The read-along begins on 1 October and runs through to the end of the month. The novel has twenty chapters and the Roger Cockrell translation has 265 pages. We’ll read five chapters a week:
1–7 October - Chapters 1–5
8–14 October - Chapters 6–10
15–21 October - Chapters 11–15
22–31 October - Chapters 16–20
Cockrell’s translation also has 29 pages of extra bibliographical material at the back of the book which is well worth reading.
Glenny Translation - Alexei’s Dream
If you have the 1971 Michael Glenny translation, note that it originally omitted Alexei’s dream. It was added in 1990. In my edition it begins on p72 with “‘Dying is not remotely like playing dead in a game of soldiers,’ said Colonel Nai-Turs, burring his ‘R’s, as he suddenly appeared from nowhere to the sleeping Alexei Turbin.” It ends on p77 with “For a long time he lay sighing in the morning twilight, but then he feel asleep again and this time he slept soundly, without dreaming…”
Background reading
Last week, I published some background information about the historical context in which we find ourselves at the start of the first chapter.
Video Call
I will be holding an online conference call for paid subscribers on Tuesday, 4 November at 8 p.m. UK time to chat about the novel. Please let me know in the comments if you plan to attend.
Support the Channel
The translation I recommend is Roger Cockrell’s, published by Alma Classics. I also have the Glenny translation and hope to have the Schwartz translation in the next day or so. I will be providing some translation comparisons as we go.
Please support the channel by using the affiliate link below. I use a localisation service and the link offers a choice of five online stores: Amazon, Blackwell’s, Waterstones, Bookshop.org UK and Bookshop.org USA.
Actually, Alma Classics doesn’t seem to be available on Bookshop.org in the USA.☹️
Audible also has the Cockrell translation, narrated by Nicholas Boulton.
The White Guard, Roger Cockrell Translation. Alma Classics.
A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, Orlando Figes
If you're one who enjoys peeking into the personal lives of authors, the University of Michigan has an extensive digital collection of Bulkagov's family photos and various pieces of correspondence:
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bulgakov1ic?page=index
https://lib.mivideo.it.umich.edu/media/t/0_vhcortzk
I've started the book. I read in Hungarian. For my surprise, my library book has an other novel as well, called "Theather novel". The librarian girl told me, this book was not out from the library at least for 20 years, she don't have older record.
I enjoyed the first chapter. It makes me read slow, and it a little bit feels poetry. I recently read Virginia Woolf (To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway) and a little bit reminds me of her writing, but Bulgakov is easier (so far) to follow what is actually happening and where are we in time.
It made me feel connected their so terrible situation, when the Puskin book was put on the fire. For me it is a really big need when people burn a book because of cold winter.
I got the Natasha Rostova name a connection to War and Peace and I think I missed many other connections to IDontKnowWhat, but it is ok.
After chapter 1: I like it!