You points 1-5 are very amusingly valid. It usually takes me about a third of the book to really start remembering who is who in the story, considering that all their names (like you point out) all sound like something somethinyovich.

I have noticed however, that the more I read the Russians, the easier the names become, and the more I love them. If you haven't read any Solzhenitsyn, you are missing out! He has an amazing ability to paint a terrible picture, but usually hopeful and always optimistic.

Christian | December 7, 2006 3:01 PM

Thanks for the recommendation, Christian. I'm slogging through Doctor Zhivago (100 pages in) and #s 1,2,3, and 5 have all been confirmed. #4 is usually a theme, so I suspect I won't come across it until near the end (if I do at all).

marydell | December 8, 2006 7:47 AM

You could try the wonderful contemporary Victor Pelevin, for whom nonoe of the 5 points apply, especially Buddha's Little Finger, Life of Insects or the short story collection Blue Lantern.

Andrew | December 9, 2006 6:07 AM

Re #5, although Ivanovich and Nikolaevich seem like last names, they are in fact what the Russians call otchestvo, i.e. father's names.

So instead of calling him Nikolai Lastname the Second, the Russians call him Nikolai Nikolaevich Lastname. In general, you take your farther's name and add '-evich' or '-ovich' to it if you are a man; you add '-evna' or '-ovna' to your father's name if you are a woman -- and you use the otchestvo as a second name.

When you see 3 names, it's always 'first name + otchestvo + last name'. It is very formal to use all 3 names, however; 'first name + otchestvo' is a respectful way to address a person. Hope this helps.

Natalia Ivanovna | December 9, 2006 8:20 AM

Andrew, thanks for more recommendations. I think I will need to go on a Russian pilgrimage to the bookstore.

Natalia, wow, your explanation really helps a lot. Thank you! Understanding how the names work gives me a new appreciation for the characters. There also seems to be a whole range of ways to turn names into diminutives, but I have a better sense of it since Pasternak provides some explanation early on.

All I need now is a quick refresher on the October Revolution so I can appreciate some of Pasternak's political references and satire.

marydell | December 9, 2006 10:05 AM

Hi,

This is my first bookblog post and I have to say that I enjoy reading everyone's comments - this is great site!

One of my favorite authors is Leo Tolstoy, and I have to agree that 1-5 definitely apply in his case.

Also, I'm currently reading "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky and can probably suggest a #6 be added to the list. From what I've read, it seems Russian authors like to refer to streets, cities, or precincts only by a first letter, such as "he was from X_".

I'm looking forward to the discussion!

Cynthia | December 11, 2006 4:34 PM

i, too, found the multiplicity of names to be somewhat off-putting at first, but i don't think my understanding of the characters is unduly inhibited as the story unfolds. in a way it reflects common variations in the ways that people are addressed today, much like among even my own friends. since reading is often viewed as an interaction between a reader and a text, my relationship to the characters will certainly be different than someone else's. the same holds true of understandings of the october revolution... i read the book about 5 years ago, and I am curious how my relationship to the text will be different this second time around. can't wait for the discussion to officially start!

eddie | December 11, 2006 7:37 PM

#6 and #7 then should be Vodka and Music (which are evidenced even in Pelevin, I think).

I read this way back when, but didn't find it nearly as memorable as the movie. And I tend to like the Russians in general.

Isabella | December 11, 2006 10:36 PM

Welcome, Cynthia! We're looking forward to having you on board as well.

Eddie, my problem with the names has mostly been a redundancy thing. It was tedious to have to constantly read the same names over and over again, but I'm okay with it now that I understand it's purpose.

marydell | December 12, 2006 8:18 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome Marydell!

It was interesting to see that #6 was only used in an excerpt from Nikolay's diary on P.51

"...by the symbolist X to the cosmogonic symphony by the composer Y..."

I wonder if this symbolized a break for Pasternak with previous Russian author's?

Cynthia | December 20, 2006 6:42 PM