — 29,146 ratings score: 344, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Morphine by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.06 avg rating — 11,310 ratings score: 343, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.93 avg rating — 10,785 ratings score: 326, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Forty-Ninth by Boris Pronsky (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 133 ratings score: 297, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Don Flows Home to the Sea, Vol 2 by Mikhail Sholokhov 4.34 avg rating — 734 ratings score: 290, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Hard to Be a God by Arkady Strugatsky 4.12 avg rating — 18,287 ratings score: 289, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy 3.80 avg rating — 10,293 ratings score: 279, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Гранатовый браслет by Aleksandr Kuprin 3.74 avg rating — 1,923 ratings score: 277, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Bend Sinister by Vladimir Nabokov 3.79 avg rating — 5,064 ratings score: 276, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Living by Anna Starobinets 3.40 avg rating — 897 ratings score: 274, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Чапаев и Пустота by Виктор Пелевин 4.27 avg rating — 8,645 ratings score: 273, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Danilov, the violist: A novel by Vladimir Orlov 4.04 avg rating — 591 ratings score: 260, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Mumu by Ivan Turgenev 3.78 avg rating — 11,027 ratings score: 256, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Мастер и Маргарита by Mikhail Bulgakov 4.28 avg rating — 416,242 ratings score: 254, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Hadji Murád by Leo Tolstoy 3.85 avg rating — 15,276 ratings score: 249, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Monday Begins on Saturday by Arkady Strugatsky 4.14 avg rating — 17,492 ratings score: 249, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	King, Queen, Knave by Vladimir Nabokov 3.82 avg rating — 6,272 ratings score: 243, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov 4.02 avg rating — 21,403 ratings score: 240, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Netochka Nezvanova by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.85 avg rating — 8,294 ratings score: 235, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Two Winters and Three Summers by Feodor Abramov 3.91 avg rating — 22 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Het zware zand by Anatoly Rybakov 4.48 avg rating — 629 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Librarian by Mikhail Elizarov 3.54 avg rating — 1,357 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Энциклопедия русской души: роман с энциклопедией by Victor Erofeyev 3.53 avg rating — 159 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Dream Life of Sukhanov by Olga Grushin (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 1,738 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Колючая изгородь = A Prickly Fence by Тельман Карабаглы 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Dubrovsky by Alexander Pushkin 3.92 avg rating — 4,920 ratings score: 197, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Shooting Party by Anton Chekhov 3.91 avg rating — 2,690 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Generations of Winter by Vasily Aksyonov 4.17 avg rating — 850 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	История зеркала by Анна Нимова 4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	История одного города by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin 3.88 avg rating — 1,408 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Yellow Arrow by Victor Pelevin 4.11 avg rating — 3,195 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	August 1914: A Novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 3.94 avg rating — 2,820 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Скверный анекдот by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.76 avg rating — 5,759 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle by Vladimir Nabokov 4.12 avg rating — 12,924 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Vita Nostra (Метаморфозы, #1) by Marina Dyachenko really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 22,928 ratings score: 183, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	De stille Don, band 1: De stille Don & Storm over Rusland by Mikhail Sholokhov 4.38 avg rating — 13 ratings score: 169, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Жизнь господина де Мольера by Mikhail Bulgakov 3.90 avg rating — 1,837 ratings score: 169, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3.77 avg rating — 38,831 ratings score: 166, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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196 books · 499 voters · list created March 14th, 2012 by David Lentz (votes) .

Tags: best-russian-novels, genius-russians, greatest-russians

275 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (499)

David 895 books
1899 friends

Anne (Booklady) 2089 books
449 friends

Soumya 1374 books
38 friends

Eyehavenofilter 2133 books
313 friends

Roberta 942 books
11 friends

Amy 547 books
2876 friends

Amy 633 books
896 friends

J 4540 books
8 friends

More voters…

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Comments Showing 1-49 of 49 (49 new)

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message 1: by Amy (new)

Mar 15, 2012 04:10AM

This was a tough choice because several of these books/ authors are really good but have very different styles and topics.

