/

Note XIX

of a Warden

,
Icicles clink and clank,
Melting spots seem to whisper
And their breath makes you .
Into gray haven
By the enhanced,
You step out, still unshaven,
In your jacket and pants.
You have that are loose,
But that isn’t the point,
One can make simple
From them and put them on.
It’s not hard altogether,
And it’s easy to prove:
One just needs the spare leather
Cut from and remove.
You’re a rambler-rag hoarder,
You are , but all right,
.
A walks by the fence,
And a lone bucket swings.
Even this makes more sense
Than do all other things.
You’re a passionate trickster,
Though your pranks are age-old,
But don’t cry, there’s a fixter
Of all snags in the world.
You’re a warden, a guardian,
With five fingers per hand:
.
Like in old fairy stories,
Among mighty
Curly and without worries
You live almost for free.
,
And your laugh
Who’s so willing to please.
You live in warden’s hovel;
There’s an , a pail,
An , a shovel,
And .
On the newspapers’ stack
A bold headline is found:
in
And tomato—abound.
You’re a seasoned,
If you drink—then a .
.
To the dear riverbank
Run on your tippy-toes.
You are full, you are drunk,
And snuff covers your nose.
You are tripping and falling
And, like a frolicking crew,
Down the slope you are rolling.
Oh my dear, look at you!

Note XX

A Ballad about the Fire Chief from

Again in your dreams you onions desire,
The slush and the splatter make glum,
As soon as the drizzle digests all this mire
To do fire drills the interns will come.
They’ll come frantic, in opened wide,
Gregarious, in zits and blackheads,
In light jackets, in two-wheeled bouncy rides,
Lean and pale—like the sheets on their beds.
The expert in the ways escape,
Shiny helmet and sporting,
Will not shoot while it’s courting,
But will whip the in shape.
Fire chief—an in years,
Whom asthma and blisters made sour,
In April, when the stars are so clear,
Will slowly ascend his .
, yet chary,
.
The chief will salute back: But not here.
And he’ll look toward the estuary,
Where he wasted so many years,
At the fire-watch gruel preparing.
He will look—and his calm will decline,
So at dawn, angry and bellicose,
At the firewall, all the interns in line
Fire chief drenches from fire hose.

Note XXI

(A )

1
Unsettling moments. Period of disgrace.
Pranks set the brows and the ears on fire.
“Can there be ?” they inquired.
I responded: “It’s a , a tiny place.”
2
Does it behoove to tease and make a face?
To mock all things like spoiled brats, spreading sorrow,
,
Forgetting conscience, honor, even grace?
3
Just look at me—what a trusting fool!
I failed to figure, though I am quite clever,
That over brow ears can’t happen, ever,
While can, as a rule.
4
—I’m no longer cool.
Unpleasant rumors circulate all over
That I’m a creep, a , a pushover,
A cabbagehead with two ears to pull.
5
Unsettling moments, period of disgrace.
Does it behoove to tease and make a face?
Just look at me—what a trusting fool!
—I’m no longer cool.

Note XXII

Farewell of the from

Sludge ice is gone. And at the harbor
The cashier clicked his register’s keys.
Look at your circumstances much harder;
Hang your on the mantelpiece.
Limping and as if by accident vernal
has wandered to our .
Say—farewell, our dear ,
Take a hike, beat it, goodbye!
They sent a
And a —
To fix teapots broken or leaking
Beyond rivers the tinkers are set.
So forgive us, dear joint, that we’re parting,
When it snows, we’ll be back, right behind.
You are always so kind and inviting,
A shelter for .
Beyond rivers, the tin is much brighter,
There the is thicker, and .
with that too flighty
You will deal—and you’ll patch in the .
Beyond rivers, life seems to be freer,
And yet, rather than praise ,
With the and here
This whole summer I should have stayed in.
Fare-thee-well, , my brothers,
As they say, ,
’Cause who knows when again with each other
We will sit at this table—you and I?
So don’t fuss with my clothes’ rips and holes,
Since my cane can’t wait to go forth.
But, old woman, now pour me a whole
-fifty grams of sweet .
There’s a schedule at our harbor,
And on the —a café.
There, conceited and hardened,
Stands the barkeep in his .

Note XXIII

, ,
Chatty and wacky,
Carrot-top jack.
Crafty conniver,
Sing of cracking
And the cracks.
Sing of boat’s gears,
’ responses,
And anchor’s roll.
And of the years’
Entire nonsense,
Eh, darn them all.
I so adore it,
When, like a pixie,
Lively and spry,
Seeking no glory,
You’re deftly fixing
What’s lying by.
Your hammer’s knocking
And outside calling
In April light.
Instead of talking,
Let us go
.
It smells of ,
, candles,
All over, but
Having no practice,
Miss resembles
A splendid slut.
When on the morrow
Afar you see me—
Telescope eyes—
Forget your sorrows
And, widely beaming,
.
Don’t skimp, you gap-tooth,
But open wide
Your smorgasbord.
And I’ll be apt to
Some food provide—
Five worth.
;
The years are passing,
And we ourselves
Just live, that’s all.

Once, ,
By ,
.
He searched in the pall
Each spot he could see,
And he found some kind of ball
In this verdant .
And he calls: My brothers, hey,
Just look what I found!
They came by, began to play,
And had lots of fun.
They would kick the ball around
Or play toss and catch,
’Til the evening dew set down
Right on the green patch.
And the thick fogs would alight
Crawling out from swamps,
In their folks would ignite
The wicks of their lamps.
And the fogs from Volga’s swamps
Licked the keels and poked,
There was little oil in lamps
.
And the floated by
Heavy towing,
While the in the sky
Wooed , cawing.
floated by the bogs
Without or with
And who knows if
Into woods were charging.
Unexpectedly the ball
Lit up bright, not far.
They looked closely—it was all
main star.
On this foggy star, forsooth,
With their eyes aglow,
Lots of plain, unvarnished truth
All the wardens know.
There,
By willows that weep,
.

Note XXV

of a Courier

What does “a courier” mean? Consider
That to ensure success for strangers
And in this world to make some changes
One goofball pedals hither-thither.
It’s like a calling, someone said.
He’s single. With his clueless head
Snapping the branches of ,
Addressing to it many queries—
Like what’s “a courier,” why, and when?—
Forgetting he should his stockings,
And also constantly chain-smoking,
His completely overworking,
He flickers like a wound-up man.
He’s feverish and he has a coldi>
. But chin up:
I’ll shave! Oh, , where’s my brush?
How come? It’s very late, don’t rush!
.
And though he fears he’ll get cut up,
He hones his blade in lunar light.
Crossing the country left and right,
Its center and provincial places,
He’s stunned by how the world is turning
And like a boiling cauldron churning,
Revealing both events and faces
Cooler than movies new or old:
Here’s lion hunting, here—a ball,
:
A on cellar’s floor.
For winter seal the window seams!
,
With which the messy street keeps trying
To splash his buttocks and is using
To this end spokes of quite amusing
And fashionable , gigs,
, and other kinds of rigs.
And like a decoy
In rifle sight condemned to quack
And with a line for drying clothes
Tied to the hunter, lest it’s lost,
The courier cannot ever see
(: A river, when the has set,
When it’s too late for ,
When are finally ready
And on verandas chatter’s steady,
When, having bid his knitting bye,
Grandpa
Reads out to Grandma; also when
She seemed to be in doubt,
But ;
When knocks of got quite loud
And let us add another when—
When wires disappeared—just then
:
But they’re all decoys, there they sleep,
And to be with them, from the skies
Others fall down and please the eyes:
So make a wish, don’t hesitate.)
But no such luck. It seems that fate
Sets all decisions right in stone.
From a department in some state
I brought this mail, for you alone.
Say, will this junk be never gone?
I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t know,
Therefore, sign on the line below.
And so the courier rides once more,
He turns or goes straight as before.
Please tell me who you are, my dear?
Well, old man, .
A will bark at him, and follow,
The boob will look around and swallow,
Swallow and look, and gulp some air,
And take a catnap, one could swear,
And then he’ll spit, and with his shoe
Rub in the spittle,
And afterward, out of the blue,
He’ll sob a little.
The time will come—all things will pass:
People are happy. The drips
Upon a from the glass,
Not reaching the ,
While begs outside the joint
For loose change to buy booze,
And inside someone yells, annoyed:
You want a ?—You lose!
The courier speeds and rushes, weary,
And toward morning, home, on board,
He moans and groans: Oh, my dear Lord,
That’s what it means . . .

Postal Chores in the Month of

Why doesn’t he write to me, ,
Is it possible he does not have time again whatsoever?
It’s strange—because he promised: I will write to you unfailingly.
Well, look, he doesn’t write and doesn’t come back, absolutely.
5 Gazing beyond the river, I gazed-out my eyes completely,
He could have sent me at least a , my dear relative,
He could have said, it’s so-and-so, such-and-such plans I consider,
’Cause otherwise, where to run—I couldn’t even imagine,
With such an uncle topsy-turvy things constantly happen.
10 ,
I will set out at dawn to welcome our :
Are you bringing me at this time a package, as we usually call it?
No, he disappoints, apparently, he disappoints, they’re still writing,
Apparently, your addressees are careful and thoughtful.
15 Fine, we will stand there, shoot the breeze for a few moments,
Afterward I will invite him to my humble dwelling:
Eh, drop in for a while, my dear friend ,
You’ll be my guest, you know, we’ll converse a little,
Did I brew the yesterday for no reason?
20 For no reason, my dear , nobody here brews nectars,
For no reason, in the world practically nothing can happen,
For no reason, even .
We will, of course, partake of your nectar without postponement.
So the dearest postman comes in, so he enters,
25 Such a shorty, extremely unimpressive to look at,
Although he could drink under the table even in person;
That means: Trust the appearances, but always keep double-checking.
Yep, so he dropped in to visit me, ,
Uh, he dropped in, and, having taken his hat off, wiped his lips with it,
30 Well, right away I poured for the messenger and for myself also:
Let us drink, good folks, let us drink, fellow villagers,
Let us drink, since today we’re alive, and who knows what will happen tomorrow.
Who knows, who knows, he nods, nothing here is clear,
Now you find it and now in an instant you lose it,
35 Not to mention that when you allow yourself to kick the bucket,
Then, whether you write or not—everything into dust is turning,
There your are as useless as a dead horse’s beating.
Saying this, instantly ,
And my actions corresponded to exactly:
40 I gulped and afterward dispensed some more, with no ceremony,
In order not to procrastinate cunningly with the second.
And then I says to him, to my dear pal ,
So here you and I live, so here ,
But you know what the folks on are gabbing,
45 Many things, honest, on that shore they’re gabbing,
What do you think—are those facts or perhaps just fables?
I heard, I heard, they reported to me the news also,
The guest rejoined, caressing in unison my .
50 But I am slightly thrown off my kilt and befuddled,
Perhaps they ate but perhaps it’s just an empty rumor,
It’s anybody’s guess, as Grandma used to say wisely.
Then and I had another mouthful, roundly-soundly,
Or, as it is commonly called, we redoubled.
55 With my friend having seen to the brew’s termination,
I decided to incite my friend to engage in something:
Why don’t we read at random some of the ?
Right, , your pate is reasoning properly,
answers with dignity my proposition,
60 Are we supposed to be worser than the other mail carriers?
It’s an unheard of thing not to read someone’s epistles.
What other stuff would you expect us to be reading?
And then we’ve opened several scrolls together.
We look—what kind of stuff people compose to each other,
65 With what, it appears, don’t they seem to be concerned:
Widely and mightily flows epistle-writing between the people,
Like some epidemic it is spreading all over.
For instance, ,
,
70 ,
He keeps prying, a knife to his throat he is holding,
He doesn’t let his uncle get sloshed in the even a smidgen.
:
My dear, keep up your incessant search for the letter,
75 But the money, given by you, I pissed away entirely,
Therefore, you should know that the yeast I will bring you unlikely,
And besides, the grinder, a total outsider,
suddenly also became attracted to a ,
,
80 He complains—,
The wardens of , he claims, absconded with them.
After a while, the will also get a document:
Hunting-dog master, if there was no necessity to do it,
Would I really outline the following to you? Not really.
85 Halloo, your people a pair of my pilfered,
They’d better return them as soon as possible, drifters,
Or, tell them, .
The wardens to the grinder collectively,
Apparently, the whipper-in passed to them ultimatum:
90 , a specter both stupid and foolish,
,
You’d better hop, bloated, to your at the ,
And if you start snitching—you’ll taste the real misfortune.
Having read the and with chewed crumbs having resealed them,
95 We finished drinking, emptied the spacious jug to the bottom,
The time to part arrived then for me and for .
Eh, he put on his hat and proceeded to exit,
He hugged me, his soul mate, kissed me—and departed.
, I said, why is to me endlessly writing?
100 For no reason, he responded, .
In the meantime, in , all the —florescence.

Note XXVII

Not the . . .

Not the bright outfit
.
God be with him! —!
—! Never mind!
So the wardens smoke and wonder
Why the rain still lags behind.
,
And above it stands the twirling,
.
And this , self-constructed,
of profit and delight,
Was mysteriously abducted
From the grinders to this site.
We’re not looking for excuses,
Well, we pilfered it, so what?
He
.
The procedure is consistent:
Wardens wait, the drops still lag.
And in contrast—in an instant
pounces on a bug.
Plus, quite often, now as ever,
Just to spite us—life’s a flash,
And in contrast—lasts forever
The most common scraper brush.
. Who would believe this?
I was—I’ll be just a ghoul,
And the dawn, blind and oblivious,
Will trip over my pulped soul.
To my loud snivel
And weed-trampling underfoot,
.
But so far—on shore, delighted,
In my cap I sit with pals,
, oh God Almighty,
Our from the squalls.
For auspicious outcome hoping,
,
But my needles, , are dropping:
—pickled, hence—I am.

знакомого егеря

И сосулькой звенит,
И дыханьем проталин
Через .
В ,
, как ,
Ты выходишь, небритый,
Штаны с пиджаком.
У тебя есть ,
Но не в этом ведь суть,
Можно ведь
да .
Труд , право, не сложен,
Зашла коли речь:
Надо лишние кожи
Ты — бродяга, ты — странник,
Лохмотник хромой.
.
Вон идет
О ведре лишь одном,
Ну да в этом-то смысла
, чем в остальном.
— волшебник,
Ты — хоть плачь,
Но не плачь, есть
Всех на свете задач.
— , ты — егерь,
В этом заречье,
В деревянной глуши,
Жизнь твоя — ,
Ветерок заводной
И
Благосклонной одной.
На газетной бумаге
Сообщение есть:
И в томате — .
А еще ты — ,
не пьешь,
.
Побеги ж на
К родимой реке,
.
, свалился
И веселой
—
Уж ты, милый ты мой.

Баллада о брандмайоре

Снова
Удалые прибудут, бодры —
душа, в разлетайках,
Худосочные — прямо .
полян знатоку
В и в мерцающей каске —
Не лупить на ,
Но давать .
— индивидум в годах,
Но, и одышку,
Он в апреле взойдет при звезда́х
На свою каланчу, или вышку.
.
Не у нас, отмахнется
И глядит в направлении дельты,
Где прожег свои многие леты,

()

1
. Постыдная пора.
От розыгрышей .
Был спрошен: бывают?
: то в три двора.
2
Достойно ли вести, как ,
Глумясь над всем, подобно стае ,
И позабыв о совести и чести.
3
И я хорош — доверился, простак.
было трудно догадаться,
Что выше лба ушей не может статься,
А — то так.
4
— и .
Ползут по местности невыгодные слухи,
Что я, , олух и
И .
5
, постыдная пора,
Достойно ли вести, как ,
И я хорош — доверился, простак,
и .

