Taras Bulba by Nikolai GogolMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclosure:
I get this edition free of charge from the Providing website of Feedbooks I read in English with a nice quality of writing.
My Plot:
The Whole story was about the life and the death of a Cossack called Taras Bulba, This personality in fact reveals the true view of GOGOL to this kind of Population, anyway, Bulba was married and having two nice children ANDREJ and OSTAP. when they visited him fist after the end of their study in Kiev. Bulba goes with his fantasies back saying that his sons should be sent to ZAPOROZHYA, in order to learn the principles and ways of life of real cossacks. He went with them to the ZAPOROZHIAN village called Setch. where he met several of his acquaintances, his visit was aimed to make his children learn the fighting way of cossacks, so he suggest to the Kochevoi to make some war against the Turks or Tatars, so at least his children would have a chance to live the war within the Cossack's norm. The Elected Kochevoi refused the proposal saying that both Turks and Poles have an agreement, and they should not overcome these traditions. Thus Taras Bulba set another way to make his proposal of war became real, he gather all the cossacks and tell them to change the Current Kochevoi with another who have the real spirit of a the Cossacks. His idea was applied and the Kochevoi was replaced by another one. Hence they make their way toward the City where the Weiwode was ruling. Their first attempt to attack the city was failed, they retreated back to the campus letting the City dwellers out of any loads, and far from the city, the Weiwode daughter sent her maid to ANDREJ asking him some bread for her Grandmother who was dying from Hunger. The Weiwode daughter was the first lover of ANDREJ in fact, so He risk his life searching inside the camp for some bread at his lover request. He found the loafs of bread and get to the city through the secret door which the Maid had showed him. as the story goes ANDREJ become the leader of the Lyakhs as the army of Poles came to rescue the city. The war goes as hot as the Cossacks predict it. Finally Bulba killed his son ANDREJ and OSTAP was captured by the Poles Army. Bulba was rescued by his friends. after all Bulba decide to see his Son OSTAP who was captured inside the Polish Castle. with the help of the Jew YANKEL he accessed the Castle with the garments of a noble but the negotiations with the Guards were unsuccessful, in fact he got the chance to see his son executed outside. From hence revenge comes inside his veins, he meet all the cossacks ready from a big war against Lyakhs for the cause of their Catholic orientation. In fact the revenge that Bulba has lead was fruitful but the last blow was very difficult, The Polish General took over the troops of cossacks and captured Bulba burning him against an old tree. and thus was the end of Bulba and all his spirit.
Positive and Negative aspects:
This story really examine the nature of the native people of Ukraine, It was very positive to portray Cossacks as an entity that hung and look always for wars and Killings. and it was also nice to portray the brave nature of the Cossack city. in fact it was all fine. But what annoy me the most was the bad attitude that writer made toward Muslims including Tatars and Turks, the Bad portray of Catholics as betrayers, the Bad presentation of Jews as a weak creature that have nothing to live with but the money and commerce. Personally the writer stood against all these people presenting them badly as barbarians and as betrayers. Another unforgettable point was the depiction of woman as a useless object inside this life, starting from the treating nature of Bulba to his wife, without forgetting the position of woman inside the Cossack city. Woman were to be treated as dogs if they pass through the Setch. In fact it was another revealing of women position inside the cossacks life.
My Personal Reaction:
Personally I wasn't fond of the nature of the story so much, there was a description of wars and Cossacks, comic portraying of Death cossacks. like "lost his head" or "his head was sent in salt into Constantinople" all these inhuman presentation made me feel sorry about the life of these persons. they have nothing to love, nothing to earn. as if they were born to be dead. Even if the Book was considered as a master piece but the contents inside it were all inhuman. In general the human nature was considered negative at the last extent inside this story.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to every fan of Gogol's literature, to everyone who looks after the life and the death of cossacks and to everyone concerned with the real history of the Russian land. I don't recommend this story to weak persons who interfere with Horror and death descriptions.
View all my reviews