I have heard about him hundreds of times from my literature teachers.

That is precisely why I chose this book to read. And what surprises me the most is that he wrote those stories with all his heart.

The first time you read it, perhaps you will view it like other stories out there. But I'm sorry to say that's all wrong. If it were just a normal one, why would thousands of readers around the world spend their time reading, feeling, and praising it?

He was a poor child. Through his efforts in learning, he has become one of the most influential figures in Russian literature in particular and has left behind a respectful body of work for others to learn from. From the very first day.

"All in human, all for human..", "Human! They are special, that sounds proud!"

PTPA - 'bout MAXIM GORKY.

Maxim Gorky is truly a captivating writer, although I haven't delved into his other works. A Russian, his literary journey commenced in the tumultuous 1890s. The latest story in this collection was published in 1924, and he passed away in 1936. While perhaps not a socialist himself, he was at least sympathetic to socialism and Bolshevism. He was regarded as a hero by Lenin and other Bolsheviks. However, Gorky was disgusted by their excesses and did his utmost to assist their victims. I gleaned all this from history books, not from this collection.

Just like many short story collections, some of the tales within this one spoke to me profoundly. There are classics that critics deem excellent reflections of his thought and craftsmanship, while others didn't leave much of an impression on me. Overall, it is indeed a remarkable collection of literary realism. Similar to much of American realism of the same era, the style is concise. Many of the stories feature engrossing action. The window that this collection provides into that era in Russia and the world is fascinating, with depictions of the urban and rural poor and the nobility of their hardscrabble lives. I especially praise the story "Karamora." It's about a revolutionary agent and gives the impression that it was penned by a Bolshevik.

This collection offers a unique perspective on Gorky's literary prowess and the historical context in which he wrote. It is a valuable addition to any literature lover's library.

Makar Čudra - 4/5

Jemeljan Piljaj - 4/5

Čelkaš - 4/5

Starica Izergil - 4/5

Pjesma o sokolu - 4/5

Pjesma o burevjesniku - 3/5

Maljva - 3/5

Rođenje čovjeka - 4/5

These are some interesting works or individuals with their respective ratings. Makar Čudra, Jemeljan Piljaj, Čelkaš, and Starica Izergil all have a rating of 4/5. The "Pjesma o sokolu" also has a 4/5 rating. However, the "Pjesma o burevjesniku" and "Maljva" have a rating of 3/5. The "Rođenje čovjeka" has a 4/5 rating as well. It's quite fascinating to see these different ratings and how they might reflect the quality or significance of each. Maybe further exploration of these works or individuals could provide more insights into their unique characteristics and contributions.

The book is truly amazing.

Particularly, the story of Old Izergil and The Song of the Falcon are extremely captivating. I have read them many times, and yet, they remain just as awesome as ever.

The tale of Old Izergil is filled with rich characters and a plot that unfolds in a most interesting way. It takes the reader on a journey through different emotions and experiences.

As for The Song of the Falcon, it has a unique charm. The language used is beautiful, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

These two stories within the book are like precious gems that shine brightly and continue to吸引 readers with their allure. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves great literature.

Meeting the author was an amazing experience.

My book about meeting the author has made me eager to read more of his works.

The encounter with the author left a deep impression on me.

His words and ideas were so inspiring that I couldn't wait to explore his other books.

I'm sure that each of his books will offer a unique and wonderful reading experience.

As I continue to read his works, I hope to gain more insights and be further captivated by his writing.

The author's talent and creativity are truly remarkable, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he has in store for us.

I highly recommend his books to anyone who loves good literature and wants to be inspired.

Once you start reading, you won't be able to put them down.

So, go ahead and pick up one of his books today and embark on an unforgettable literary journey.

Makim Gorki - the most prominent figure of socialist realism...

I. IN FRONT OF LIFE (8/10)

The abrupt beginning earns the full respect of the reader: "In front of Life stood two men, both dissatisfied with it."

The satirical aspect crystallizes later, around the concepts of freedom and justice, with a certain antithetical character.

II. THE FALSE SCARECROW AND THE CRUSHING LOVE OF TRUTH (9/10)

A work with a fable-like aspect, embodying, under the guise of different birds, human typologies. The writing presents society caught in the webs of radical revolutionary ideology. A mass of people, a cautious and meticulous conservative and a revolutionary, a son of freedom, inflamed. In the end - an ideal led to ruin because of its purely theoretical spectrum.

The cultural policy promoted in the USSR later, because Gorki completed his work even before the Revolution:

"Friends, he who is afraid
Of work and complains and moans
And judges the destiny of battle
Hidden in the darkness of philosophy."