Прощание лудильщика

Всмотрись в обстоятельства
И валенки в скупку неси.
Хромая и как бы случайная
на .
Скажи — , наша чайная,
.
—
Лудить за реками
Артель направленье берет.
, наша чайная,
До ,
Местечко отнюдь не ,
Уют .
За реками луда блестящее,
жизня за реками,
Но ярче бы —
Остаться мне было б с калекам
на́ лето тут.
Прощай, , товарищи,
Сойдемся бог знает когда еще
За нашим всегдашним столом.
ты возиться с ,
Не
, дорогая старуха, мне
грамм .
Имеется

Портрет перевозчика

, ,
Рыж-,
Пой, раздобарщик,
Ушкуй твой утлый
И .
И наши годы,
Всю их нелепость,
.
Люблю я,
Зачинишь вдруг ты
Не ради славы
Чего-нибудь.
Стучит в апреле,
на волю
Твой молоток.
И в самом деле,
, что ли,
.
Мадам .
Меня заметив,
,
Забудь печали
путем,
Уходят годы,
А мы с тобою
Себе живем.

Меж собакою

Меж собакою и волком
У
.
Он
И нашел какой-то шарик
В этой .
И тогда зовет он: братцы,
Чего я нашел!
то они подбросят,
То поймают, а
выползали
Из реки ,
В люди зажигали
Ламп своих фитиль.
И
.
волокли,
и
Сватались вдали.
С и без,
И неясно,
промча.
Неожиданно от шара
Свет пошел — да-да,
Пригляделись — то Стожаров
.
И на той звезде туманной,
горя,
Много правды необманной
Знают егеря.
Там
.

разъездного

о городе)

То род призванья — разъездной.
Он холост. Тщетной головой
задевая
—
Что значит, скажем, разъездной —
Носки забывая,
И дым глотать не оставляя,
И терзая свой,
Он как .
, , что со мной?
Он бредит: у него катар
Путей дыхательных. Бодрится:
ль? , помазок!
Да что же ?
.
И хоть порезаться боится,
Все правит бритву при луне.
Крутясь в стране,
В
Почище всякого кино:
девица,
А тут — извольте насладиться —
Полуподвальная .
Заклей- на
,
Которой улица стремится
Ему ягодицы,
Употребляя в дело
и .
Подобно
обреченно
,
(Отметим: вечером в реке,
нельзя уж в ,
Когда поспели
И на ,
Когда, отложив,
Ваш дед
Читает бабушке, когда
Та призадумалась, а ,
Когда зацокали ,
И вот еще одно когда —
—
:
Ведь подсадные все ,
А остальные к ним с небес
Катят :
Загадывайте без промедленья.)
Но не дано. Судьбы решенье
Я тут
— там.
И снова ,
То прямо едет, то свернет.
Мил человек, ты кто такой?
Да я, папаша, .
гавкнет на него,
, и икнет,
И носом клюнет,
А после
,
И
.
. Каплет ,
Минуя ,
Пирующему на манишку,
И клянчит у пивной Удод
Рублишко на винишко,
А изнутри другой орет:
Винишка хочет — ишь ты!
.
Крутясь в стране такой-сякой,
Стране немазаной, сухой,
Давно немытой головой
Себе вопросы задавая
И ж ветви задевая,
скачет разъездной,
А к утру, воротясь домой,
.

Почтовые хлопоты в мае

Что это не пишет,
Времени, что ли, опять .
Странно, посули́л ведь — напишу тебе непременно;
Вот, свидетельствуйте, не пишет и не едет .
5 , за реку я все, право,
Хоть бы , родственник милый,
у меня планы,
И́наче же и кинуться куда — ,
Вечно с дядей таким происходит.
10 ,
Выбегу заре встречать нашего :
Нету, , пишут,
Тщательные, адресанты.
15 Ладно, постоим, слегка мы,
После в я его к себе зазываю:
Эх, ко мне теперь, ,
Гостем будешь, понимаешь, немного,
я разве сварил вчера не́ктар.
20 не варят,
Зря на свете практически ничего не бывает,
Зря и ,
Нектару мы, конечно, твоего немедля .
Вот заходит ко мне ,
25 такой, видом ,
Впрочем, перепивал, бывало, и самого ;
Внешности, получается, .
Ух, заскочил, шапкою, сняв, губы вытер,
30 Ну и я наливаю:
Пейте, пожалуйста, добрые люди, ,
Пейте, а то теперь живы, а завтра, что называется, .
ndent-1">Ой ли, ой ли, кивает, тут ведь ,
Где
Там уже пиши не пиши — все прахом пропало,
Там постскри́птумы твои что мертвенному припарка.
С и я тут поступил вполне сообразно:
40 , а после, не , нацедил снова,
со следующей нам не лукаво.
Так вот, я ему говорю, ,
Так вот и
Черствый, а то знаешь,
Волки, болтают, на том тебя, вроде, съели,
Как ты мыслишь — факты это или же ?
Слышал, слышал, докладывали и мне известье,
Гость, поглаживая моего, молвил,
50 Только я и сам ,
Может, съели, а может, пустые то ,
Бабушка, выражаются, пополам говорила.
Тут мы с опять, ,
Или, что называется, .
55 С другом зелье губить наладив,
Друга решил я кое на что :
Вот бы нам почитать некоторые .
Верно, , у тебя черепок варит,
мне с достоинством на то замечает,
60 Что мы, разве других ,
Где это слыхано —
Что же нам прикажете читать себе еще тут.
Вскрыли мы тогда несколько с ним посланий.
Смотрим — чего только не сочиняют люди друг другу,
65 Что, оказывается, их всех только не заботит:
Сильно, мощно разлита в народе ,
Словно эпидемия какая-то распространилась.
в из , скажем, пишет,
,
70 ,
, пристал с ножом к горлу,
Дяде в не дает малость.
в из отрезал:
Букву эту, милок, сам себе ищи неустанно,
75 Деньги ж, даденные мне тобой, я ,
Знай поэтому, что тебе завезу ой ли.
Кроме этого,
Тоже потянулся вдруг,
,
80 — ,
Егери унесли их.
, получит ведь и :
Псарь мой ловчий, когда б не случилось в том ну́жды,
Стал бы я разве к тебе строчить? Нет.
85 люди твои, ,
Пусть- возвернут поскорей, ,
Или, передай, .
Егери точильщику ,
Видимо, передал им доезжачий ультиматум:
90 , и дурной, и вздорный,
,
Прыгал бы ты, одутловатый, к на ,
же станешь — , .
прочтя и жеваным мякишем их запечатав,
95 емкий,
Время расставаться тогда нам с накатило.
Эх, он шапку тогда свою напялил и вышел,
Обнял меня, , расцеловал — и дальше.
, говорю, чего это мне все пишет?
100 Зря, возражал, и .
В между тем — вся цветенье.

То не вспарочной

То не
Ну и бог с ним, — ,
расселись, курят,
.
становится на миг:
Над змеевидный
Этот самодельный,
у тех.
Оправдания не ищем —
Ну украли, что с того,
А
.
Процедура постепенна:
Капля медлит — егерь ждет,
И напротив — сколь мгновенно
Ловит .
И еще обыкновенно
Жизнь мгновенна, ,
И напротив: сколь
.
— и уж нет,
На души моей обжимок
Набредет слепой рассвет,
И под
.
Но — вот я, в кепке,
С мужиками у реки.
, Боже крепкий,
В эту грóзу .
В упрежденье
,
Но летят :
— , — .

Chapter Notes

Despite its many oddities, Between Dog and Wolf features a strict, formal structure: eight prose chapters from the perspective of the itinerant grinder Ilya Zynzyrella; five prose chapters that concern the life and thoughts of the dog-keeper Yakov Palamakhterov; four chapters consisting of 36 poems written by Yakov; and a final chapter made up of a single, separate poem, again authored by Yakov. As Alexander Boguslawski writes, the chapters follow this pattern: ABCABACABACABACBAC (“How Sokolov’s” 205). Sergei Orobii suggests that “in the novel Between Dog and Wolf, the principle that will become the cornerstone for determining the root affiliation of Sokolov’s texts of the 2000s is mastered: prose is replaced with ease by poetry, or even merges with it. Such a narrative maneuver, of course, originates not in the plot, but in the field of language: considering that the Russian literary language has ‘worn out’ from constant use and has lost all expressiveness, the writer tries to get away from the usual linguistic norms and constructs a unique style, which becomes the driving force of the narrative. Here, the boundaries between replicas, between direct and indirect speech, between chatter and quotation are fundamentally blurred” (299).

structure

Again the Notes

These verse segments are allegedly written by Yakov during his year on the Volga; they come divided in sections according to the time of the year, which is however never a specific season but a period between seasons. In this third section of Notes, the setting is spring.

time explanatory

Notes

A reference to Ivan Turgenev’s 1852 cycle of short stories Notes of a Hunter (also translated as A Sportman’s Notebook, The Hunting Sketches, and Sketches from a Hunter’s Album). This work was acclaimed for its portrayal of peasant life. The “Notes” (Записки) trope is common in Russian literature: Notes of a Rifle Hunter (Aksakov), Notes of a Shallow Grass (Dryansky), “Notes of a Madman” (Gogol), Notes from the Underground (Dostoevsky), Notes from a Dead House (Dostoevsky), “Notes of a Madman” (Tolstoy), “Notes of a Christian” (Tolstoy), Notes of a Doctor (Veresaev), Notes of a Young Doctor (Bulgakov), Notes of a Psychotic (Ven. Erofeev), and Notes of a Nonhunter (Vantalov). Gerald Smith suggests that the Drunken Huntsman may also be a literary descendent of Alexander Pushkin’s hero in The Gypsies (“The Verse” 329).

intertextuality

structure

Опять записки

time explanatory

записки

intertextuality

Text Annotations

Portrait

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

Familiar

A possible allusion to Alexander Blok’s Neznakomka (Unknown Lady) or to Ivan Kramskoi’s famous painting Neizvetstnaia (sometimes referred to as Neznakomka; Portrait of an Unknown Woman).

intertextuality

March

Evgeny Sokolov sees a possible reference to Pasternak’s poem “March” (“Predislovie” 10). Read it here.

intertextuality

March is crunchy and crispy

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

drunk

Alcohol theme.

theme

dusky

Between dog and wolf.

theme time

hoarfrost

Crystallized frozen water vapor that appears on various surfaces.

explanatory

boots

D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

motif intertextuality

shoes

motif intertextuality

boots

motif intertextuality

lame

Numerous characters in the novel, and in Sokolov’s work in general, suffer from disabilities.

self-reference

Your strange land’s on the border Just between day and night

Ilya exists in an indeterminate world, between light and dark, where things are not as they appear.

explanatory theme

between day and night

Between dog and wolf.

theme time

yoke

A wooden crosspiece used to carry items.

explanatory

Snow is marked in the garden, There are prints in the sand

Impressions made on the earth that mirror the letters and words on the pages of the novel. At the beginning of chapter 13, hens are described leaving traces on sand, “printing” through their feet: “The chickens may walk over the sand, looking surprised that they leave prints with their chicken feet” (R248/E173).

intratextuality

pine trees

Pine. Plant motif.

motif

Your whole life’s but a puff, Or a brief wound-up breeze

Life is but a breeze. Life is easy. Life is transient.

phraseologism

lonesome babe’s

Original Russian: bobylka. Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

intratextuality character

oil lamp

Oil lamp.

explanatory

accordion

A “squeeze-box” — button accordion or concertina.

music

a gun on a nail

A possible reference to the famous “Chekhov’s rifle” (or gun), a narrative principle according to which “if in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired.”

intertextuality

Sterlets

Sterlet — a species of sturgeon. Animal motif.

motif

Sterlitamak

The second largest city in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located on the left bank of the Belaya River (Kama’s tributary), 121 kilometers (75 mi) from Ufa. The city’s name comes from the Bashkir language and literally means “mouth of the Sterlya river” (see Boguslawski, “Annotations” 248).

location Russia

roisterer

Someone who loves to revel, party, drink. Alcohol theme.

theme

shtof

German: stuff. An obsolete unit of measure equal to 1.2299 liters. Alcohol theme.

foreign theme

And for that single reason Your own dog you call Wolf

Ilya’s fatal error in mistaking a dog for a wolf on the frozen Volga River. Animal motif.

intratextuality motif

Gorodnishche

The main setting of the novel: a fictional town on the banks of the Volga River. Also called Gorodnishchi. Derived from the words for town (gorod) and beggar (nishchii). It is the “town of beggars.” Olga Matich writes: “If School for Fools was written against the background of youth prose, Sokolov’s next novel Between Dog and Wolf may be read as the author’s response to village prose, the literary rage of the seventies” (“Sasha Sokolov” 310). Vadim Kreid observes that Gorodnishche, a barracks village of beggars and thieves, resembles an “Anti-Kitezh” (Kitezh being the legendary, mythical city in Russian folklore that only the pure-hearted will have the chance to reach). In Gorodnishche, however, thieves rob beggars, while beggars beg thieves (“Zaitil’shchina” 213). According to Johnson, the living dwell Gorodnishche, while the dead reside on the other side of the river, in Bydogoshch (“Sokolov’s Between Dog and Wolf and the Modernist Tradition” 209). Johnson also mentions a statement by Sokolov himself: “Sokolov reports that the name is a blend of the dissolute eighteen-century town of Gorodnya described by A. N. Radishchev in his Journey from Petersburg to Moscow and a nearby town called Gorodishche. Thus the time layers of the sixteenth century, the eighteenth century, and a mythic present are all superimposed upon each other – a characteristic technique in the novel” (217).

location setting folklore theme intertextuality

winter roads

Roads laid on ice, snow, and other frozen spaces.

explanatory

coats

Original Russian: коротайках (korotaikakh). Outerwear worn by peasants. Clothing motif.

motif

snipes

Snipe. Rachel Warren Chadd and Marianne Taylor write that the “snipe version of a territorial song is made with the feathers rather than the vocal apparatus. The sound, known as ‘drumming’, is produced by vibration of the outer tail feathers as the bird flies, and it is a bizarre, unnatural-sounding noise, rather like a quavering note played on a kazoo” (70). This noise, according Edward Armstrong, links the bird in Europe with storms: “Significantly, this noise, like that made by woodpeckers, is popularly called ‘drumming’ and it is by beating tambourines or drums that Siberian shamans and rain-makers in many parts of the world claim to bring rain” (110). This marks a potential connection to Ilya who is himself associated with the prophet Elijah and thunder. Animal motif.

motif

cartridge belts

A tool used to hold rifle charges carried on one’s torso or in gazyr bags.

explanatory

wood grouse

Wood grouse. Animal motif.

motif

loudmouths

Hunting dogs. Animal motif.

explanatory motif

individuum

An individual distinguished by a certain trait.

explanatory

watchtower

Fire tower. A watchtower for fires.

explanatory

The intern on guard tells the story, Saluting the helmet

The intern speaks to the guards (those who wield guns and ammo).

explanatory

Of fires that burn in Izhory, But cunningly meaning Stozhary

The same formulation appears earlier (R206/E99). The stars of the Pleiades are fires burning on Izhory’s district. Constellation-heavens motif.

intratextuality motif

Izhory

The final railway station from Torzhok to St. Petersburg.

location

Stozhary

The Pleiades or Seven Sisters star cluster. In Greek mythology, the stars represented seven nymphs born of Atlas and Pleione. Also mentioned in chapter 8 (R206/E98) and Note XXIV (R233/E145). Constellation/heavens motif.

motif intertextuality foreign intratextuality

Overbrowears

A reference to the expression “Выше лба уши не растут” (over ones forehead ears do not grow) meaning that one has limits to what they can do. First mentioned in chapter 8 (R207/E101).

intratextuality phraseologism

Garland of Notes

A variation of the “sonnet corona,” a sequence of sonnets, usually addressed to one person, and/or concerned with a single theme. In the Russian-language tradition, the genre is usually linked with Ilya Sel’vinsky (1899-1968) who in the 1910s-1920s wrote a series of sonnets later studied by Mikhail Gasparov.

