There are books whose reading upsets, leads to sad thoughts. One of them in the early twenties of the last century was created by Russian writer Ivan Shmelev. This article is a summary of it. “The Sun of the Dead” is a work of a man of rare talent and incredibly tragic fate.
History of creation
Critics called the "Sun of the Dead" one of the most tragic literary works in the history of mankind. In what conditions was the book created?
A year after Ivan Shmelev left his homeland, he began writing the epic "The Sun of the Dead." Then he did not know that he would never return to Russia. And he still hoped that his son was alive. Sergei Shmelev was shot without trial in 1921. He became one of the victims of the "red terror in the Crimea." One of those to whom the writer dedicated the "Sun of the Dead" unconsciously. Because Ivan Shmelev learned about the fate of his son many years later after writing this terrible book.
Morning
What are the first chapters of the book about? It is not easy to convey a summary. “The sun of the dead” begins with a description of the morning nature of Crimea. Before the eyes of the author - a picturesque mountain landscape. But the Crimean landscape only makes you sad.
The local vineyards are half ruined. Nearby houses are empty. Crimean land is saturated with blood. The author sees the cottage of his friend. The once luxurious house now stands as if orphaned, with broken windows, showered with whitewash.
“They Go To Kill”: Summary
The Sun of the Dead is a book about hunger, suffering. It depicts the torment experienced by both adults and children. But the most terrible pages of Shmelev’s book are those where the author describes the transformation of a person into a killer.
Amazing and terrible portrait of one of the heroes of the "Sun of the Dead." This character's name is Shura, he likes to play in the evenings on the piano, calls himself a "falcon". But with this proud and strong bird he has nothing to do. No wonder the author compares it with a vulture. Shura sent many to the north or - even worse - to the other world. But every day he eats milk porridge, plays music, rides on a horse. While people around are starving.
Shura is one of those who was sent to kill. Oddly enough, they were sent to execute mass destruction for the sake of a lofty goal: to achieve universal happiness. They began, in their opinion, with a bloody massacre. And those who came to kill did their duty. Every day, hundreds of people went to the basements of Crimea. In the afternoon they were taken to execution. But, as it turned out, happiness, which required more than a hundred thousand victims, was an illusion. The working people, dreaming of taking the lordly places, were dying of hunger.
About Baba Yaga
This is the name of one of the chapters of the novel. How to betray its summary? “The Sun of the Dead” - a work that represents the reasoning and observation of the writer. Terrible stories are set out in an impartial language. And because of this they become even worse. We can briefly outline individual stories told by Shmelev. But the author’s mental emptiness is unlikely to convey a brief summary. Shmelev wrote The Sun of the Dead when he no longer believed in either his future or the future of Russia.
Not far from the dilapidated house where the hero of the novel lives, there are cottages - deserted, cold, neglected. In one of them lived a retired treasurer - a good, scattered old man. He lived in a house with a little granddaughter. He liked to sit near the shore, catch bull-calves. And in the morning the old man went to the market for fresh tomatoes and feta cheese. Once he was stopped, taken to the basement and shot. The treasurer's fault was that he wore an old military overcoat. For this he was killed. The little granddaughter sat in an empty country house and cried.
As already mentioned, one of the chapters is called "About Babu Yaga." The above story about the treasurer is its summary. The "Sun of the Dead" Shmelev dedicated to the fate of people who suffered from the invisible "iron broom." In those days, there were many strange and frightening metaphors in everyday life. “Put Crimea with an iron broom” is a phrase that the author recalls. And he imagines a huge witch, destroying thousands of human lives with the help of his fabulous attribute.
What does Ivan Shmelev talk about in subsequent chapters? The “Sun of the Dead," which is summarized in the article, is like the cry of a doomed soul. But the author hardly speaks about himself. “The Sun of the Dead” is a book about Russia. Short tragic stories are the details of a large and scary picture.
"Creators of a new life ... Where are they from?" - the writer asks. And does not find the answer. These people came, plundered what has been built for centuries. They desecrated the tombs of saints, tore the very memory of Russia. But before you destroy, you must learn to create. The destroyers of Russian and Orthodox traditions did not know this, and therefore were doomed, like their victims, to certain death. Hence the name given to the book by Ivan Shmelev - "The Sun of the Dead."
The summary, description, plot of the work can be conveyed in this way: one of the last Russian intellectuals, on the verge of death, is observing the emergence of a new state. He does not understand the methods of the new government. He will never fit into this system. But the hero of the book suffers not only from his personal pain, but also because he does not understand why destruction, blood and suffering of children are needed. As history has shown, the Great Terror had many negative consequences for the whole of Soviet society.
Boris Shishkin
In The Sun of the Dead, Shmelev talks about the fate of his brother, the young writer Boris Shishkin. Even in the years of terror, this man dreams of writing. No paper and ink. He wants to devote his books to something bright, pure. The author knows that Shishkin is unusually talented. And also, that in the life of this young man there was as much grief as would be enough for a hundred lives.
Shishkin served in the infantry. During the First World War he appeared on the German front. He was captured where he was tortured, starved, but miraculously survived. He returned home to another country. Since Boris chose a lesson for himself: he picked up orphans from the street. But the Bolsheviks soon arrested him. Escaping death again, Shishkin ended up in Crimea. On the peninsula, he, sick and dying of hunger, still dreamed that someday he would write good, bright stories for children.
End of the end
This is the final chapter of the book. "When will these deaths end?" - the author asks questions. The neighbor professor has died. His house was immediately plundered. On the way to the hero, a woman met a dying child. Complained about fate. He could not hear her story and ran away from the mother of the dying baby in his grape beam.
The hero of the book is not afraid of death. Rather, he is waiting for her, believing that only she alone can save her from torment. Proof of this is the phrase said by the author in the last chapter: “When will he cover with a stone?” Nevertheless, the writer understands that, despite the fact that the deadlines have come up, the bowl has not yet been drunk.
What do modern readers think of the book that Ivan Shmelev wrote in 1923?
"The Sun of the Dead": reviews
This work does not apply to literature popular among modern readers. Reviews about her a little. The book is filled with pessimism, the reason for which can be understood, knowing the circumstances of the writer's life. In addition, he knew firsthand about the terrible pages in Russian history. Those who read The Sun of the Dead agree that this book is hard to read, but necessary.
Is it worth reading?
It is almost impossible to retell the plot of the work. One can only answer the question about what topic Ivan Shmelev devoted to “The Sun of the Dead”. The summary (“Briefs” or other Internet sites containing retelling of works of art) does not give a complete picture of the features of the work that has become the pinnacle of the writer's work. In order to answer the question of whether to read this heavy book, we can recall the words of Thomas Mann. The German writer said the following about her: “Read it if you have the courage.”