Welcome to the Historical Fiction Online forums: a friendly place to discuss, review and discover historical fiction.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Poland and Russia

User avatar
Veronica
Avid Reader
Posts: 344
Joined: July 2009
Location: NT, Australia

Post by Veronica » Tue March 22nd, 2011, 12:09 am

Thank you guys, I do appreciate the input. If there are more suggestions over time I'll be happy to hear about them.
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

User avatar
boswellbaxter
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3066
Joined: August 2008
Location: North Carolina
Contact:

Post by boswellbaxter » Tue March 22nd, 2011, 12:58 am

[quote=""Misfit""]Yes it was, as you can see from the reviewshe's written, as well as from the Wish List.

I know you guys have to do what you have to do, and I understand tagging is important - but I tell you, when I came across his two books recommended from tags on an old VHS video of My Cousin Rachel (filmed in the 1950's), that was just too OTT for me.

Or look at it this way, look how many tags his own book has here.[/quote]

I knew I was coming up in the world when he tagged one of mine!
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles


http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/

User avatar
Veronica
Avid Reader
Posts: 344
Joined: July 2009
Location: NT, Australia

Post by Veronica » Wed March 23rd, 2011, 12:24 pm

"Poland" seems good but a rather heavy read? Have looked at "Trumpeter in Krakow" and it looks interesting, will get that book at some stage.

Today I bought "The kitchen boy" and "Rasputin's daughter" both by Robert Alexander. I also bought "Push not the river" (and due to all tagging I like to mention I bought that second hand :p )

Of course I bought 3 more HF but they were not about Russia or Poland. Thanks for the hints on books out there.
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

User avatar
Divia
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4435
Joined: August 2008
Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Thu March 24th, 2011, 12:42 am

I liked the Kitchen boy. Rasputian's daughter was a decent Read. The Romaov Bride was eh. At least I think that was his third. Dunno when he'll write a fourth. I thought one would be out by now.
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

User avatar
Kveto from Prague
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 921
Joined: September 2008
Location: Prague, Bohemia

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sun November 20th, 2011, 11:52 am

has anybody read any HF on Alexander Suvorov?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Suvorov

SGM
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 700
Joined: March 2010

Post by SGM » Sun November 20th, 2011, 4:23 pm

[quote=""Kveto from Prague""]has anybody read any HF on Alexander Suvorov?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Suvorov[/quote]

Well, I haven't but I might now investigate further.

I have also remembered that some years ago I wanted to read Alexander Herzen (before the days of the Internet and e-books) and although I found Penguin had published some, they were not readily available and I, sort of, stuck him to the back of my mind. But now I really must see if he is available free somewhere (in English) -- I suspect if I can't find him on Gutenburg, I will find him on Archive or maybe even Amazon.

I must not forget him this time.
Currently reading - Emergence of a Nation State by Alan Smith

User avatar
Shield-of-Dardania
Reader
Posts: 129
Joined: February 2010

Post by Shield-of-Dardania » Wed November 30th, 2011, 8:34 am

I once watched a movie about the legend of Taras Bulba, the Cossack warrior who fought against Polish occupation of his homeland. I wonder if there's a HF novel about this man. I'd buy it.

I also have a chapter in my WIP, centred around the protagonist's visit to Constantinople and his several months' stay there. It was the 11th century, around the time of an ageing Basileos II.

I have some Russians in it, from Kievskaya Ruska. Since Kiev is now in Ukraine, I've tentatively used contemporary Ukrainian/Russian names for some characters I've developed.

Would names like Zvietta, Alonna, Natalya etc. suit that era? And would surnames like Yevschenko, Lukashenko etc. be acceptable? Other interesting suggestions are most welcome.

annis
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4585
Joined: August 2008

Post by annis » Thu December 1st, 2011, 1:29 am

Posted by Shield-of-Dardania
I once watched a movie about the legend of Taras Bulba, the Cossack warrior who fought against Polish occupation of his homeland. I wonder if there's a HF novel about this man. I'd buy it.
There is a classic 19th century novel called Taras Bulba by Nicolai Gogol - I wouldn't be surprised if the movie you saw was an adaptation.
I recall a few people discussing this novel here just recently, but it must have been on another thread.

User avatar
Ludmilla
Bibliophile
Posts: 1346
Joined: September 2008
Location: Georgia USA

Post by Ludmilla » Thu December 1st, 2011, 2:22 pm

Taras Bulba is a glorified picture of Cossack life, and I would imagine those sensitive about anti-semitism may find it problematic, as it is deeply ingrained in Gogol's work.

I jotted down this quote from the introduction of the public domain text:
Introductory comments by John Cournos who writes of Gogol:
"Seldom has nature created a man so romantic in bent, yet so masterly in portraying all that is unromantic in life. But this statement does not cover the whole ground, for it is easy to see in almost all of Gogol's work his 'free Cossack soul' trying to break through the shell of sordid to-day like some ancient demon, essentially Dionysian. So that his works, true though they are to our life, are at once a reproach, a protest, and a challenge, ever calling for joy, ancient joy, that is no more with us."
It's actually a very quick read, more of a novella in length, if I remember correctly. I actually like Gogol's haunted short stories better. He wrote some good ones.

User avatar
Kveto from Prague
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 921
Joined: September 2008
Location: Prague, Bohemia

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sat February 18th, 2012, 8:39 pm

heres a nice trailer for Taras Bulba, which seems to be titled "the Conqueror" in English. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0By31sDEZUI

If nothing else, the costumes of the Cossaks and Hussars are amazing. The cossaks even manage the wicked moustaches and long in front, shaved in back hairstyles of the cossaks.

Im pretty sure the girl who plays the Polish princess is the same one from the Polish version of Quo Vadis from a few years ago.

Post Reply

Return to “By Country/Continent”