intertextuality explanatory structure

Notes

intertextuality

Overbrowears

intratextuality phraseologism

farm

Original Russian: хутор (khutor). A farm or small settlement usually in Ukraine. Calls to mind Nikolai Gogol’s short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka.

intertextuality location

Show no respect for yesterdays, tomorrows

In a sense, Sokolov shows “no respect for yesterdays, tomorrows” by disrupting any sense of temporal logic.

time self-reference

Overbrowears

intratextuality phraseologism

farm

Original Russian: хутор (khutor). A farm or small settlement usually in Ukraine. Calls to mind Nikolai Gogol’s short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka.

intertextuality location

My ears are red

Suggests embarrassment.

explanatory

binger

That is, Yakov. These verse segments are allegedly written by Yakov during his year on the Volga. Alcohol theme.

theme character explanatory

My ears are red

Suggests embarrassment.

explanatory

Tinker

See R168, 230, 244/E33, 140, 166.

intratextuality

Gorodnishche

location setting folklore theme intertextuality

felts

Traditional Russian winter felt boots. D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

motif Russia intertextuality

Spring

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

Valday

The region known as Valdai Hills. Valdai is town located in Novgorod Oblast first mentioned in a chronicle in 1495 and known for the manufacture of bells in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Mentioned several times throughout the novel (R150, 155, 198, 230, 272/E2, 11, 87, 88, 140, 214).

music location Russia intratextuality

taverna

A small Greek restaurant or cafe.

foreign location

she-goat nut-picking

Reference to the Russian folk tale “No goat with nuts.” In this story the goat does not come back with nuts once it is sent to pick them; only after the wind is convinced to go chase water, the water fire, the fire the stone, the stone the axe, the axe the club, the club the people, people the bear, the bear the wolf, the wolf the goat, then the goat comes back with nuts. Read the original here. Animal motif.

intertextuality folklore motif

he-goat in the garden they let

Suggests that a mistake has been made in making a decision: the goat will eat the garden.

explanatory

the mute and the blind

Once again a reference to the invalids who inhabit the setting of the book.

character setting

borscht

Borshch. Beet soup.

explanatory

reeds

Cane, rush, reed. Plant motif.

motif

In the leas

“In the Meadows” is a group Russian circle/round dance in which dancers face each other in rows, stepping out in turns to demonstrate figures. Read the accompanying song’s lyrics here and listen to a recording here.

music Russia folklore intertextuality

leas

Open grassland. Plant motif.

motif

windbag

Colloquial: chatterbox, windbag.

leas

Open grassland. Plant motif.

motif

Tula

Tula — the largest city in the Tula Oblast. Located south of Moscow. Known for, among other things, samovar production.

location Russia

Tula tin

As Ostanin suggests, Tula’s famous samovars are implied here (80).

explanatory

cripples

Original Russian: калеками (kalekami). A name given to blind wanderers who sing spiritual poems. Originally, the word did not refer to disabled or crippled beggars, as it does now, but rather to wanderers who visited holy places and sang songs. The term is derived from the Latin caligae,. Since these wanderers often lived off of alms in the towns they visited (and occasionally settled in), the term took on the meaning of a disabled person who does the same in its modern usage. (Miller 27–28) Also mentioned in Note XVIII (R204/E96), chapter 8 (R209/E103), chapter 9 (R214/E112), chapter 10 (R223/E129), and chapter 11 (R230/E141). D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

Russia motif intertextuality foreign intratextuality

revelers

Someone who loves to revel, party, drink. Alcohol theme.

theme

Gorodnishche

location setting intertextuality folklore theme

flap your wing for goodbye

A variation of the set expression (makhat’ rukoi): to say goodbye. The wing (krylo) here once again stresses the image of the bird. Animal-human motif.

motif phraseologism

Hunderd

Mispelling: hundred.

language

port

Port wine — a sweet red dessert wine. Produced in Portugal. Alcohol theme.

theme foreign

steamboat

Steamboat. Boat motif.

motif

Graf

German: count.

foreign

Graf-like

Usually used to describe a recipe.

language

galife

A type of trousers, typical for the army. Named after Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet, a French general. Clothing motif.

foreign motif

Portrait

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

Portrait of the Ferryman

The ferryman also appears in Note XXXI (R268/E208).

intratextuality character

Ferryman

Foma Pogibel’ is one of the two oarsmen who carry people (dead or alive) across the river (a variation of the Charon Greek myth). The other oarsman is Eryoma (diminutive of Eremei, Jeremiah). However, in Note XXXI the oarsman is called Pavel, just like the character who sends his uncle Pyotr to get yeast in Gorodnishche. As underlined by one of the epigraphs in Sokolov’s first novel, A School for Fools, the biblical name of Pavel is somehow interchangeable: “Saul, who is called Paul” (see Acts 13:9–10). As for Foma, he carries a biblical name, too (Thomas), whose Aramaic origin suggests the idea of the “twin.” This apostle is famous as “Doubting Thomas” due to his denial of the resurrection of Jesus, according to the Gospel of John (see John 20:24–31). In the Orthodox tradition, the Sunday following Easter is called “Thomas Sunday”: the day when Christ appeared to his disciples; it took seeing Jesus’ body for Thomas to name him “My Lord and my God.”

character intertextuality bible religion

Sing

The use of this imperative immediately echoes Homer’s Iliad (“Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus”).

intertextuality

ferry driver

character intertextuality bible religion

craft’s

Original Russian: ушкуй (ushkui). A historical name for flat-bottomed boats, such as those used by the people of Novgorod in their travels on the Volga.

motif

caulk

Material used to seal joints on boats. Boat motif.

motif

Rowlocks

The device used to hold an oar in place on a boat. Boat motif.

motif

strolling

A possible reference could be Eduard Bagritsky’s poem “Spring” (1927). Read the original here. Considering that further below a “Miss Spring” will be mentioned, the reference to Bagritsky is more than justified.

intertextuality

Before the night

Possible reference to Pushkin’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and/or to Andrei Nikolev’s “Before the Night, Having Finished Work…” (1930). Read the entire poem here.

intertextuality

mastic

Resin from the mastic tree. Plant motif.

motif

Foot-bindings

Foot wraps traditionally worn before the widespread use of socks in armies. D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

motif intertextuality

Spring

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

Get some supplies

Of course, alcohol is implied. Alcohol theme.

theme

kopecks

A Russian monetary value worth 1/100 of a ruble.

Russia

Waters are splashing, Flow by themselves To reach their goal

The Volga River represents the flow of time in the novel. The water moves independently.

time

Note XXIV

The entire novel presents itself as a tireless manual of metalinguistic labor, rolled forward through series of digressions in a manner somehow metatextually depicted in this Note: a warden, while stitching a rip, “by willows that weep / let[s] his needle drop;” trying to search it out, he finds instead “some kind of ball,” beginning thus to play with it and his companions, and continuing on till a foggy dusk occurs, literally at the hour “between the dog and wolf.” So the novel is construed by the unendingly weaving of words and images used as threads in order to compose ever new textual scenarios.

structure intratextuality

Between the Dog

Again, between dog and wolf.

theme time

between the dog and wolf

Again, between dog and wolf.

theme time

willows that weep

Weeping willow. Plant motif.

motif

A warden let his needle drop— Did not stitch the rip

Ostanin proposes that this lack of closure is the same one that allows Sokolov to bring the end of the poem to its beginning (81).

structure explanatory

stitch the rip

Various characters sew in the novel. In Yakov’s eighth poem, an oriole “resews evening into night” (R172/E39). Sewing is also mentioned in Note XVI (R200/E92). Yakov sews slippers (R274/E219). Sewing theme.

theme intratextuality

grassy

Plant motif.

motif

lea

Open grassland. Plant motif.

motif

huts

A log hut or cottage.

explanatory

So the wicks just smoked

Similar phrasing is used in chapter 16 (R274/E219).

intratextuality

tugboats

Steamship. Boat motif.

motif

barges

Hopper barge — a non-self-propelled barge that is carried by other ships. Boat motif.

motif

hoopoes

The hoopoe appears several times throughout the novel, mostly in Yakov’s poems (R167, 168, 169, 233, 236, 262, 280/E31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 145, 149, 199). José Vergara writes: “the hoopoe plays a key role in the story of Tereus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In this myth, the Thracian king rapes Philomela, his wife Procne’s sister, and cuts out her tongue to keep the secret. After Philomela manages to convey to Procne what happened, the sisters conspire to kill the latter’s son, Itys, and feed him to Tereus. Upon learning of their actions, Tereus in turn seeks them out, but before he can enact his revenge, the gods transform them all into birds: Procne into a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale, Tereus into a hoopoe. According to the folklore, the hoopoe’s hooting call is said to mean “where, where” in Greek – Tereus’s plea as he searches for his displaced family” (“Flap” 364–365). Throughout the novel, Ilya is associated with the hoopoe in that he also looks for his missing family. Therefore, Ilya reenacts this plot as he seeks out Orina and their son, Yakov. “He is displaced, like Tereus, in his various transformations and peregrinations, pursuing his idealized family,” José Vergara writes, “but constantly mired by the imagery he uses and that is used to describe him” (“Flap” 366). Animal-human motif.

intratextuality motif foreign

oxpeckers

Oxpecker. Animal motif.

motif

Tugboats

Steamship. Boat motif.

motif

barges

Hopper barge — a non-self-propelled barge that is carried by other ships. Boat motif.

motif

wolves or dogs

Between dog and wolf. Animal motif.

motif theme

Stozhary’s

The Pleiades or Seven Sisters star cluster. In Greek mythology, the stars represented seven nymphs born of Atlas and Pleione. Also mentioned in chapter 8 (R206/E98) and Note XX (R228/E138). As Sokolov confirms, the “glavnaia zvezda” (main star) is Alcyone, the brightest of the Pleiades and part of the Taurus constellation (personal communication, July 7, 2023). According to Greek mythology, Alcyone was elected to guide the seven sisters, and her specific task was to guide the fishermen. Alcyone thus became a goddess to pray to favor the winds at sea. Alternatively, it might be Sirius, from the constellation of the Canis Major (Greater dog), which is also known as the “Great Dog” and is the brightest star in the night sky. Canis Major follows the constellation of Orion the Hunter through the sky. In the Iliad, Homer describes it as follows: “Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky On summer nights, star of stars, Orion’s Dog they call it, brightest Of all, but an evil portent, bringing heat And fevers to suffering humanity.” Constellation/heavens motif.

intertextuality foreign intratextuality motif

There, the wispy fogs alight, Crawling out from swamps, People in their huts ignite The wicks of their lamps.

The same quatrain is repeated from above, yet verbs here are in present tense.

structure

huts

A log hut or cottage.

explanatory

between the dog and wolf

Between dog and wolf. Animal motif.

motif theme time

willows

Weeping willow. Plant motif.

motif

A warden let his needle drop— Did not stitch the rip

Ostanin proposes that this lack of closure is the same one that allows Sokolov to bring the end of the poem to its begining (81).

explanatory

stitch the rip

theme intratextuality

Portrait

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

(The Second Recollection of the City)

See Note VI (R170/E36).

intratextuality

bird cherry

Bird cherry — a flowering plant in the rose family. Plant motif.

motif

darn

intratextuality theme

bike

As in A School for Fools, the mail carrier is closely associated with his bicycle. Bicycle motif.

motif self-reference intertextuality

He’s poor and foolish, and high-strung. Nanny, why can’t I sleep tonight? If old—he makes himself look young And if he’s young—he’ll soon be old.

Yakov quotes an exchange between Tanya and her nursemaid in Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin (3.XVII).

intertextuality

Nanny

A reference to Pushkin’s nanny, Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva (1758–1828). Pushkin retained a loving attitude to her, even dedicating poems to her and taking notes from her folk tales and tunes; she opened up for him an entire peasant world in terms of motifs, characters, and even words. Tatyana’s nanny from his masterpiece Eugene Onegin draws on her profile. Tatyana thrice says “Oh, nanny…” (ch. 3, stanzas 19, 34, 35). Also mentioned in Note IX (R173/E41).

intratextuality intertextuality

a cold With inflammation

A head cold distinguished by excessive inflammation of mucus membranes and mucus production.

explanatory

nanny

intertextuality intratextuality

Silence, slop-slinger, in my nap I saw a firebird in flight— It said we’ll marry in a snap

Margaret Ziolkowski notes that this “passage parodies Tat’iana’s nocturnal conversation with her nurse in Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin” and that this claim will be later explained in chapter 12 (R246/E169) as a metaphorical reference to a girl mistreated and lost, yet another story that aligns with Orina (415).

intertextuality intratextuality

firebird

The mythical Firebird from Slavic folklore. Read the original here and an English translation here. Animal motif.

motif intertextuality folklore

There—a half-naked lass in laces, And—for your pleasure—even more

A possible allusion to Tatiana’s dream/nightmare in Pushkin’s Onegin (ch. 5). Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

centipede

Centipede. Animal motif.

motif

And from the window mother screams:

As in chapter 4 (“thru the pane their doctor shakes his fist in vain, when he sees it”), here too the allusion is to Pushkin’s Onegin (ch. 5). Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

Now winter’s gone—spring will grow twigs; The courier is the mud decrying

Possible allusion to Tyutchev’s famous poem “Winter’s spite is vain…” Read the original here and its translation here.

intertextuality

britskas

A horse-drawn cart with four wheels and a foldable top.

explanatory

Landaus

French: landau. A four-wheeled carriage with a moveable roof. Depicted here:

foreign explanatory

mallard duck

Mallard. The duck has been seen as a symbol of sex and constancy (Rowland, Birds 49). Animal motif. Animal motif.

motif

How very different he could be If he were not worn out by riding More than the decoy by its gliding, If he were born beneath a star Unlike the courier’s, shining far, And duck—beyond its decoy star.

Yakov considers fate. The characters in the novel often feel compelled to behave in certain ways and to fulfill certain roles, despite their attempts to break out of those patterns. Constellation-heavens motif.

motif explanatory structure

decoy

The duck is here potentially a reference to Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago, in which the protagonist is gifted a dead duck by a deaf-mute acquaintance that comes to symbolize the apocalyptic and tragic end of Zhivago and his generation. For more on this subject, see Rowland, Birds 50 and Jackson. Animal motif.

motif intertextuality

duck

motif intertextuality

Latin: Nota bene (note well).

foreign

dusk

Between dog and wolf.

time theme

bilboquet

French: bilboquet. The game cup and ball in which the player attempts to land a cup in a ball or a piece with a hole upon a stick. The game itself has a long history, and it is difficult to attest its first invention. It was extremely popular across the 16–18th centuries in Europe. A famous version of the game is the Japanese Kendama, based on the bilboquet first introduced during the Edo period (early 17th century).

foreign

samovars

Literally: “self-brewer.” A metal device used for boiling water.