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message 2: by David (new)

Mar 15, 2012 05:00AM

Aaron wrote: "I think that Lolita should be struck from the list. Yes, by all means it was written by a russian, but the argument could be made (I won't do it here) that in fact, do to his experience in America ..."

Dear Aaaron,
Yes, I understand your point.
Will do.
Thanks.
Cordially,
David

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message 3: by Eyehavenofilter (last edited Mar 15, 2012 05:09PM) (new)

Mar 15, 2012 05:07PM

David I'm with you on this one. I know, I know, it was written by a Russian, but is really a GREAT novel, or just a "sensational" one? I have my reasons , but I will keep them to myself this time.

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message 4: by Kaethe (new)

Mar 16, 2012 11:20AM

Thanks for the invite, but I haven't got a good track record with Russian novelists.

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message 5: by Richard (new)

Mar 16, 2012 11:44AM

David, It's a fine list, but I voted only for the books I have read. I realize that many more of these are classics. BTW, if you could tweak the title to read "writers" rather than "novelists," you could include Isaac Babel who was a genius in the genre of the short story. But no pressure!

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message 6: by David (new)

Mar 16, 2012 11:56AM

Richard wrote: "David, It's a fine list, but I voted only for the books I have read. I realize that many more of these are classics. BTW, if you could tweak the title to read "writers" rather than "novelists," you..."

Dear Richard,
Thank you for your kind note.
There is another Listopia List on Russian Writers, which includes playwrights, poets and short story writers.
I was hoping to raise awareness of the options for those seeking to read great Russian novels, a genre in which the Russians excel.
I certainly value your recommendations, Richard. Please stay in touch.
Cordially,
David

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message 7: by Richard (new)

Mar 16, 2012 12:00PM

David wrote: "Richard wrote: "David, It's a fine list, but I voted only for the books I have read. I realize that many more of these are classics. BTW, if you could tweak the title to read "writers" rather than ..."

Well, I'm seeking to extend my knowledge of Russian novels and read some of those which are currently languishing on my to-read shelf. So this list is a step in the right direction. I will check out the other list too.

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message 8: by David (new)

Mar 16, 2012 12:01PM

Richard wrote: "David wrote: "Richard wrote: "David, It's a fine list, but I voted only for the books I have read. I realize that many more of these are classics. BTW, if you could tweak the title to read "writers..."

Dear Richard,
Good man!
Cordially,
David

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message 9: by David (new)

Mar 16, 2012 12:23PM

Looks like Nabokov's "Lolita" is wanted on this list. I have mixed feelings about this novel but I respect the quality of the writing.

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message 10: by Raul (new)

Mar 16, 2012 12:56PM

Dostoevsky is pretty much tops among Russian authors for me. I've yet to read a lot of these.

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message 11: by Moira (new)

Mar 16, 2012 02:07PM

Gulag Archipelago is not a novel. Eugene Onegin is not a novel, either.

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message 12: by Moira (new)

Mar 16, 2012 02:12PM

David wrote: "Looks like Nabokov's "Lolita" is wanted on this list. I have mixed feelings about this novel but I respect the quality of the writing."

Nabokov doesn't fit because the other writers are Russians and he was a a naturalised American citizen. (Yeah, Solzhenitsyn lived in Vermont for about twenty years, but he returned, for one thing.)

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message 13: by Natasha (new)

Mar 16, 2012 03:03PM

Moira wrote: "Gulag Archipelago is not a novel. Eugene Onegin is not a novel, either."

"Eugene Onegin"is a verse novel.

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message 14: by Natasha (new)

Mar 16, 2012 03:25PM

Moira wrote: "David wrote: "Looks like Nabokov's "Lolita" is wanted on this list. I have mixed feelings about this novel but I respect the quality of the writing."

