From the time of the Empire, Russia was famous for its writers and poets. Unsurpassed works that have become classics not only in our country, but throughout the world, can rightfully be proud of our cultural heritage. And the uniqueness of the presentation of thoughts helps not only to develop spiritually, but also to improve in Russian. It is literate speech that distinguishes an educated and thinking person.
Perhaps that is why the school curriculum, taking care of our diverse development, includes the obligatory reading of the works of the Russian geniuses of the word. These include a work authored by a Russian publicist, a master of historical prose - Aldanov - The Devil's Bridge. The summary of the novel, which the students love to use, is unlikely to convey the author’s characteristic manner of an exciting presentation of events and an original presentation of material framed by philosophical discussions on historical topics. However, first things first.
Biographical Information
It is no secret that Aldanov’s real name is Mark Landau.
He was born in 1886 in Kiev, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. Having received a diverse education in the field of physical, mathematical and legal sciences, Aldanov begins to become interested in history. Later, technical education and an analytical mindset will help him turn a boring historical work, filled with dry facts, into a fascinating journey through past events. What is the novel written by Aldanov worth - “Devil's Bridge”!
Creativity of the author
The first volume of his work "Tolstoy and Rolland" he published only in 1915. However, the work was unsuccessful, and was subsequently rewritten and released under a new title - "Tolstoy's riddle."
Two years later, success still comes to the author, thanks to the book “Armageddon”. And even later, the Thinker tetralogy comes out. It includes Aldanov Mark “Devil's Bridge”, “Ninth Thermidor”, the story “St. Helena, a small island” and “Conspiracy”. Tetralogy tells about the events taking place during the reign of Napoleon.
After this, Aldanov’s activity does not end, and he writes 12 more historical works, one philosophical work and two books in the field of chemistry.
Impact on creativity
The dedication of the first book to another great writer Leo Tolstoy is not accidental.
Mark Aldanov did not hide the fact that he was his great admirer, despite the differences in the vision of some philosophical aspects. Perhaps that is why in his own works one can trace the influence of Tolstoy and the borrowing of his writing style. For example, in one of the novels that entered the tetralogy The Thinker, Devil's Bridge, the description of events passes through the prism of perception of an ordinary person who has nothing to do with politics or history. This shows an obvious parallel with Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.
Spelling style
However, Aldanov does not forget about his own writing style. Using skeptical irony and starting from rich historical experience, he describes government activities, military operations, the moral side of humanity, recognizing the will of chance in making important decisions. By sending the protagonist to the very heart of historical events, the author rewards himself with the opportunity to tell a story using his own perception.
Aldanov, "Devil's Bridge": a summary
The great publicist does not change his manner in this work either.
So, the main theme of the story is the heroic act of Suvorov, who ferried his army through the Alps. Sending to the center of what is happening a young nobleman named Staal, who becomes an involuntary witness to the story, the author talks about past events in an original way. Thanks to this technique, the reader is completely immersed in what happened and is given the chance to get as close to the essence of the historical event.
Read the full novel written by Aldanov - Devil's Bridge. A brief summary against the background of the original text will seem a meager parody that does not convey all the nuances of the work.
The great commander, the winner of many battles, Suvorov is embroiled in the intrigues of the Austrian staff. Now his goal is to save his own army. To do this, Suvorov is forced to cross Italy with her and get to Switzerland. No one believed in the victory of the brave commander, and all his actions were doomed to failure. However, Suvorov not only successfully transferred the army, but also founded his own state - the Swiss Federation. Shading his heroic feat with the life of the Neapolitan court, Aldanov talks about their cowardice and self-interest, reflecting these qualities in an escape during the advance of the French troops.
Conclusion
Any author’s creation is a masterpiece that deserves a full reading. Each line of the story is endowed with a special meaning, narrating about events that took place long before our birth, but one way or another had an impact on our destiny. A great opportunity to get acquainted with the era of the 19th century will be a reading of the novel written by Aldanov, “Devil's Bridge”. The summary literally deprives him of the subtleties, condemning readers to ignorance of the history of their own state. Undoubtedly, this is everyone’s choice, but having freed a couple of hours from less important matters, it is much more pleasant to culturally enrich your life with a reading of one or another quality work.