Russia

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. It was translated into Russian in 1960 and published in the Soviet magazine Inostrannaia literatura (Foreign Literature). It had a huge immediate success, especially among the generation of the shestidesiatniki. A sampling of Russian authors’ responses to and recollections of The Catcher in the Rye may be found on Kommersant. Curiously, Sokolov has frequently been paired with Salinger for his long publication silence.

intertextuality foreign

held cheese in her mouth

A reference to Ivan Krylov’s 1807 fable “The Crow and the Fox.” Read the original and an English translation here. The fable tells the story of a crow, who having finally found a piece of cheese, decides not to eat it right away but keeps it in its mouth. The fox cunningly flatters the crow and asks it to sing. In the end, the crow loses the cheese to the fox. Animal motif.

intertextuality motif

flint stones

Steel used to start fires, as in a tinderbox.

explanatory

We see the stars in waters deep

The stars are reflected in the water. Constellation-heavens motif.

motif explanatory

I am not from here

Here the expression plays (as often happens in the book) on its literal sense (I myself am not from my own place, I do not belong).

phraseologism

dog

Dog. Animal motif.

motif

mead

An alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, water, and a mix of fruits, spices, grains, or hops. Sometimes called honey wine. Alcohol theme.

theme

dickey

A dickie — a shirtfront worn with formal wear (tuxedo, etc.). Clothing motif.

motif

bissextile lips

Instead of leap year, we read “bissextile lips.” Ostanin suggests it may mean a “big mouth” (82). Alternatively, Boguslawski proposes that the expression here “indicates that the drink does not reach every fourth mouth” (“Annotations” 249). Alcohol theme. However, Sokolov himself responds that it means “oblique, awkward, skewed” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo” 134).

language theme

Hoopoe

motif intratextuality foreign intertextuality

swig

Alcohol theme.

theme

Now nightingale begins to mill, Now windmill starts to trill!

Boguslawski identities these lines as a reference to Afanasii Fet’s untitled 1842 poem “The pine is so dark, despite the moon.” Read the original here.

intertextuality

nightingale

Nightingale. According to Peter Tate: “A small member of the warbler family, which has russet upper parts, a broad tail, and is grey-brown below. Its preferred habitat is deciduous woods with dense undergrowth. It is notable for its beautiful song whose notes rise and fall in succession. Contrary to popular belief, nightingales don’t just sing at night, but their song is more difficult to distinguish in daylight hours owing to competition from other birds and everyday ambient noise” (81). José Vergara writes: “the hoopoe plays a key role in the story of Tereus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In this myth, the Thracian king rapes Philomela, his wife Procne’s sister, and cuts out her tongue to keep the secret. After Philomela manages to convey to Procne what happened, the sisters conspire to kill the latter’s son, Itys, and feed him to Tereus. Upon learning of their actions, Tereus in turn seeks them out, but before he can enact his revenge, the gods transform them all into birds: Procne into a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale, Tereus into a hoopoe. According to the folklore, the hoopoe’s hooting call is said to mean “where, where” in Greek – Tereus’s plea as he searches for his displaced family” (“Flap” 364–365). The characters of Sokolov’s novel play out this plot with Ilya seeking out his missing lover Orina and their son Yakov. Animal-human motif.

motif intertextuality

windmill

Sokolov will use the connection between torment (мука)/flour (мука), along with mill/er, several times throughout the novel as well. Here the author creates a sort of chiasmus, interchanging subjects and predicates.

metaphor poetic device symbol

Crossing the land both bright and dreary, The land unquenched and mostly arid, And with his head washed only rarely Snapping the branches of bird cherry, Addressing to it many queries,

Ostanin suggests a comparison to Mikhail Lermontov’s 1841 poem “Farewell, Unwashed Russia” (82) Read the original and an English translation here.

intertextuality

Note XXVI

This Note “offers a peculiar key to understanding the entire novel’s structure and the nature of its narrating voice(s): in it the ‘Binging Hunter’ retells a meeting with the mail carrier Sila Silych, during which (…) they decide to ‘read at random some of the messages’ (…). It is then curious to find out that among these letters there is everything we encountered in the narrative: ‘For instance, Pavel from Gorodnishche writes to Pyotr in Bydogoshch, / begs his uncle to purchase the yeast for hooch-brewing, / he implores him to find without fail some alphabet letter.’ But, in particular, the two stumble upon Ilya’s letter to Pozhilykh, in which – as we might expect now – ‘he complains – during a snowstorm someone lifted his crutches, / the wardens of Shallow Reach, he claims, absconded with them.’ So, what we can assume from Note xxvi is that the entire novel may be but a reconstruction or recollection of different voices and stories sketched down by the ‘Binging Hunter’ only (or rather by Yakov, to the extent we can assume he is the author of the Notes – and such a first name, so close to the Russian word iakoby, makes him literally only ‘allegedly’ a hunter, a wannabe poet/artist, or, more generally speaking, a round and authentic character)” (Napolitano, “Studyin” 291-292). This Note is the only one with numbers openly counted in the entire book. Sokolov explains this choice as follows: “The author of the Notes, of course, read respectably published, academic collections of classical poetry, particularly by ancient authors. In such collections, the verses are often numbered. Every fifth line, or verse, is usually numbered: 5-10-15, etc. The author decided to write this specific poem according to the ancient spirit, in hexameter. It turned out not quite an hexameter, but I think the Binging Hunter was satisfied with the result of his efforts and decided that this work will become a classic, imperishable. And he hinted this to the future reader by numbering the verses” (personal communication, July 7, 2023). Sokolov tends to talk about his characters as individual, independent authors of pieces of his works.

structure intratextuality explanatory self-reference author register/style intertextuality

May

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

my most esteemed oncle

An allusion to the opening lines of Alexander Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin. Read the original here and an English translation here. Or, perhaps, as Ostanin proposes, to Ilya’s brother, Emelian Zhizhirella (82).

intratextuality intertextuality

oncle

French: uncle.

foreign

pictogram

Metaphor for photograph or other image (painted, engraved, etc.).

explanatory

Washing my feet with the dew as I’m walking

He walks barefoot.

explanatory

mail carrier

The postman Sila Silych. Another postman, Mikheev, also figures prominently in A School for Fools.

character intertextuality self-reference

Sila Silych

The postman Sila Silych. Sila (Silas) is a Biblical name, possibly derived from Saul or used as an abbreviation of the Greek name Silouanos (Sylvanus). In Russian the word “sila” means “force, power.”

character bible religion foreign

nectar

A juice. However, here — since it has been “boiled” (svarit’) — alcohol is (again) implied. Alcohol theme.

theme

Nestor

Ilya refers to Sila Silych as Nestor, a reference to Saint Nestor the Chronicler (c. 1056—c. 1114), the author of the Primary Chronicle.

intertextuality

a curly hare won’t appear in night ravings

An allusion to the story of how Alexander Pushkin, the father of Russian letters, encountered a hare on the road while on his way to support the Decembrist Revolt and took it as a bad omen. “Кучерявый” (curly), a trait Pushkin is well known for, further strengthens this allusion. At the end of the poem, the curly-headed quality will move from the hare to the lyric persona (line 100).

intertextuality intratextuality

Sila Silych

character bible religion foreign

Krylobyl

Krylobyl is a key character dwelling in the world of the dead (living on the other shore of the Itil’ river). It is not surprising given his “speaking name” formed by the words “krylo” (wing) and “byl” (was, used to be). He is a hypostasis of an angelic creature guiding Ilya in his wanderings and suggesting to him ideas and reflections: in chapter 4 it will be Krylobyl who advances the idea of the origin of the “zhe” letter; it is Krylobyl in this chapter who Ilya describes as a “know-it-all” who “instructs,” the one “whom I trust, whom I praise.” In a sense, Krylobyl is Ilya’s Virgil or, even, Beatrice in his wandering across this very special Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Toward the end of the novel, he will be addressed by the narrator in chapter 16 (R275/E220) and by Ilya in chapter 17 as “Fedot Fyodorov” (R279/E227).

character intertextuality intratextuality

Sila Silych

character bible religion foreign

postscriptums

The novel’s final poem is called “Post Scriptum” (R279–280/E229–230). In it, Yakov both questions the purpose of his writings and challenges the reader to describe his “ingenious” lines.

intratextuality

Silych

character bible religion foreign

emptied the glass entirely

Of course, Yakov and Sila have drained their glasses. Alcohol theme.

theme

Silych’s

character bible religion foreign

Sila Silych

character bible religion foreign

we chew our daily

That is, to live an ordinary life.

phraseologism

the other shore

The two banks of the Itil are blurred in the novel, so it is impossible to determine which side is which.

explanatory

“The wolves,” they are gabbing, “ate you there, apparently,”

A suggestion of death. Ilya’s murder at the hands of the hunters?

theme

ocelot

Ocelot — a medium-sized spotted wild cat. Animal motif.

motif

Silych

character bible religion foreign

Silych

character bible religion foreign

Silych

character bible religion foreign

messages

Yakov suggests that they read others’ mail.

explanatory

Yasha

Diminutive form of Yakov.

character register/style

Silych

character bible religion foreign

Pavel

Pyotr/Fyodor/Yegor. Pyotr, “one smart aleck from Sloboda” (R173/E43), is Pavel’s uncle and is sent by his nephew in Gorodnishche to find yeast (when the story is retold in chapter 14, it is the uncle asking Pavel to get yeast). He is alternatively called Fyodor and Egor: the choice seems to be guided by the presence of the vowels “e/ë” and “o.” The name Pyotr, from Greek, means “stone.” The apostle Peter (Simon Peter), in origin a fisherman, is considered the first Christian Pope. Peter denied Jesus three times during the events of the crucifixion, as Jesus had predicted (see Matthew 26:69–75). Fyodor (Theodore) means “God’s gift.” The name Egor is a variation of the name Georgy (George), from the Greek “farmer.” He was immortalized as a saint through the legend of the Dragon (Saint George the Dragon-slayer). In chapter 10 this character is challenged to hang himself, which results in his suicide.

character intratextuality religion foreign

Pavel from Gorodnishche writes to Pyotr in Bydogoshch

These characters were introduced at the beginning of chapter 4 (R173/E43).

intratextuality character

Gorodnishche

location setting intertextuality theme folklore

Pyotr

character intratextuality religion foreign

Bydogoshch

As Sokolov explains, there is no relation between this location and the Polish town of Bydgoszcz (personal communication, June 7, 2023). It is rather a misspelling of the village (and lake) of Vidogoshch by the Volga River, near Tver’. D.B. Johnson suggests that, while the living dwell in Gorodnishche, Bydogoshch is home for the dead (“Sokolov’s Between Dog and Wolf and the Modernist Tradition” 209).

location Russia theme setting

Begs his uncle to purchase the yeast for hooch-brewing

This event is described in chapter 4 (R174/E43).

intratextuality

He implores him to find without fail some alphabet letter

This event is described in chapter 4 (R174/E44).

intratextuality

crashbaret

A drinking establishment. Original Russia: кубаре (kubare). A mixture of kubarem (to fall head over heels) and the French “cabaret.” Customers, of course, will fall over and crash to the floor if they drink too much. The name of the establishment is literalized in this way. On Sokolov’s use of neologisms, see Brainina.

location neologism

Pyotr

character foreign religion intratextuality

Pyotr from Gorodnishche sharply replies to Pavel in Bydogoshch

These characters were introduced at the beginning of chapter 4 (R173/E43).

character intratextuality

Gorodnishche

location setting folklore intertextuality theme

Bydogoshch

location Russia theme setting

Ilya

Ilya is Between Dog and Wolf’s protagonist and the author of what he calls the Zaitil’shchina, a long letter with epic traits (starting from its title) addressed to Inspector Pozhilykh in which he comments on the theft of his crutches (he has only one leg) and, more generally, describes life along the Volga River. Johnson defines Ilya’s letter as “semiliterate ramblings,” aptly suggesting the style and register the reader will encounter in the novel (“Sokolov’s Between Dog and Wolf and the Modernist Tradition” 212). However, this character expresses at the same time a highly poetic and imaginative gaze. Ilya frequently associates himself with the biblical prophet Elijah, a figure folklorically linked with thunderstorms and which in Slavic tradition acquired some of the characteristics of the pagan God of the sky and thunder, Perun. Ilya is closely related to other key characters of the novel: he describes his troubled relationship with Orina (alternatively called Maria and the Dame) with whom he has a son; in encountering Yakov (the focus of several chapters), he suggests the possibility of being his father. The Oedipal plot resulting from this triangle has been noted by scholars, such as Johnson, who writes that “the game warden Iakov lusts for his mother (reincarnate as a mentally defective girl) and kills his father-all without being aware of the identity of either” (“Twilight Cosmos” 644).

character intertextuality folklore

In his old age

Irony: Ilya writes his letter of complaint after his death.

irony

stilo

A writing instrument.

explanatory

A grievance to Sidor Fomich Pozhilykh he scribbled

Ilya’s letter to Pozhilykh that makes up chapters 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 17.

intratextuality

Sidor Fomich

Sidor (shortened form of Isidor), son of Foma. Here the declension of the name is incorrect (should be in the dative case, Sidoru). In colloquial language, the names are sometimes declined incorrectly for easier pronunciation: Сан Санычу (San Sanychu), Михал Валерьичу (Mikhal Valer’ichu), etc. The name Isidor (or Sidor) originally means “son or gift of Isis,” the major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, an ideal of femininity and motherhood who was also believed to help the dead enter the afterlife.

character register/style

Pozhilykh

An unusual surname that does not permit standard declination. It literally means Elderly. Ostanin suggests a connection to Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago by means of the root “zhiv” (to live) (10). Read the original here. Likewise, he notes that Alexander Pushkin considered including a story entitled “Notes of an Elderly Person” in his cycle of short stories, The Tales of Belkin. Read the original here and an English translation here. As Martina Napolitano observes, “Pozhilykh, Ilya’s addressee, is once ‘transfigured’ into an alleged Resurrection painting whose title plays on the ambiguity of his last name – Voskresenie Pozhilykh, The Resurrection of the Elderly. Ilya indeed concludes his letter wishing Pozhilykh “a happy resurrection”: this is his final message, his “good news.” It literally is his Gospel, from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον (good news); in the original, Ilya here distorts the canonical blagaia vest’ in ‘blagoe izvestie’” (“Studyin” 286).

character intertextuality religion

during a snowstorm someone lifted his crutches

The hunters steal Ilya’s crutches in response to his attack on Yakov’s dog on the frozen river.

explanatory intratextuality

Shallow Reach

Sokolov himself explains that by the Volga River “there is a settlement called Melkovo, it stands on the bank of a stream pool, which local people call Melkovsky, but the location of Melkoplesovo does not really exist” (personal communication, June 7, 2023).

location Russia

whipper-in

Yakov.

character explanatory

supports

That is, his crutches.

explanatory

all of you won’t be safe even in heaven

Irony: The characters apparently continue to interact after death, as Ilya writes his letter after he is killed by the hunters.

irony

scratch the birch bark

That is, the hunters scribble their response to Ilya’s missive on birch bark. An allusion to the renowned Novgorod birch bark manuscripts.

intertextuality

birch bark

Birch bark. Plant motif.

motif

Ilya’s

intertextuality character folklore

Master-buster

A reference to Samuil Marshak’s children’s poem “Master-lomaster.” Read the original here and an English translation here. It tells the story of a man who doesn’t like to study but is sure he will apprehend anything. However, in the end, all his ideas and actions are unsuccessful. The title of the text has become a set expression used to describe an awkward person.

intertextuality neologism

We couldn’t care less even if we saw you in the box with your crutches

This seemingly odd expression will be manifested later in the novel at Gury’s funeral when the hunters replace his missing corpse (he drowned in the river) in the casket with Ilya’s crutches (R278/E225–226).

intratextuality

lonesome babe

Original Russian: bobylka. Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

character intratextuality

farmhouse

Original Russian: хутор (khutor). A farm or small settlement usually in Ukraine. Calls to mind Nikolai Gogol’s short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka.

intertextuality location

writs

Again a reference to the Novgorod birch bark manuscripts (called “gramoty” in Russian).

intertextuality

Silych

character bible religion foreign

Silych

character bible religion foreign

my oncle

An allusion to the opening lines of Alexander Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin. Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

oncle

French: uncle.

foreign

not even a hare to us, the curly

An allusion to the story of how Alexander Pushkin, the father of Russian letters, encountered a hare on the road while on his way to support the Decembrist Revolt and took it as a bad omen. “Кучерявый” (curly), a trait Pushkin is well known for, further strengthens this allusion. Here, the curly-headed quality has shifted from the hare in line 22 of the poem to the lyric persona.