Nabokov doesn't fit because the other writers ..."

First nine novels by Nabokov were written in Russian. He was Russian and American novelist.

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message 15: by Natasha (new)

Mar 16, 2012 03:39PM

Thank you, David, for the invite. The list is nice, but I'd add "Quiet Flows the Don" by M.Sholokhov.

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message 16: by Capsguy (last edited Mar 17, 2012 01:14AM) (new)

Mar 17, 2012 01:06AM

The United States, so desperate for quality authors that they're saying that something written by a Russian, is in fact American.

>Spends 40 years in Europe
>Spends 5 years in the USA
>After 5 years in the USA, Lolita is published
>Lolita is an 'American' book.

It's an English book written by a Russian author.

This is partly a troll, but also reflective of my opinion. Cumulative experiences abroad (especially in France) for a lot of the 'great' American writers (Fitzgerald, Hemingway) influenced their writings, but that does not mean it is European literature now, does it?

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message 17: by Natasha (new)

Mar 17, 2012 03:46AM

Irreconcilable difference. I'd love Nabokov's books less, if somebody proved that he's an American. )))

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message 18: by David (new)

Mar 17, 2012 05:45AM

Natalie wrote: "Thank you, David, for the invite. The list is nice, but I'd add "Quiet Flows the Don" by M.Sholokhov."

Dear Natalie,
Done.
Thank you for your kind recommendation.
Cordially,
David

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message 19: by David (last edited Mar 17, 2012 06:02AM) (new)

Mar 17, 2012 05:48AM

Capsguy wrote: "The United States, so desperate for quality authors that they're saying that something written by a Russian, is in fact American.

>Spends 40 years in Europe
>Spends 5 years in the USA
>After 5 yea..."

Dear Capsguy,
Your point is well so made that I am compelled to agree with you.
Nabokov is a Russian so learned that he was able to craft a masterpiece for the ages in another language.
What a brilliant writer.
Cordially,
David

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message 20: by David (last edited Mar 17, 2012 06:16AM) (new)

Mar 17, 2012 05:56AM

Natalie wrote: "Moira wrote: "Gulag Archipelago is not a novel. Eugene Onegin is not a novel, either."

"Eugene Onegin"is a verse novel."

I'm quite confident that "Eugene Onegin" is a novel but Nabokov's translation is so lyrical that it reads very much like poetry. Essentially, "Eugene Onegin" impresses me as a verse novel written by a poetic genius who blends the genres. Unless others object, I'll delete "Gulag," which is actually non-fiction.
Cordially,
David

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message 21: by Ted (new)

Mar 17, 2012 07:47AM

Why is this list called "Novelists" rather than "Novels"? We are voting on books, not people. I find the list's title really grates on me.

Interesting discussions, and a fun list to vote on. I wish I had read many more of these books.

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message 22: by Philip (new)

Mar 17, 2012 12:23PM

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message 23: by David (new)

Mar 17, 2012 12:44PM

Ted wrote: "Why is this list called "Novelists" rather than "Novels"? We are voting on books, not people. I find the list's title really grates on me.

Interesting discussions, and a fun list to vote on. I ..."

Dear Ted,
Agree, done.
Cordially,
David

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message 24: by David (new)

Mar 17, 2012 12:48PM

Philip wrote: "Aaron wrote: "I think that Lolita should be struck from the list. Yes, by all means it was written by a russian, but the argument could be made (I won't do it here) that in fact, do to his experien..."

Dear Philip,
Changed the subhead to writers from Russia, as in born in Russia. Hope that clarifies things a bit.
Cordially,
David

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message 25: by David (new)

Mar 17, 2012 12:52PM

Capsguy wrote: "The United States, so desperate for quality authors that they're saying that something written by a Russian, is in fact American.

>Spends 40 years in Europe
>Spends 5 years in the USA
>After 5 yea..."