"Out! We make war on the gods,
Not they to have authority, us!"

"and they remembered the shaggy scarecrow, who once had the idea to set fire to the haystack..."

III. CELKAŞ (10+)

The romanticized tragedy of two desolate souls, constructed in antithesis. The theme of money is combined with the theme of conscience, "Celkas" presenting the drama of the poor man, lacking any opportunity to change his social condition.

IV. KONOVALOV (10+)

Nostalgia seized me from the very beginning. The affective (involuntary) memory of the narrator, Gorki himself (so the work has an autobiographical character), is triggered by an event reported in the newspaper: Konovalov, a calm inmate, committed suicide. He is none other than an old comrade of Gorki's. Later, the story of his life is related chronologically.

The writing prefigures certain existentialist aspects (strangely!), given by the context of the action of the work...

Another world, as it were, the dear Russian steppe that we have only known in books.

V. HOW A BOY AND A GIRL DID NOT FREEZE (10/10)

Abrupt beginning: "An old tradition wants that in the Christmas stories, a certain number of poor children die each year, frozen."

Gorki is a great storyteller. He establishes such a close relationship with the reader that he gives the illusion that - now, after a century - you are talking to him.

Wanting to capture the great discrepancies between the social classes before the war, Gorki contrasts the nobles with two poor children, having only the clothes on their backs and in the care of a mean nanny.

And they did not freeze: "it is completely pointless to make some children freeze who have all the possibilities to die in a simpler and more natural way."

VI. OLD MAN ARHIP AND LIONKA (10/10)

The problem that presented itself to me after reading the story was the following: in all of Europe, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the fate of the peasants was almost disastrous, and in Russia... as in any other state. Why were the Russians, however, those who were capable of reform? I don't think it's at all about the inborn passion of the Russian. I think that, rather, the peasantry and the proletariat constituted an organized exodus. The people - in Russia - did not live in palaces, but slept in poor huts and were at the forefront of the desolate... They were enlisted.

VII. SOAP BUBBLES (7/10)

The title is satirical to the highest degree. The story presents the fictional clique of Russian writers without value, but with great pretensions regarding glory. They are full of prejudices, of a fawning mannerism, as captured by GLORIA personified: "Ivan! Believe me: genius must not hide anything from the eyes of the world."

VIII. THE SONG OF THE STORM PETREL (8/10)

The "storm petrel" - from this prose of a profound musicality - leaves room for multiple interpretations. Developed on a celestial background, the description has the profound character of an interpretable underside. The poor reader, with a hermeneutic spirit, by definition, has so many possibilities of interpretation that they can be presented at diametrically opposed extremes.

IX. THE SONG OF THE EAGLE (9/10)

A framed story, a novella, having as its starting point a settlement on the shore of the lake, in a late night. The "picture" is given by a "song" that has as its moral the idea according to which each being - even from within the same "realm" - is given a certain environment, a certain purpose and certain expectations are "inserted" into it, so that the protagonist - being an eagle - yearns towards the high sky even when it has a wounded wing. The denouement is predictable: throwing itself from a cliff, the "being" that tries to overcome its condition... dies.

X. JANUARY 9 (10+)

The father of socialist realism presents in this story the day of January 9, 1905 - the one that was to remain in history under the name of "Bloody Sunday".

The monarchic knife of the tsar had reached not the bone, but the marrow of the peasant.

Now, I stand and wonder how it was so easy to carry out the Great Socialist Revolution in Russia. The Russians, since time immemorial, by their millennial structure, have delighted in misery and vice. To them, if you don't give it to them on a plate, they don't ask. If you don't attack them, they don't attack you (advice from Hitler, Napoleon!).

I think the bond of the socialist revolution - for this is what the story presents: a socialist revolution - was represented by the Marxist movement led by the small Russian intellectuals. The peasant everywhere was exploited, but not everywhere were the peasants grouped and organized.

"We will not be able to forget today!" - is one of the last exclamations of the story that concisely expresses the fact that the October Revolution was not an accident, did not happen suddenly, but went through a series of stages in which the face of the proletariat was increasingly ridiculed.

Andrei Tamaş,
12 March 2016

Dongeng Dari Sayap Kiri:

If I'm not mistaken, it is a collection of short stories written by Maxim Gorky (Dua Saabat), Gabriel García Márquez (Wanita yang datang Pukul 6), John Steinbeck (Bunga-bunga krisan), Jean-Paul Sartre (Dinding), and Lu Hsun (Obat).