intertextuality intratextuality

Bydogoshch

location Russia theme setting

alders

Alder trees. Elderberries in the original Russian. Plant motif.

motif translation

the

In the original Russian, it is a decoy bird. Sokolov explains that this is “a [living] decoy bird, usually tied by the leg” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo” 135). Living ducks are sometimes used to attract wild birds. Animal motif.

motif explanatory translation

Firebird’s

The mythical Firebird from Slavic folklore. Read the original here and an English translation here. The story is set in a kingdom where an unknown thief is stealing apples from the king’s garden. The three princes must find out who is the thief: the younger, Ivan, observes that it is a marvelous Firebird stealing the apples, but he is only able to catch one of the bird’s feathers. The king is amazed by its beauty and orders his sons to capture the Firebird, an adventure that will be successful in the end only for Ivan. However, on his way back, he takes a rest and his brothers, out of envy, decide to kill him. Thanks to the help of a wolf friend, Ivan manages to recover and reestablish order in the kingdom. The motif of theft and the figure of the wolf (in the folk tale, a positive hero according to Vladimir Propp, famed Soviet folklorist) are relevant to Sokolov’s novel, too. Animal motif.

intertextuality motif folklore

firebird’s

intertextuality motif folklore

Hops and rumbles in the grass, But Elijah, our prophet, In his chariot rides to us

In Greek mythology Helios (god and personification of the Sun) is depicted as driving a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. This myth mixed up with the Roman myth of Apollo, also depicted as driving a chariot carrying the sun through the sky.

intertextuality symbol foreign

Elijah

Ilya is frequently compared—by the narrator and by himself—to the prophet Ilya/Elijah, who is commonly associated with lightning and thunder. The comparison is further stress below through the word “buria” (tempest) and the verb “grianut’” (to rumble).

intertextuality religion bible character

Ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

thunder

intertextuality religion bible character

Ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

lightning

intertextuality religion bible character

Lightning

intertextuality religion bible character

Lightning turns all things to sterling, In the keeve the mash aboil

The effect of the lightning which makes things visible in the night.

explanatory

keeve

A bucket used, for example, to pull up water from a well.

explanatory

Serpentine condensing coil

The copper spiral used to prepare alcohol at home. Alcohol theme.

explanatory theme

viper

Venomous snake. Animal motif.

motif

Source

Spring, in this case alcoholic, not a water spring. Alcohol theme.

theme explanatory

who mocks the poor, abuses His own Maker a whole lot

Proverbs 17:5.

bible religion intertextuality

Tomcat

Cat. Animal motif.

motif

I will pass

Here: to exceed (in drinking). Alcohol theme.

theme

lonesome babes’

Original Russian: bobylka. Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

intratextuality character

My white body—a soap’s sliver Will be hauled on its last route

Bygodoshch is associated with the graveyard in the novel, so here, Yakov describes a funeral procession.

explanatory

Please preserve

Possible allusion to Mandelstam’s poem “Save My Speech Forever…” (1931). Read the original here. Read an English translation here.

intertextuality

rowboats

Boat motif.

motif

Now, a hunter’s suit I hem

Yakov, like Sokolov, takes on an identity while spending time in the Volga backwoods.

explanatory self-reference

hem

intratextuality theme

darn

A play on words introduced in the translation: darn (damn) + to darn (to mend an article of clothing).

language translation

Ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

Записка XIX

An2. ABAB.

Ан2. ABAB.

metrical pattern rhyme scheme

Портрет

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

знакомого

A possible allusion to Blok’s “Neznakomka” (Unknown Lady) or to Ivan Kramskoi’s famous painting Neizvetstnaia (sometimes referred to as Neznakomka; Portrait of an Unknown Woman).

intertextuality

Март

Evgeny Sokolov sees a possible reference to Pasternak’s poem “Mart” (March) (“Predislovie” 10). Read it here.

intertextuality

Март хрустящ и хрустален

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

хрустящ и хрустален

Alliteration (chrust).

Аллитерация (хруст).

stylistic device sound

фортку

Colloquial: same as форточка (small ventilation window).

пьянит

Alcohol theme.

theme

сумрак

Between dog and wolf.

theme time

настом

A thick crust of snow, resulting from melting and subsequent freezing of snow or as a result of the action of the wind.

explanatory

настом подбитый, Настом

Rhythmic repetition.

Ритмический повтор.

rhythm

наждаком

Emery, or corundite, is a dark granular rock used to make abrasive powder.

explanatory

ботинки

motif intertextuality

полботинки

motif intertextuality

Смастерить

Colloquial: to patch together, throw together, cobble together, make.

обуть

motif intertextuality

сей

Archaism: this.

archaism register/style

От ботинок отсечь.

Alliteration (ot).

Аллитерация (от).

sound stylistic device

Л охмотник

Colloquial: ragamuffin, beggar, tramp, down-and-out.

Странен край твой на грани Меж светом и тьмой

Ilya exists in an indeterminate world, between light and dark, where things are not as they appear.

explanatory theme

Меж светом и тьмой

Between dog and wolf.

theme time

светом

Day.

time

тьмой

Night.

time

коромысло

explanatory

Боле

Dated/colloquial: more.

Ты

Anaphoric repetition.

Анафорический повтор.

stylistic device

заядлый

Colloquial: inveterate, hardcore, enthusiastic.

кудесник

Dated: trickster, magician.

хоть плачь

Set expression: describes a terrible condition brought on by helplessness.

phraseologism

плачь, Но не плачь

Homophones.

Омофоны.

sound

решебник

Dated: answer book, answer key.

Ты

Anaphoric repetition.

Анафорический повтор.

stylistic device

обходчик

A platelayer, a railway employee who inspects and maintains the permanent way of a railway. Railroad theme.

theme

Пальцев — пять на руке: Отпечатки на снеге, Оттиски на песке.

Alliteration (p, ot, s).

Аллитерация (п, от, с).

sound stylistic device

Отпечатки на снеге, Оттиски на песке.

Impressions made on the earth that mirror the letters and words on the pages of the novel. At the beginning of chapter 13, hens are described leaving traces on sand, “printing” through their feet: “Курам — ходить по песку, удивленно печатая своими курьими ножками” / “The chickens may walk over the sand, looking surprised that they leave prints with their chicken feet” (R248/E173).

intratextuality

хвойном

Conifer. Plant motif.

motif

глуши, Раскудряв и беспечен, Живешь на шиши.

Alliteration (sh, s).

Аллитерация (ш, с).

sound stylistic device

на шиши

Low: for free.

шиши

Low: money.

дуновенье

Dated/colloquial/poetic: puff, breath, whiff. Life is but a breeze.

бобылки

Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

character register/style

сопенье

Dated: same as сопение (wheezing).

А живешь ты в сторожке, Есть-имеются где И гармошка, и плошка, И ружье на гвозде.

Alliteration (zh, st, shk, g).

Аллитерация (ж, ст, шк, г).

sound stylistic device

гармошка

A “squeeze-box” — button accordion or concertina.

music

гармошка, и плошка

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

плошка

Dated: oil lamp.

ружье на гвозде

intertextuality

Стерляди

Sterlet — a species of sturgeon. Animal motif.

motif

Стерляди в Стерлитамаке

Alliteration (sterl).

Аллитерация (стерл).

sound stylistic device

Стерлитамаке

location Russia

не счесть

Set expression: aplenty, in spades.

phraseologism

гуляка

Someone who loves to revel, party, drink. Alcohol theme.

theme

Помалу

Low: a little.

Оттого-то собаку Свою волком зовешь

Ilya’s fatal error.

intratextuality

Оттого-то собаку Свою волком зовешь.

Assonance.

Ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

пуантах

Pointe shoes (ballet).

explanatory

Сыт и пьян, сыт и пьян ты

Rhythmic repetition.

Ритмический повтор.

rhythm

Сыт и пьян, сыт и пьян ты, И нос в табаке

Set expression: completely satisfied.

phraseologism

Спотыкнулся

Colloquial: to tumble, trip.

гурьбой

Colloquial: crowd, throng, gang.

Под откос покатился

Set expression: to sink morally; to lose one’s moral character.

phraseologism

Записка XX

An3.

Ан3.

metrical pattern

Городнищенском

location setting folklore theme intertextuality

брандмайоре

German: Brand (fire) + Major (chief).

foreign

жа́даешь

Dated: to thirst, crave, desire. Stress should be on the second syllable.

жа́даешь луку во сне, А на зимниках — жижа, зажоры. Только мжица дожрет этот снег, На пожарку прибудут стажеры.

Alliteration (zh, z, t).

Аллитерация (ж, з, т).

sound stylistic device

зимниках

Roads laid on ice, snow, and other frozen spaces.

explanatory

зажоры

Ice in a river, obstructing the stream.

explanatory

мжица

Light, but thick rain.

explanatory

дожрет

Low/colloquial: to eat up, gobble up, devour.

Нараспашку

Colloquial: unbuttoned, open wide. Clothing motif.

разлетайках

Colloquial: flyaway cloak. Clothing motif.

motif register/style

разлетайках, Коротайках, угрях, таратайках,

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

Коротайках

Outerwear worn by peasants. Clothing motif.

motif

таратайках

A light two-wheeled carriage.

explanatory

одры

Dated: scrawny person.

Дупелиных

motif

газырях

A tool used to hold rifle charges carried on one’s torso or in gazyr bags.

explanatory

глухарей

Wood grouse. Animal motif.

motif

току

The place where birds perform mating calls and mate. Animal motif.

explanatory motif

горлопанам

Low: loudmouth, arm-waver.

натаску

Dog training. Animal-human motif.

motif

Брандмайор

German: Brandmajor (brand [fire] + major [chief]).

foreign

презрев

Literary/dated: to scorn, despise, slight.

почечуй

Dated: hemorrhoids.

каланчу

Fire tower. A watchtower for fires.

explanatory

Козыряет

Colloquial: to salute, brag, show off.

Козыряет дозорный стажер, Газырям говоря про пожары, Что они — над районом Ижор, Разумея лукаво Стожары.

Alliteration (z, r, g, zh).

Аллитерация (з, р, г, ж).

sound stylistic device

Газырям

A tool used to hold rifle charges carried on one’s torso or in gazyr bags.

Газырям говоря

The intern speaks to the guards (those who wield guns and ammo).

explanatory

пожары, Что они — над районом Ижор, Разумея лукаво Стожары

The same formulation appears earlier (R206/E99). The stars of the Pleiades are fires burning on Izhory’s district. Constellation-heavens motif.

intratextuality motif

Ижор

The final railway station from Torzhok to St. Petersburg.

location

Разумея

Dated/poetic: to understand.

Стожары

motif intertextuality foreign intratextuality

службист

Colloquial: paper-pusher, red-tapist, career-minded person.

На брандвахте варя брандахлыст. Поглядит — и утратит покой. А наутро, со злобой какой-то, У брандмауэра ста́жеров строй Брандмайор обдает из брандспойта.

Alliteration (brand, kh, v, t, p, b, st), assonances.

Аллитерация (бранд, х, в, т, п, б, ст), ассонансы.

sound stylistic device

брандвахте

German: Brand (fire) + Wacht (watch).

foreign

брандахлыст

Colloquial: slops, swill, hogwash, gruel.

брандмауэра

German: Brand (fire) + Mauer (wall).

foreign

ста́жеров

The stress should fall on the second syllable.

language

Брандмайор

German: Brand (fire) + Major (chief).

foreign

брандспойта

German: Brand (fire) + Spuit (nozzle).

foreign

Записка XXI

Ya5.

Я5.

metrical pattern

Вышелбауши

A reference to the expression “Выше лба уши не растут” meaning that one has limits to what they can do. First mentioned in chapter 8 (R207/E101).

intratextuality phraseologism

Венок записок

A variation of the “venok sonetov” (sonnet corona), a sequence of sonnets, usually addressed to one person, and/or concerned with a single theme. In the Russian-language tradition, the genre is usually linked with Ilya Sel’vinsky (1899-1968) who in the 1910s—1920s wrote a series of sonnets later studied by Mikhail Gasparov.

intertextuality explanatory structure

записок

intertextuality

Безвременье

Literary: hard times, troubled times. Also, stagnation (zastoi), including Brezhnev’s stagnation (~1864–1985), a period Sokolov knew well, as well as seasonal change, just like the time setting alluded to in these Notes. On stagnation/zastoi in Palisandriia, see Rudova, “The Dystopian Vision” 167.

уши, лбы пылают

Set expression: “ears burning” suggests that someone whom you’ll meet soon is talking about you.

phraseologism

Вышелбауши

A reference to the expression “Выше лба уши не растут” meaning that one has limits to what they can do.

phraseologism

Ответствовал

Dated/poetic: same as отвечать (to answer).

хутор

A farm or small settlement usually in Ukraine. Calls to mind Nikolai Gogol’s short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka (“Вечера на хуторе близ Диканьки”).

location intertextuality

детвора

Colloquial: children, kids.

бестий

Colloquial: rogue, mischievous person, scoundrel. Also a possible Latin use of the term bestiae, beasts (justified by the preceding word “staia”). The term has a long “literary” history thanks to Medieval Bestiaries, a genre that was revitalized by the Conceptualist Dmitry Prigov between 1970s and 2000s.

Не почитая завтра и вчера

In a sense, Sokolov shows “no respect for yesterdays, tomorrows” by disrupting any sense of temporal logic.

time self-reference

Неужли

Dated/low: really, indeed.

хутор

location intertextuality

Вышелбауши

A reference to the expression “Выше лба уши не растут” meaning that one has limits to what they can do.

phraseologism

Развесил уши

Set expression: to let oneself be fooled, to let oneself be duped.

phraseologism

попал впросак

Set expression: to be made a fool of, be taken in, put a foot in it.

phraseologism

Запойный

That is, Yakov. These verse segments are allegedly written by Yakov during his year on the Volga. Alcohol theme.

theme character explanatory

чудак

Colloquial: oddball, eccentric, weirdo.

голова садовая

Colloquial: cabbage-head, dimwitted person.

голова садовая два уха

Set expression: голова два уха (lughead).

phraseologism

Безвременье

Literary: hard times, troubled times.

детвора

Colloquial: children, kids.

Развесил уши

Set expression: to let oneself be fooled, to let oneself be duped.

phraseologism

попал впросак

Set expression: to be made a fool of, be taken in, put a foot in it.

phraseologism

Записка XXII

Amf3. ABAB.

Амф3. ABAB.

rhyme scheme metrical pattern

Городнищенского

location setting folklore theme intertextuality

лудильщика

See R168, 230, 244/E33, 140, 166.

intratextuality

Шуга

Icy water.

explanatory

Шуга отошла. И на пристани Защелкал на счетах кассир.

Alliteration (sh/shch, s).

Аллитерация (ш/щ, с).

sound stylistic device

пристальней

Paronomasia (pristani - pristal’nei).

Парономазия (пристани - пристальней).

sound stylistic device

валень

Same as валенки. Traditional Russian winter felt boots. D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

motif Russia intertextuality

на блезир

Set expression: to be able to be seen. A reformulation of the archaic expression “для блезиру,” meaning “for pleasure” or “for show.”

phraseologism

Весна

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

забрела

Colloquial: to stray, wander, drop in.

Валдай

music location Russia intratextuality

прощевай

Low: farewell.

Холера

Cholera — a bacterial, diarrheal disease.

explanatory

Холера тебя забодай

A possible variant of забодай меня комар (an interjection used to express strong emotion or surprise). Here, cholera replaces the mosquito.

phraseologism

Послали козу за орехами, Пустили козла

Alliteration (p, s, l, z, k).