Dear Capsguy,
Your Russian lit shelf is off the charts. I hope you'll consider adding more novels to this list to open up Goodreaders to more masterpieces in the genre from Russia. I also hope that we hear from more Russians about their favorite genius novelists.
Cordially,
David

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message 26: by Capsguy (new)

Mar 17, 2012 04:14PM

What makes it American Philip?

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message 27: by Philip (new)

Mar 17, 2012 07:19PM

What makes it American?!!! Read it and see! Lolita is an amazing picture of 1950's American life. Nabokov really got it.

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message 28: by David (new)

Mar 18, 2012 08:32AM

Dear Philip,
If you want to see a truly spectacular list of Russian writers, then visit Capsguy's Russian shelf. It's quite clear he has read and understood this novel. Nabokov was a Russian writer whose setting for one novel, "Lolita," is America. Hemingway's writing about bull fighting in Spain doesn't make his writing Spanish, does it?

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message 29: by Philip (new)

Mar 18, 2012 01:50PM

David wrote: "Dear Philip,
If you want to see a truly spectacular list of Russian writers, then visit Capsguy's Russian shelf. It's quite clear he has read and understood this novel. Nabokov was a Russian writer..."

David, from what you say, I am most happy to respect Capsguy's "Russian shelf," but I spent a couple of weeks studying "Lolita" in an American novel course here at the U of MN. Aside from the fact that the English Dept. classified it as an American novel, if you read it you simply have to (IMHO) agree that it is an American novel. It absolutely, beautifully describes and is immersed in mid-20th-century Americana, it captures this era and some of its characters with extraordinary clarity; and perhaps it is because Nabokov was NOT American that he was able to see and depict it so clearly.
If you want to make the list "Novels by Russian Writers," then fine; but if the list is "Russian Novels," then I must insist that "Lolita" absolutely does not qualify. And I'm not going to get dragged into a discussion about Hemingway and bullfights in Spain, either: although I appreciate your intent on making a relevant comparison, the plain fact of "Lolita" as a unique work of art is enough for me.

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message 30: by Ted (new)

Mar 18, 2012 02:03PM

Clearly in any discussion of whether a novel or a writer is in this or that national literary tradition, when the writer in question was born, or grew up, or lived, or worked, in different countries, people are going to draw the line at different places. Equally clearly, many people want Lolita to be on this list, no matter how the list itself is described. That said, if one doesn't think a book "belongs" on the list, don't vote for it, and by all means post a comment! That is enough. Nothing is really riding on this, it is for everyone's enjoyment.

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message 31: by Ted (new)

Mar 18, 2012 07:33PM

Reese, thank you. My first Bravo ever. :)

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message 32: by Raul (new)

Mar 19, 2012 07:04AM

I'd like to see more Solzhenitsyn on here. I believe Cancer Ward to be a better book that One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich or The First Circle.

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message 33: by Ted (new)

Mar 19, 2012 08:17AM

Raul, I'm not the "keeper" of this list, but in lieu of David's next visit: anyone can add books that conform to the list's description onto the list. Just click on the "add books to this list" tab at the top of the page, right behind the "all votes" tab.

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message 34: by David (new)

Mar 19, 2012 10:34AM

Dear Raul,
Ted is right. However, I added this great novel to our list of great literature by people from Russia.

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message 35: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 20, 2012 10:31AM

Yeah, it's pretty easy to add books to lists.

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message 36: by Charles Berman (new)

Aug 07, 2012 10:25PM

For the sake of simplicity, and to avoid potentially endless arguments about the relative Russianness of many writers, why not define "Russian novels" as "novels written in Russian?"

Nabokov's _Lolita_ would go, as he wrote it in English, but his _Invitation to a Beheading and _The Gift_ would stay.