Explore the other side of short stories that don't have the style of "bourgeois literature". Each of these authors brings their unique perspective and narrative technique to the table. Maxim Gorky's works often展现 the harsh realities of life. Gabriel García Márquez is known for his magical realism, creating worlds that are both fantastical and deeply rooted in reality. John Steinbeck's stories focus on the lives of ordinary people, highlighting their struggles and hopes. Jean-Paul Sartre's works are philosophical in nature, exploring themes such as freedom and responsibility. And Lu Hsun's stories are a powerful critique of society, exposing its flaws and injustices.

By reading these short stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, societies, and human experiences. So, come and discover the wonderful world of short stories with us.

I quickly realized that in all books, despite their diverse appearances, different countries, cultures, and names, there is a common aspect. And that is the story of good and bad human fates. Those annoying people always had to argue with others. These annoying people were always happier and more successful than the good ones. But in the end, something made the annoying people wise, and the good people triumphed.

This realization came to me during my search for bread.

It seems that in every narrative, whether it's set in a far-off land or a familiar one, the struggle between good and bad is a universal theme. The actions and choices of the characters, whether they are kind or unkind, have consequences that shape their lives.

Maybe we can learn from these stories and strive to be better people, to make choices that lead to positive outcomes and to treat others with kindness and respect.

After all, in the end, it is the good in us that will prevail.

The best author

I have ever come across is the one who wrote this amazing book. I have read this book more than 6 times, and yet, I just love to read it more and more again. Each time I pick it up, I discover something new and wonderful. The author's writing style is so captivating that it draws me in from the very first page. The characters are well-developed and the story is engaging, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read. It is truly a masterpiece that will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

Gorky embarked on writing short stories and novels in the late 1800s. This came after he was informed that he wasn't cut out to be a poet. His works have now become a must-read for those eager to understand life in Russia up until 1936 when he passed away.

Besides writing, Gorky was a renowned revolutionist. He frequently found himself in Russian jails.

These stories are truly unique in Russian literature. They are very understated. You can identify them as Gorky's, yet there is little of him directly in them. He allows his characters to tell their own stories. Also, he lets the stories conclude once the action he intends to describe is over. There are no traditional "endings" to these stories. They just simply stop.

This can be quite unsettling for those who prefer neatly wrapped-up beginnings and endings in a story. However, here it is extremely effective.

Gorky writes about ordinary Russians without overtly showing sympathy or condemnation towards them. He is more like a reporter of life rather than a typical author. The stories deal with various situations. For example, a thief recruits a young man from the villages to assist him for one night, only to discover that the young man is willing to commit murder to obtain the money to return home. A young girl from the famine-stricken districts, whose husband has died, gives birth along the roadside, washes herself and the baby in the nearby river, and then continues walking to catch up with the other members of the group. A group of "Creatures That Once Were Men" live together in a loose community in a doss house that only has benches with straw on them for beds. A Jew who is always beaten when he goes through town selling his wares saves the town "big man" from death in exchange for his protection, only to realize that men must follow their positions in life. There is no sugarcoating here.

And precisely because of this, they are all the more powerful. It offers an unwavering look at how Russian men of that era, driven to towns by famine, losing jobs, becoming alcoholics, and getting by as best they can, still remain men despite how society views them differently.

A collection of stories by Maxim Gorky, reading it was very enjoyable.

I compared it with the new book list. The number of stories in the book I read was less.

(I borrowed the book from the library and it was very, very old. The titles of some of the stories had also changed.)

Maxim Gorky's works are known for their profound insights into human nature and society. The stories in this collection likely offer a vivid portrayal of the lives and struggles of the people during his time.

Although the book I read was an older edition with some changes in the story titles, it still retained the essence and charm of Gorky's writing.

Reading these stories not only provided entertainment but also allowed me to gain a better understanding of the historical and social context in which they were written.

It is a pity that the number of stories in this particular book was fewer compared to the new list. However, it also made me more curious to explore other works by Maxim Gorky and discover the richness and diversity of his literary contributions.

I read the following 5 stories by Gorky (not exactly the ones in the book I chose from Goodreads):

- Twenty-six and one

- My traveling companion

- Tchelkache

- Malva

- Konovalov

Gorky's nature descriptions are truly gorgeous and deeply moving. He has a special affection for the sea, which is a rather uncommon trait among Russian writers. In Konovalov, I also greatly enjoyed the philosophical discussions and the profound impression that books have on the title character. However, on the other hand, as is not entirely unexpected, the stories usually conclude in a distressing manner. This perhaps reflects the harsh reality and the complex emotions that Gorky witnessed and experienced in life. Each story seems to be a mirror, reflecting different aspects of human nature and society. Through reading these stories, we can gain a deeper understanding of Gorky's thoughts and the era in which he lived.