Аллитерация (п, с, л, з, к).

sound stylistic device

козу за орехами

Reference to the Russian folk tale “Net kozy s orekhami” (No goat with nuts). In this story the goat does not come back with nuts once it is sent to pick them; only after the wind is convinced to go chase water, the water fire, the fire the stone, the stone the axe, the axe the club, the club the people, people the bear, the bear the wolf, the wolf the goat, then the goat comes back with nuts. Read the original here. Animal motif.

intertextuality folklore motif

Пустили козла в огород

Set expression: set the fox to mind the geese. Animal motif.

phraseologism motif

самовары

Literally: “self-brewer.” A metal device used for boiling water.

Russia

Прости-прощевай

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

stylistic device sound

прощевай

Low for “proshchai”, farewell.

белых сыпучих путей

That is, snowy roads.

explanatory

скучайное

Neologism made up from the adjectives “skuchny” (boring) and “sluchainy” (random).

neologism

слепаков и культей

Once again a reference to the invalids who inhabit the setting of the book.

character setting

блестящее, Там гуще и щи, и камыш, В лузях с балаболкой ледащею Поладишь — в лузях и лудишь.

Alliteration (sh, shch, l, b, d).

Аллитерация (ш, щ, л, б, д).

sound stylistic device

щи

Shchi. A Russian cabbage soup.

explanatory

камыш

Cane, rush, reed. Plant motif.

motif

В лузях

music Russia intertextuality folklore

лузях

Archaism: meadow. Plant motif.

archaism register/style motif

балаболкой

Colloquial: chatterbox, windbag.

ледащею

Low: weak.

Поладишь

Colloquial: to get on with, come to an understanding.

в лузях

intertextuality music Russia folklore

лузях

Archaism: same as луг (meadow).

Вольготная

Low: free, careless.

тульских

Tula — the largest city in the Tula Oblast. Located south of Moscow. Known for, among other things, samovar production.

location Russia

тульских полуд

As Ostanin suggests, Tula’s famous samovars are implied here (80).

explanatory

с калеками, С гуляками

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

калеками

A name given to blind wanderers who sing spiritual poems. Originally, the word did not refer to disabled or crippled beggars, as it does now, but rather to wanderers who visited holy places and sang songs. The term is derived from the Latin caligae,. Since these wanderers often lived off of alms in the towns they visited (and occasionally settled in), the term took on the meaning of a disabled person who does the same in its modern usage. (Miller 27–28) Also mentioned in Note XVIII (R204/E96), chapter 8 (R209/E103), chapter 9 (R214/E112), chapter 10 (R223/E129), and chapter 11 (R230/E141). D.B. Johnson has identified more than twenty different types of shoes across Sokolov’s three novels: “bashmaki, botforty, boty, botinki (polubotinki), cheboty, chizmy, chubury, galoshi (kaloshi), gety, ichigi, kedy, klogi, lapti, mokrostupy, obuvi (obuvki), sapogi, sandalii, tapochki (polutapochki), shlepantsy, shtiblety, tapti, tufli, valenki. The list may easily be extended with appurtenances such as socks, stockings, footcloths, gaiters, skates, crutches, and artificial legs” (“The Galoshes Manifesto” 156). Regarding Between Dog and Wolf, he notes that Ilya’s last name immediately evokes Cinderella’s vair slippers. Johnson observes that “the footwear motif is Sokolov’s tribute, both conscious and unconscious, to the tradition in Russian literature represented by his predecessors – Ivan Bunin and Valentin Kataev” (179). In an interview with A. and N. Voronel’, Sokolov calls Bunin, along with Gogol, his “contemporaries, collaborators along a chain, older masters” (Voroneli, “Ia khochu” 184). Shoe motif.

Russia motif intertextuality foreign intratextuality

гуляками

Someone who loves to revel, party, drink. Alcohol theme.

theme

Городнище

location setting intertextuality folklore theme

Махни, говорит, мне крылом,

A variation of the set expression (makhat’ rukoi): to say goodbye. The wing (krylo) here once again stresses the image of the bird. Animal-human motif.

motif phraseologism

Да брось

Set expression: knock it off, c’mon.

прорухами

Low: mistake, blunder. Here: snag, rip, hole, jag.

терпится в путь посошку, Плесни

Alliteration (p, t, s).

Аллитерация (п, т, с).

sound stylistic device

Стопездесят

Misspelling: сто пятьдесят (150). Encodes the Russian vulgar word пиздец.

language

портвешку

Port wine — a sweet red dessert wine. Produced in Portugal. Alcohol theme.

theme foreign

график на пристани, А на пароходе — кафе. По-графски важнецки и пристально Буфетчик стоит в галифе.

Alliteration (graf, p, r, g, f, k, st).

Аллитерация (граф, п, р, г, ф, к, ст).

sound stylistic device

пароходе

Steamboat. Boat motif.

motif

По-графски

Usually used to describe a recipe.

language

важнецки

Low: of good quality.

галифе

A type of trousers, typical for the army. Named after Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet, a French general. Clothing motif.

foreign motif

Записка XXIII

Dak2. ABCABC.

Дак2. ABCABC.

rhyme scheme metrical pattern

Портрет

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

Портрет перевозчика

The ferryman also appears in Note XXXI (R268/E208).

intratextuality character

перевозчика

character intertextuality bible religion

Пой

The use of this imperative immediately echoes Homer’s Iliad (“Пой, богиня, про гнев Ахиллеса, Пелеева сына”; “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus”).

intertextuality

перевозчик

character intertextuality bible religion

Ушкуйник

Novgorodian pirates who operated along the Volga River, the eastern part of Scandinavia, and north of the Ural mountains in 12th-15th century. Mentioned in chapter 10 (R223/E129).

Russia intratextuality

Ушкуйник ушлый,

Alliteration (ush).

Аллитерация (уш).

sound stylistic device

ушлый

Colloquial: quirky.

конопат

Low: having a freckled face.

раздобарщик

Colloquial: chatterbox, blabbermouth.

раздобарщик, Ушкуй твой утлый

Alliteration (sh, k, t).

Аллитерация (ш, к, т).

sound stylistic device

Ушкуй

A historical name for flat-bottomed boats, such as those used by the people of Novgorod in their travels on the Volga.

motif

конопать

Material used to seal joints on boats. Boat motif.

motif

конопать

Paronomasia (konopat - konopat’).

Парономазия (конопат - копопать).

sound stylistic device

Воспой обводы, Уключин крепость И якорек,

Assonance.

Ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

обводы

The hull or body of a ship. Boat motif.

motif explanatory

Уключин

The device used to hold an oar in place on a boat. Boat motif.

motif

Ёк-макарек

Set expression: holy moly.

phraseologism

друг мой, Когда корявый, Живой как ртуть,

Alliteration (g/k, d, v, r).

Аллитерация (г/к, д, в, р).

sound stylistic device

Манит

Colloquial: to call, entice, lure.

Пройтицца

Alternative spelling of the dialectal “proitit’sia,” have a walk. A possible reference could be Eduard Bagritsky’s poem “Vesna” (1927), where we read: “«Ах! Вам не хотится ль / Под ручку пройтиться?..» - / «Мой милый! Конечно, / Хотится! Хотится!..».” Read the entire poem here. Considering that further below a “miss Spring” will be mentioned, the reference to Bagritsky is more than justified.

Под вечерок

Possible reference to Pushkin’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila”: “Блажен, кого под вечерок / В уединенный уголок / Моя Людмила поджидает / И другом сердца назовет.” And/or to Andrei Nikolev’s “Pod vecherok, okonchiv trud…” (1930). Read the entire poem here.

intertextuality

Пропахла сечкой, Портянкой, свечкой Вся сторона, Чудной чумичкой Глядит с отвычки

Alliteration (p, r, k, s, ch), assonance.

Аллитерация (п, р, к, с, ч), ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

Портянкой

motif intertextuality

чумичкой

Dialectical: slut, servant girl.

Весна

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

Из дальней дали

A possible reference (stressed also by the “storona” mentioned above) to Aleksandr Tvardovsky’s poem “O Rodine,” where “storona” (part) is used six times meaning “strana, krai” (land), and where we read: “Что в дальней дали зарубежной, / О многом забыв на войне, / С тоской и тревогою нежной / Я думал о той стороне” (That in the far distance abroad. forgetful about many things at war, with nostalgia and gentle anxiety I thought of that land).

intertextuality

дальней дали

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

Глаз-ватерпас

Set expression: eagle-eyed.

phraseologism

печали И, ликом светел,

Alliteration (l).

Аллитерация (л).

sound stylistic device

ликом

Literary/archaism: face.

archaism register/style

Достань припас.

Of course, alcohol is implied. Alcohol theme.

theme

Не жмись, щербатый, Открой, как душу, Свой бардачок. Я ж, тороватый, Тащу покушать На пятачок.

Alliteration (zh/sh/shch, k, t, p).

Аллитерация (ж/щ/ш, к, т, п).

sound stylistic device

жмись

Colloquial: to be stingy, stint, pinch and save.

тороватый

Dated: generous, liberal, open-handed.

Тащу

Colloquial: to please, cause to revel.

пятачок

A five-kopek coin.

explanatory

Катятся воды Сами собою, Своим путем

The Volga River represents the flow of time in the novel. The water moves independently.

time

Сами собою, Своим

Alliteration (s, m).

Аллитерация (с, м).

sound stylistic device

Записка XXIV

The entire novel presents itself as a tireless manual of metalinguistic labor, rolled forward through series of digressions in a manner somehow metatextually depicted in this Note: a warden, while stitching a rip, “by willows that weep / let[s] his needle drop”; trying to search it out, he finds instead “some kind of ball,” beginning thus to play with it and his companions, and continuing on till a foggy dusk occurs, literally at the hour “between the dog and wolf.” So the novel is construed by the unendingly weaving of words and images used as threads in order to compose ever new textual scenarios.

structure intratextuality

Записка XXIV

Alternating Kh4 and Kh3. ABAB.

Чередование Х4 и Х3. ABAB.

metrical pattern rhyme scheme

Меж собакою

Again, between dog and wolf.

theme

Меж собакою и волком

Again, between dog and wolf.

theme

собакою и волком У плакучих ив Егерь выронил иголку, Дырку

Alliteration and assonance.

Аллитерация и ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

плакучих ив

Weeping willow. Plant motif.

motif

Егерь выронил иголку, Дырку не зашив

Ostanin proposes that this lack of closure is the same one that allows Sokolov to bring the end of the poem to its beginning (81).

explanatory structure

зашив

theme intratextuality

в траве руками шарил, В молодой траве,

Rhythmic repetition.

Ритмический повтор.

rhythm

молодой траве

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

траве

Plant motif.

motif

мураве

Literary: young grass. Plant motif.

нашел! Те пришли — и ну играться. Было хорошо. Шарик

Alliteration (sh, l).

Аллитерация (ш, л).

sound stylistic device

и ну

Set expression: ну и ну (holy moly! holy cow! my oh my!).

phraseologism

Между тем уж пали росы Прямо на луга. И туманы

Assonance.

Ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

Итиль

The Tatar name of the river Volga. The title of Ilya’s letter “Zaitil’shchina” is derived from this version of the river’s name. Ostanin also suggests a sound link between the rivers Itil’ and Lethe (Leta), the river of oblivion and forgetting, which also plays a major role in Sokolov’s first novel, A School for Fools (10).

location foreign language setting

избах

A log hut or cottage.

explanatory

А туманы выползали

Anaphora.

Анафора.

structure stylistic device

лизали кил, В лампах было мало сала И фитиль коптил

Alliteration (l, t) and internal rhyme (malo - sala; fitil’ - koptil).

Аллитерация (л, т) и внутренняя рифма (мало - сала; фитиль - коптил).

sound stylistic device rhyme

кил

According to Ostanin: a type of mountain/earth soap (soapstone, soap earth, soapy soil), a bentonite clay from the montmorillonite group (81).

explanatory

И фитиль коптил

Similar phrasing is used in chapter 16 (R274/E219).

intratextuality

Проходили пароходы,

Alliteration (p. r).

Аллитерация (п, р).

sound stylistic device

пароходы

Steamship. Boat motif.

motif

Баржи

Hopper barge — a non-self-propelled barge that is carried by other ships. Boat motif.

motif

волокли

Colloquial: to drag, haul, draw.

волокли, Волоклюи

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

Волоклюи

Oxpecker. Animal motif.

motif

удоды

intratextuality motif foreign

Пароходы

Steamship. Boat motif.

motif

Пароходы проплывали

Alliteration (p, r).

Аллитерация (п, р).

sound stylistic device

баржами

Hopper barge — a non-self-propelled barge that is carried by other ships. Boat motif.

motif

волки али Псы

Between dog and wolf. Animal motif.

motif theme

али

Dated/low: or.

лись в лес

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

Стожаров Главная звезда

intertextuality foreign intratextuality motif

Взорами

Archaism: eyes.

Там туманы выползают Из реки Итиль, В избах люди зажигают Ламп своих фитиль.

The same quatrain is repeated from above, yet verbs here are in present tense.

structure

реки Итиль

location foreign language setting

избах

A log hut or cottage.

explanatory

собакою и волком

Between dog and wolf. Animal motif. The two terms are used in the instrumental case indicating the time setting, as if they were a common time reference just like “utrom” (in the morning) or “vecherom” (in the evening).

motif theme language time

собакою и волком У плакучих ив Егерь выронил иголку, Дырку

Alliteration (k/g, l, r) and assonance.

Аллитерация (к/г, л, р) и ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

плакучих ив

Weeping willow. Plant motif.

motif

Егерь выронил иголку, Дырку не зашив

Ostanin proposes that this lack of closure is the same one that allows Sokolov to bring the end of the poem to its begining (81).

explanatory

Дырку не зашив

theme intratextuality

Записка XXV

Pushkinian in terms of allusions, quotations, and meter: Ya4.

Пушкинская записка и на уровне аллюзий и цитат, и на уровне метрики: Я4.

metrical pattern

Портрет

The prose chapters that feature Yakov are replete with ekphrastic descriptions of paintings. This poem, and others, echo that practice.

intratextuality

(Второе воспоминанье о городе)

See Note VI (R170/E36).

intratextuality

Что значит разъездной? То значит, Что по делам чужой удачи, Мечтая свет переиначить, Один чудак по свету скачет;

Alliteration (z, n, ch, t, d, s).

Аллитерация (з, н, ч, т, д, с).

sound stylistic device

переиначить

Colloquial: to change, do differently, twist.

призванья — разъездной.

Alliteration (r, z, n).

Аллитерация (р, з, н).

sound stylistic device

Черемух ветви

Bird cherry — a flowering plant in the rose family. Plant motif.

motif

задевая И ей вопросы задавая

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

заштопать

intratextuality theme

бициклет

French: bicyclette (bicycle). As in A School for Fools, the mail carrier is closely associated with his bicycle. Bicycle motif.

foreign self-reference motif intertextuality

мельтешит

Colloquial: to flicker, flash before one’s eyes.

заводной

Colloquial: lively, quick-moving, full of pep.

Он беден, глуп, ему не спится. Не спится, няня, что со мной? Он если стар, то молодится, А если молод — вскоре стар.

Yakov quotes an exchange between Tanya and her nursemaid in Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin: “Не спится, няня: здесь так душно! Открой окно да сядь ко мне». — Что, Таня, что с тобой? — «Мне скучно, Поговорим о старине»” (3.XVII).

intertextuality

не спится. Не спится

Anadiplosis.

Анадиплосис.

stylistic device rhythm

няня

A reference to Pushkin’s nanny, Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva (1758–1828). Pushkin dedicated several works to her. In Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin, the heroine Tatiana thrice says “Ах, няня…” (ch. 3, stanzas 19, 34, 35). Also mentioned in Note IX (R173/E41).

intratextuality intertextuality

Он если стар, то молодится, А если молод — вскоре стар.

Chiasmus.