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message 37: by Darwin8u (last edited Feb 13, 2014 09:16AM) (new)

Feb 13, 2014 09:04AM

The following are all Nabokov's ENGLISH novels, and thus shouldn't be included (IMHO):

(1941) The Real Life of Sebastian Knight
(1947) Bend Sinister
(1955) Lolita, self-translated into Russian (1965)
(1957) Pnin
(1962) Pale Fire
(1969) Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
(1972) Transparent Things
(1974) Look at the Harlequins!
(2009) The Original of Laura

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message 38: by Darwin8u (new)

Feb 13, 2014 09:19AM

David wrote: "Dear Raul,
Ted is right. However, I added this great novel to our list of great literature by people from Russia."

But I would argue that there are actually two Nabokovs. There is the Russian Nabokov and the American Nabokov. His work itself (his focus on doppelgängers, twins, duality, mirror images, etc) suggests this.

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message 39: by Paul (new)

Feb 28, 2015 07:23AM

Checked for duplicates. Removed several collections of short stories, an anthology of plays, and a work of autobiography.

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message 40: by Ananya (last edited Apr 06, 2015 08:14PM) (new)

Apr 06, 2015 08:14PM

Eyehavenofilter wrote: "David I'm with you on this one. I know, I know, it was written by a Russian, but is really a GREAT novel, or just a "sensational" one? I have my reasons , but I will keep them to myself this time."
You are right.It is not a great novel.It is just sensational.

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message 41: by Nathan (new)

Apr 25, 2015 07:10AM

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message 42: by Oleg (new)

Jun 10, 2015 06:28AM

The list contains the authors that would hardly qualify to be called well-known: Marina Dyachenko, Telman Karab-ogli, Yuri Kruman, Victor Serge... Putting them in the list Greatest Russian Novels of All Time and omitting the really great books looks at least irresponsible. Some people use these lists as reference and recommendation...

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message 43: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

May 12, 2016 11:01AM

It's easy to add books to the list - at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 44: by V. A Court of Wings and Ruin is NEW ADULT/EROTICA but Goodreads editors won't tell you to include it in the choice awards (last edited Feb 18, 2017 08:51PM) (new)

Feb 18, 2017 08:51PM

Stupid, cheating heroine is above war and peace? Just because it's suppodesly a "romance" but Ana Karenina is not better than War and Peace. It doesn't take 10 years to write about a doormat, cheating heroine.

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message 45: by Nente (new)

Apr 10, 2017 06:23AM

Struck off Of Human Bondage. A great novel, and I loved it, but Russian it is not.

David, would you like short stories removed? At a cursory glance, The Overcoat and The Nose don't belong here, definitely non-novels.

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message 46: by Agnieszka (new)

May 08, 2018 07:35AM

Martin Cruz Smith: Gorky Park He's an American author, not a Russian one.

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message 47: by George P. (new)

Sep 23, 2018 09:59AM

V. PARENTAL GUIDANCE ALERT: A Court of Wings... wrote: "Stupid, cheating heroine is above war and peace? Just because it's suppodesly a "romance" but Ana Karenina is not better than War and Peace. It doesn't take 10 years to write about a doormat, cheat..."

List voting doesn't measure which is truly the greatest works, it tells which one more readers read and liked the most. Anna K currently has 25 more votes than War and Peace.

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message 48: by Tim (new)

Jun 18, 2019 01:39PM

David wrote: "Richard wrote: "David, It's a fine list, but I voted only for the books I have read. I realize that many more of these are classics. BTW, if you could tweak the title to read "writers" rather than ..."

I agree that Isaac Babel should be on this list, despite that he's more known as a short story writer, his abilities as a writer were superb.

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message 49: by Boris (new)

Jan 12, 2022 12:33PM

Great list. Well, yeah, there's Russian literature and then, after some big considerable gap, come the others. Even serious literary canons (primarily French or German) tend to strongly fade in comparison. Amazing how someone like Dostoevsky is still clearly the greatest novelist ever, mind-boggling the depth of his what I like calling plumbing-of-the-human-soul....

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