Хиазм.

rhythm stylistic device

катар П утей дыхательных

A head cold distinguished by excessive inflammation of mucus membranes and mucus production.

explanatory

Бодрится: Побриться

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

Няня

A reference to Pushkin’s nanny, Arina Rodionovna Yakovleva (1758–1828). Pushkin retained a loving attitude to her, even dedicating poems to her and taking notes from her folk tales and tunes; she opened up for him an entire peasant world in terms of motifs, characters, and even words. Tatyana’s nanny from his masterpiece Eugene Onegin draws on her profile. Tatyana thrice says “Ах, няня…” (ch. 3, stanzas 19, 34, 35). Also mentioned in Note IX (R173/E41).

intratextuality intertextuality

на ночь-то, сынок

Alliteration (n).

Аллитерация (н).

sound stylistic device

Молчи, стряпуха, мне Жар-птица Вчера привиделась во сне И предрекла нам пожениться

intertextuality intratextuality

Жар-птица

The mythical Firebird from Slavic folklore. Read the original here and an English translation here. Animal motif.

motif intertextuality folklore

привиделась

Colloquial: to appear in a dream or vision.

предрекла

Literary: to foretell, predict, prognosticate.

такой-сякой

Colloquial: so-and-so, that there.

такой-сякой

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

провинции или в столице

Assonance.

Ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

провинции или в столице, Он поражен, как мир вертится И возмутительно дробится, Являя случаи и лица

Alliteration (ts, r, m, l).

Аллитерация (ц, р, м, л).

sound stylistic device

Там маскерад, там ловят львицу, Здесь — полуголая девица,

A possible allusion to Tatiana’s dream/nightmare in Pushkin’s Onegin (ch. 5). Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

ловят львицу, Здесь — полуголая

Alliteration (l, v).

Аллитерация (л, в).

sound stylistic device

мокрица

Woodlouse. Animal motif.

motif

А мать твердит через окно:

As in chapter 4 (“Ему и больно, и смешно, а врач грозит ему в окно”), here too the allusion is to Pushkin’s Onegin: “А мать грозит ему в окно” (ch. 5). Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

ка

Colloquial: suffix added to imperatives to express urgency.

зиму окно. Зиме

Anadiplosis.

Анадиплосис.

stylistic device rhythm

Зиме конец — весне случиться. И разъездной на слякоть злится

Possible allusion to Tyutchev’s famous poem “Zima nedarom zlitsia…” (Winter’s spite is vain…). Read the original here and its translation here.

intertextuality

весне случиться. И разъездной на слякоть злится, Которой улица стремится

Alliteration (s, sl, z, zl, t, l).

Аллитерация (с, сл, з, зл, т, л).

sound stylistic device

заляпать

Colloquial: to slap, splotch, daub.

спицы

Sewing theme.

theme

Великосветских колесниц и Кабриолетов

Alliteration (v, s, k).

Аллитерация (в, с, к).

sound stylistic device

Кабриолетов

French: cabriolet. Convertible. A carriage with a foldable roof.

foreign

ландо

French: landau. A four-wheeled carriage with a moveable roof. Depicted here:

foreign explanatory

крякве

Mallard. The duck has been seen as a symbol of sex and constancy (Rowland, Birds 49). Animal motif. Animal motif.

motif

крякве подсадной, Под дулом крякать

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

обреченной И бельевою бечевой

Alliteration (b, ch, v).

Аллитерация (б, ч, в).

sound stylistic device

С охотником соединенной,

Alliteration (s, n).

Аллитерация (с, н).

sound stylistic device

Навряд

Dated/colloquial: hardly, unlikely.

Навряд ли знает разъездной, Какой он мог бы быть иной, Будь не заезжен он ездою, Как утка — службой подсадною, Родись он только под звездою Какой-нибудь неразъездною, А утка — не под подсадной.

motif explanatory structure

заезжен он ездою, Как утка — службой подсадною, Родись он только под звездою Какой-нибудь неразъездною

Alliteration (z, s, t, n, oiu).

Аллитерация (з, с, т, н, ою).

sound stylistic device

утка

intertextuality motif

утка

motif intertextuality

Когда

Anaphora.

Анафора.

stylistic device rhythm

бильбоке

foreign

самовары

Literally: “self-brewer.” A metal device used for boiling water.

Russia

террасах тары

Alliteration (t, r).

Аллитерация (т, р).

sound stylistic device

тары-бары

Colloquial: chit-chat, empty talk.

вязанье

Sewing theme.

theme

Над пропастью, во ржи

intertextuality foreign

сыр во рту держала

intertextuality motif

кресала

Steel used to start fires, as in a tinderbox.

explanatory

Когда пропали провода,

Alliteration (pro, ogda/oda).

Аллитерация (про, огда/ода).

sound stylistic device

Мы видим звезды в глубине

The stars are reflected in the water. Constellation-heavens motif.

motif explanatory

оне

Archaism: they.

отрадою

Nineteenth-century song “Otrada” (“Joy”) with lyrics by Sergei Ryskin and music by Mikhail Shishkin. The song describes the singer’s love for a woman who is locked away in a high tower, echoing Orina’s displacement from Ilya. Ilya references the same song in chapter 6 (R190/E72-73). Listen here.

intertextuality Russia music intratextuality

очес

Archaism: eyes.

archaism register/style

решенье Пересмотреть, alas, не нам. Из некоторого учрежденья

Alliteration (r, sh/zh, n).

Аллитерация (р, ш/ж, н).

sound stylistic device

alas

English.

foreign

привез пакет, мадам. Позвольте, что опять за хлам! Помилуйте, виднее вам, Однако распишитесь

Alliteration (p, m).

Аллитерация (п, м).

sound stylistic device

едет разъездной

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

сам не свой

Set expression: be confused and agitated. Here the expression plays (as often happens in the book) on its literal sense (I myself am not from my own place, I do not belong).

phraseologism

Собака

Dog. Animal motif.

motif

Дебило

Neologism from “debil” (moron) with a neuter ending: ironically Sokolov comments that it is “a moron of neuter gender, or a transgender moron in transition” (personal communication, August 25, 2023).

Неологизм (дебил в среднем роде): иронично Соколов комментирует, что это “дебил среднего рода или дебил-трансгендер в переходном состоянии” (личная переписка, 25 августа 2023).

language neologism

глянет и сглотнет, Сглотнет и глянет

Chiasmus.

Хиазм.

stylistic device rhythm

носом клюнет

Set expression: to be drowsy, be sleepy, fall on one’s nose/face.

phraseologism

клюнет, А после сплюнет

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

сплюнет и затрет Подошвой слюни

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

слюни

Colloquial: saliva, drool.

ни с того да ни с сего

Set expression: ни с того ни с сего (out of the blue, unexpectedly).

phraseologism

Распустит нюни

Set expression: to snivel, slobber, whimper.

phraseologism

Настанет время — все пройдет: Народ

Alliteration (n, t/d, r).

Аллитерация (н, т/д, р).

sound stylistic device

ликует

High: to rejoice, exult.

мед

An alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, water, and a mix of fruits, spices, grains, or hops. Sometimes called honey wine. Alcohol theme.

theme

високосный рот

Instead of leap year, we read “leap mouth.” Ostanin suggests it may mean a “big mouth” (82). Alternatively, Boguslawski proposes that the expression here “indicates that the drink does not reach every fourth mouth” (“Annotations” 249). Alcohol theme. However, Sokolov himself responds that it means “oblique, awkward, skewed” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo” 134).

language theme

Пирующему на манишку, И клянчит у пивной Удод Рублишко на винишко, А изнутри другой орет: В инишка хочет — ишь

Alliteration (sh, k, t).

Аллитерация (ш, к, т).

sound stylistic device

манишку

A dickie — a shirtfront worn with formal wear (tuxedo, etc.). Clothing motif.

motif

клянчит

Colloquial: to beg.

Удод

motif intratextuality foreign intertextuality

Рублишко

Colloquial/diminutive: ruble.

винишко

Colloquial/diminutive: wine. Alcohol theme.

theme register/style

орет

Colloquial: to yell, bawl, scream, shout.

инишка

Alcohol theme.

theme

ишь ты

Set expression: fancy that! bah!

phraseologism

То соловей муку дает, То

Anaphora.

Анафора.

stylistic device rhythm

То соловей муку дает, То мельница засвищет

Boguslawski identities these lines as a reference to Afanasii Fet’s untitled 1842 poem “The pine is so dark, despite the moon.” Read the original here.

intertextuality

соловей

motif intertextuality

муку дает, То мельница

metaphor poetic device symbol

засвищет

Colloquial: to begin to whistle, trill.

Крутясь в стране такой-сякой, Стране немазаной, сухой, Давно немытой головой Себе вопросы задавая

Ostanin suggests a comparison to Mikhail Lermontov’s 1841 poem “Farewell, Unwashed Russia” (82) Read the original and an English translation here.

intertextuality

такой-сякой

Colloquial: so-and-so, that there.

такой-сякой

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

такой-сякой, Стране немазаной, сухой

Set expression: такой-сякой (сухой) немазаный (so-and-so, such-and-such).

phraseologism

немазаной, сухой, Давно немытой головой

Assonance.

Ассонанс.

sound stylistic device

задавая И ею ж ветви задевая

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

ею

Poetic: alternative instrumental form of ей (her).

То мчит, то

Rhythmic repetition.

Ритмический повтор.

rhythm

Мычит и плачет: Боже мой, Так вот что значит

Alliteration (ch, t).

Аллитерация (ч, т).

sound stylistic device

Записка XXVI

This Note “offers a peculiar key to understanding the entire novel’s structure and the nature of its narrating voice(s): in it the ‘Binging Hunter’ retells a meeting with the mail carrier Sila Silych, during which (…) they decide to ‘read at random some of the messages’ (…). It is then curious to find out that among these letters there is everything we encountered in the narrative: ‘For instance, Pavel from Gorodnishche writes to Pyotr in Bydogoshch, / begs his uncle to purchase the yeast for hooch-brewing, / he implores him to find without fail some alphabet letter.’ But, in particular, the two stumble upon Ilya’s letter to Pozhilykh, in which – as we might expect now – ‘he complains – during a snowstorm someone lifted his crutches, / the wardens of Shallow Reach, he claims, absconded with them.’ So, what we can assume from Note xxvi is that the entire novel may be but a reconstruction or recollection of different voices and stories sketched down by the ‘Binging Hunter’ only (or rather by Yakov, to the extent we can assume he is the author of the Notes – and such a first name, so close to the Russian word iakoby, makes him literally only ‘allegedly’ a hunter, a wannabe poet/artist, or, more generally speaking, a round and authentic character)” (Napolitano, “Studyin” 291-292). This Note is also the only one with numbers openly counted in the entire book. Sokolov explains this choice as follows: “The author of the Notes, of course, read respectably published, academic collections of classical poetry, particularly by ancient authors. In such collections, the verses are often numbered. Every fifth line, or verse, is usually numbered: 5-10-15, etc. The author decided to write this specific poem according to the ancient spirit, in hexameter. It turned out not quite an hexameter, but I think the Binging Hunter was satisfied with the result of his efforts and decided that this work will become a classic, imperishable. And he hinted this to the future reader by numbering the verses” (personal communication, July 7, 2023). Sokolov tends to talk about his characters as individual, independent authors of pieces of his works.

structure intratextuality register/style explanatory author self-reference intertextuality

мае

A continuation of the temporal setting: spring.

time

мне oncle мой

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

oncle

French: uncle.

foreign

oncle мой любезный

intratextuality intertextuality

у него совсем нету

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

посýлил

Literary: to promise.

нимало

Literary: not a bit, not at all.

Очи

Archaism: eyes.

archaism register/style

глядя, проглядел

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

пиктограмму

Metaphor for photograph or other image (painted, engraved, etc.).

explanatory

пиктограмму он предпослал

Alliteration (p).

Аллитерация (п).

sound stylistic device

Так-то, мол, и так-то, такие-де

Alliteration (tak).

Аллитерация (так).

sound stylistic device

мол

Colloquial: he could have said.

де

A particle denoting speech to a speaker. Here: he says.

ума не приложишь

Set expression: to not be able to imagine, not know what to do, be at wits’ end.

phraseologism

шиворот-наоборот

Yakov misspells the colloquial expression “shivorot-navyvorot,” meaning “inside out.” Yakov does the same thing in chapter 4 (R175/E46).

intratextuality phraseologism register/style

шиворот-наоборот

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

Пóходя

Colloquial: on the move, hastily.

Пóходя ноги себе росой умывая

He walks barefoot.

explanatory

A dated use of the preposition о to indicate when an event occurs.

time explanatory language

почтальона

The postman Sila Silych. Another postman, Mikheev, also figures prominently in A School for Fools.

intertextuality character self-reference

Нету ли ныне пакета на мое, так сказать, имя? Нету

Anaphora.

Анафора.

rhythm stylistic device

разочаровывает, по-видимому, разочаровывает

Rhythmic repetition.

Ритмический повтор.

rhythm

видать

Colloquial: apparently, it’s obvious.

видать, задумчивые у тебя

Internal rhyme.

Внутренняя рифма.

rhyme rhythm

задумчивые

Addressers who “think a lot,” and therefore rarely send letters.

explanatory

поточим лясы

Set expression: to shoot the breeze, talk idly.

phraseologism

хоромы

Colloquial: a large spacious house. In ancient Rus, this term referred to large wooden residential spaces connected by vestibules and passages.

заскочи

Colloquial: to drop in.

Сила Силыч

bible religion character foreign

потолкуем

Colloquial: to chat, converse.

Зря

Anaphora.

Анафора.

rhythm stylistic device

не́ктар

A juice. However, here — since it has been “boiled” (svarit’) — alcohol is (again) implied. Alcohol theme.

theme

не́ктар. 20 Зря, мой Нестор, нектар у нас

Alliteration (n, t).

Аллитерация (н, т).

sound stylistic device

Нестор

Ilya refers to Sila Silych as Nestor, a reference to Saint Nestor the Chronicler (c. 1056—c. 1114), the author of the Primary Chronicle.

intertextuality

заяц не приснится никому кучерявый

intertextuality intratextuality

кучерявый

Low: curly (hair).

пригубим

Colloquial: to take a sip, put to one’s lips.

дражайший

Dated: dearest, dearly beloved.

почтарь

Low: postman.

Сила Силыч

character bible religion foreign

Кáпельный

Colloquial: wee, shorty.

на редкость

Set expression: as they come, extremely.

phraseologism

никудышный

Colloquial: good-for-nothing, useless.

Крылобыла

character intertextuality intratextuality

доверяй, да проверяйся

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

Да, заскочил, стало быть, ко мне Сила Силыч, Ух, заскочил

Anaphora.

Анафора.

rhythm stylistic device

заскочил

Colloquial: to drop in.

Сила Силыч

character bible religion foreign

заскочил

Colloquial: to drop in.

сразу связисту и себе

Alliteration (s, z).

Аллитерация (с, з).

sound stylistic device

связисту

Another synonym for postman.

language

селяне

Dated: peasant folk, villagers.

ой ли

Set expression: is it possible? Another metaphoric allusion to death, never directly mentioned in the novel.

phraseologism theme

ой ли. Ой ли, ой ли

Anaphora.

Анафора.

stylistic device rhythm

Ой ли, ой ли

Set expression: is it possible? Another metaphoric allusion to death, never directly mentioned in the novel.

phraseologism theme

не в курсе

Set expression: in the dark, out of the loop.

phraseologism

обрящешь, а где в одночасье утратишь, 35 То ли дело, когда уже в ящик сыграть соизволишь, Там уже пиши не пиши

Alliteration (sh, t, s).

Аллитерация (ш, т, с).

sound stylistic device

в одночасье

Set expression: suddenly, in an instant.

phraseologism

одночасье

Colloquial: short period of time, an hour.

в ящик сыграть

Set expression: to kick the bucket.

phraseologism

ящик

Coffin.

explanatory

все прахом пропало,

Set expression: have no result.

phraseologism

прахом пропало, Там постскрипту́мы твои что мертвенному припарка

Alliteration (pr, p, s).

Аллитерация (пр, п, с).

sound stylistic device

постскрипту́мы

Russianized Latin: postscript. The novel’s final poem is called “Post Scriptum” (R279–280/E229–230). In it, Yakov both questions the purpose of his writings and challenges the reader to describe his “ingenious” lines.

intratextuality foreign

С этим Силыч стакан весь незамедлительно и пригубил. С Силычем и я тут поступил вполне сообразно:

Alliteration (s, l, n).

Аллитерация (с, л, н).

sound stylistic device

Силыч

character bible religion foreign

пригубил

Colloquial: to take a sip, put to one’s lips. Of course, Yakov and Sila have drained their glasses. Alcohol theme.

Силычем

character bible religion foreign

Принял

That is, drink.

explanatory

мудрствуя

Colloquial: to overthink, overcomplicate.

Дабы

Archaism: in order to. (This word has seen a growth in usage in recent decades and is used in literary language.)

Архаизм: чтобы. (В последнее время слово стало использоваться чаще, в частности, в литературном языке).

мешкать

Colloquial: to dilly-dally, tarry, delay.

Сила дорогой Силыч

character bible religion foreign

живем мы с тобой, хлеб жуем мы

Proverb (“живем, xлеб жуем”): to live an ordinary life.

phraseologism

на сем берегу что болтают, 45 Разное, признаться, болтают на берегу сем,

Chiasmus.

Хиазм.

rhythm stylistic device

сем

Dated/literary: that.

сем берегу

The two banks of the Itil are blurred in the novel, so it is impossible to determine which side is which.

explanatory

сем

Dated/literary: that.

Волки, болтают, на том тебя вроде съели

A suggestion of death. Ilya’s murder at the hands of the hunters?

theme

байки

Stories, tales, poppycock, nonsense.

explanatory

оцелота

Ocelot — a medium-sized spotted wild cat. Animal motif.

motif

легонечко

Colloquial: slightly, lightly.

сбит с панталыку

Set expression: to be thrown into confusion, be confused.

phraseologism

враки

Colloquial: bull, crock, lies.

Силычем

character bible religion foreign

пригубили

Colloquial: to take a sip, put to one’s lips.

снова-здорово

Set expression: here we go again, the same old thing.

phraseologism

подовтори́ли

Dialectical: to repeat.

Силычем

character bible religion foreign

Силыча

character bible religion foreign

подзадорить

Colloquial: to egg on, encourage.

невзначай

Colloquial: accidentally, by chance, in passing, accidentally.

цидулки

Dated: short letter, note, message.

Яша

Diminutive form of Yakov.

character register/style

резонно

Colloquial: reasonably.

Силыч

character bible religion foreign

письмоносцев

Dated: postman.

плоше

Low: worse.

чужих не читать эпистол, Что же нам прикажете читать

Alliteration (ch, t).

Аллитерация (ч, т).

sound stylistic device

эпистолярность

Neologism: the epistle-writing that people engage in.

neologism

Павел

character intratextuality foreign religion

Павел Петру

These characters were introduced at the beginning of chapter 4 (R173/E43).

intratextuality character

Петру

character intratextuality religion foreign

Городнище

location setting intertextuality theme folklore

Быдогощ

location Russia theme setting

Дядю дрозжей закупить молит браговарных

This event is described in chapter 4 (R174/E43).

intratextuality

дрозжей

A misspelling of дрожжи (yeast) (per Dal, a dialectical variant.

Букву какую-то непременно найти его умоляет

This event is described in chapter 4 (R174/E44).

intratextuality

В душу лезет

Set expression: to ask insistently about something personal, when the other person does not want to talk about it.

phraseologism

кубарэ

Unusual (and mockingly foreign) word. It may derive from the word “kubar’”, informally used by students of the naval academy to define a ship cabin.

foreign location neologism

надудлиться

Ukrainian: to get drunk. Alcohol theme.

foreign theme

Петр

character foreign religion intratextuality

Петр Павлу

These characters were introduced at the beginning of chapter 4 (R173/E43).

character intratextuality

Быдогоще

location Russia theme setting

Городнища

location setting folklore intertextuality theme

профершпилил

Dated/colloquial: to gamble away, lose one’s fortune.

дрозжи

A misspelling of дрожжи (yeast) (per Dal, a dialectical variant).

ой ли

Set expression: is it possible?

phraseologism

наждачник

Colloquial: grinder. That is, Ilya.

Илья

character folklore intertextuality

пришлый

Colloquial: outsider.

на старости лет

Set expression: late in one’s life, in old age. Irony: Ilya writes his letter of complaint after his death.

phraseologism irony

старости лет к стилу

Alliteration (st, l).

Аллитерация (ст, л).

sound stylistic device

стилу

Dated: stilo, writing instrument.

Жалобу Сидору Фомичу Пожилых накатал он

Ilya’s letter to Pozhilykh that makes up chapters 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 17.

intratextuality

Сидору Фомичу

character register/style

Пожилых

character intertextuality religion

накатал

Colloquial: to dash off.

Сетует

Literary: to complain.

костыли у него в метель увели-де

The hunters steal Ilya’s crutches in response to his attack on Yakov’s dog on the frozen river.

explanatory intratextuality

де

A particle denoting speech to a speaker. Here: he says.

якобы

An echo of Yakov’s name.

character

Мелкого Плеса

Соколов объясняет, что у Волги “есть поселок Мелково, он стоит на берегу плеса, который местные люди называют Мелковским, однако пункта Мелкоплесово в действительности нет” (личное сообщение, 7 июня 2023)

location Russia

Дайте сроки

Set expression: give it time.

phraseologism

грамотку

Dated: letter.

доезжачий

Yakov.

character explanatory

нижеследующее

Literary: the following.

Слямзили

Low: to steal.

ау

Colloquial: hello?, an exclamation to get attention.

ау, моих опор пару

Alliteration.

Аллитерация.

sound stylistic device

опор

That is, his crutches.

explanatory

ка

Colloquial: suffix added to imperatives to express urgency.

зимогоры

Dialectical: wanderer, vagrant, down-and-out.

покажется вам всем небо с овчинку

Set expression: небо с овчинку покажется (to experience extreme fear or pain).

phraseologism

царапают бересту

That is, the hunters scribble their response to Ilya’s missive on birch bark. An allusion to the renowned Novgorod birch bark manuscripts.

intertextuality

бересту

Birch bark. Plant motif.

motif

купно

Dated: together, collectively.

Ильин

intertextuality character folklore

Мастер-ломастер

intertextuality neologism

Мастер-ломастер

Paronomasia.

Парономазия.

sound stylistic device

упырь

Colloquial: monster, vampire, cruel person, bloodsucker.

Зрели мы тебя в гробу

Archaism and vulgarism (see Zubova 112): a mix of the saying “I saw him in the coffin” and of line from the prison verse “I see you, coffin…”

Архаизм и вульгаризм (см. Зубова 112): поговорка “в гробу я его видел” и слова из покаянного стиха “зрю тя, гробе…”

Зрели мы тебя в гробу с твоими костылями

intratextuality

бобылке

Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

character register/style

хутор

A farm or small settlement usually in Ukraine. Calls to mind Nikolai Gogol’s short story collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka (“Вечера на хуторе близ Диканьки”). The collection comprises eight short stories based on Ukrainian folklore (Gogol was born in today’s Ukraine) and mixes horror, humor, and magic with rich, colorful descriptions of country life at the time. This collection brought Gogol fame.

location intertextuality

Ябедничать

Colloquial: to snitch, inform.

изведаешь

High: to learn, come to understand, experience.

почем фунт лиха

Set expression: what misfortunate is all about.

phraseologism

Грамоты

Dated: letter. Again a reference to the Novgorod birch bark manuscripts (called “gramoty” in Russian).

Допили, догубили до дна

Alliteration (do, l).

Аллитерация (до, л).

sound stylistic device

догубили

Colloquial: to take a sip, put to one’s lips.

жбан

A jug.

explanatory

Силычем

character bible religion foreign

духарягу

Ostanin suggests this word is derived from the verb духариться (colloquial: to brawl, bully, brag, be naughty, have fun) (84).

Силыч

character bible religion foreign

мой oncle

An allusion to the opening lines of Alexander Pushkin’s novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin. Read the original here and an English translation here.

intertextuality

oncle

French: uncle.

foreign

заяц никому из нас, кучерявых

An allusion to the story of how Alexander Pushkin, the father of Russian letters, encountered a hare on the road while on his way to support the Decembrist Revolt and took it as a bad omen. “Кучерявый” (curly), a trait Pushkin is well known for, further strengthens this allusion. Here, the curly-headed quality has shifted from the hare in line 22 of the poem to the lyric persona.

intertextuality intratextuality

Быдогощах

location Russia theme setting

бузина

Elder. A species of flowering shrubs. Traditionally used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Mentioned in chapter 8 (R217/E118). Plant motif.

motif intratextuality

Записка XXVII

Ya4.

Я4.

metrical pattern

вспарочной

A possible variation of the verb “vsporkhnut’,” to fly away quickly. Sokolov explains that this is “a [living] decoy bird, usually tied by the leg” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo” 135). Living ducks are sometimes used to attract wild birds. Animal motif.

language motif explanatory

Жар-птицы

intertextuality motif folklore

вспарочной

A possible variation of the verb “vsporkhnut’”, to fly away quickly. Sokolov explains that this is “a [living] decoy bird, usually tied by the leg” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo 135). Living ducks are sometimes used to attract wild birds. Animal motif.

language explanatory motif

Жар-птицы

The mythical Firebird from Slavic folklore. Read the original here and an English translation here. Animal motif.

intertextuality motif folklore

Сполох

Dated: alarm signal, or metonymically a state of anxiety.

Сполох дольний — скок-поскок, Издалека в колеснице Скачет к нам Илья-Пророк.

Alliteration (s, k).

Аллитерация (с, к).

sound stylistic device

дольний

Dated: from the valley.

скок-поскок

From the Russian folk tune «Скок-скок-поскок, молодой дроздок», where “skok-poskok” describes the action of jumping or bouncing, while the “molodoi drozdok” (young thrush) once again implies the bird motif in the book.

intertextuality motif folklore

в колеснице Скачет к нам Илья-Пророк

intertextuality symbol foreign

Илья-Пророк

intertextuality religion bible character

ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

буря

intertextuality religion bible character

Ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

Ergo — грянет, ну и что ж. Егеря

Semi-anagram (Ergo - egeria).

Квази-анаграмма (ерго - егеря).

sound stylistic device

грянет

intertextuality religion bible character

ну и что ж

Set expression: so what?, well then.

phraseologism

Ждут-пождут

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

Ждут-пождут, но медлит дождь

Alliteration (zhd, t).

Аллитерация (жд, т).

sound stylistic device

Вижу я, как только видно Все

Alliteration (v).

Аллитерация (в).

sound stylistic device

Вижу я, как только видно Все становится на миг:

The effect of the lightning which makes things visible in the night.

explanatory

бадьею

A bucket to pull up water from a well.

explanatory

змеевидный Так и вьется змеевик.

Figura etymologica.

Этимологическая фигура речи.

sound stylistic device

змеевик

Implied, the copper spiral used to prepare alcohol at home (zmeevik dlia samogonnogo preparata). Alcohol theme.

explanatory theme

аспид

Elapid — a snake with permanently erect fangs. Animal motif. As Ostanin notes, the expression “green snake” (zeliony zmii) is linked with alcoholic beverages (84). Alcohol theme.

motif theme

Благ источник и утех, Был точильщиков, артельный, Но утянут был

Alliteration (b, l, ch, t).

Аллитерация (б, л, ч, т).

sound stylistic device

источник

Spring, in this case alcoholic, not a water spring.

theme explanatory

утех

Low: pleasure, enjoyment, fun.

утянут

Colloquial: to steal. An important theme in the book.

кто ругается над нищим, Тот хулит Творца его

Proverbs 17:5.

bible religion intertextuality

нищим

Paronomasia (ishchem - nishchim)

Парономазия (ищем - нищим).

sound stylistic device

Процедура постепенна

Alliteration (p).

Аллитерация (п).

sound stylistic device

постепенна: Капля медлит — егерь ждет, И напротив — сколь мгновенно Ловит жужелицу кот. И еще обыкновенно Жизнь мгновенна, как назло, И напротив: сколь нетленно

Alliteration (p, t, n, l, zh).

Аллитерация (п, т, н, л, ж).

sound stylistic device

жужелицу

Ground beetle. Animal motif.

motif

кот

Cat. Animal motif.

motif

как назло

Set expression: as ill luck would have it.

phraseologism

нетленно

Literary: imperishable, incorruptible, eternal.

Никчемушное

Colloquial: worthless, useless, good-for-nothing.

грязло

According to Sokolov, “a metal plate fixed near the entrance door to a house with the edge up” (“Bol’shoe pis’mo” 135). Used to clean boots.

explanatory

Перейду

Here: to exceed (in drinking). Alcohol theme.

theme

Перейду. Непостижимо. Покрутился

Alliteration (p, r).

Аллитерация (п, р).

sound stylistic device

брань моих бобылок, Полевой сминая хвощ, Тела белого обмылок Понесут на Быдогощ.

Alliteration (b).

Аллитерация (б).

sound stylistic device

бобылок

Colloquial: an unmarried, lonely (peasant) woman. She will make several appearances throughout the novel and is associated with Orina.

character register/style

хвощ

Equisetum, horsetail. Plant motif.

motif

Тела белого обмылок Понесут на Быдогощ

Vygodoshch is associated with the graveyard in the novel, so here, Yakov describes a funeral procession.

explanatory

Быдогощ

location Russia theme setting

покуда

Low: while, at the same time.

Сохрани нам

Possible allusion to Mandelstam’s poem “Sokhrani moiu rech navsegda…” (Preserve My Speech Forever, 1931). Read the original here. Read an English translation here.

intertextuality

челноки

A light wooden boat. Boat motif.

Легкая деревянная лодка. Изображено ниже:

Мотив лодки.

motif

ауспиций

Augury, the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. Bird motif.

motif explanatory

Шью

intratextuality theme

Шью охотничий костюм

Yakov, like Sokolov, takes on an identity while spending time in the Volga backwoods.

explanatory self-reference

из рук вон

Set expression: very badly.

phraseologism

спицы

theme

Ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

в дупель

Set expression: heavily (here implied: drunk). Alcohol theme.

phraseologism theme

дупель

Great snipe.Bird motif.

motif

ergo

Latin: therefore.

foreign

sum

Latin: I am.

foreign

Again the Notes / Опять записки

Note XIX

Portrait of a Familiar Warden

Note XX

A Ballad about the Fire Chief from Gorodnishche

Note XXI

Overbrowears

(A Garland of Notes)

Note XXII

Farewell of the Tinker from Gorodnishche

Note XXIII

Portrait of the Ferryman

Note XXIV

Between the Dog

Note XXV

Portrait of a Courier

(The Second Recollection of the City)

Note XXVI

Postal Chores in the Month of May

Note XXVII

Not the Firebird’s . . .

Записка XIX

Портрет знакомого егеря

Записка XX

Баллада о Городнищенском брандмайоре

Записка XXI

Вышелбауши

(Венок записок)

Записка XXII

Прощание Городнищенского лудильщика

Записка XXIII

Портрет перевозчика

Записка XXIV

Меж собакою

Записка XXV

Портрет разъездного

(Второе воспоминанье о городе)

Записка XXVI

Почтовые хлопоты в мае

Записка XXVII

То не вспарочной Жар-птицы

/

of a Warden

A Ballad about the Fire Chief from

(A )

Farewell of the from

of a Courier

Postal Chores in the Month of

Not the . . .

знакомого егеря

Баллада о брандмайоре

()

Прощание лудильщика

разъездного

о городе)

То не вспарочной