Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Antonio Marques Newsgroups: sci.lang Subject: Re: Jack London's popularity in Russia stemmed from a confluence of factors Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:25:49 -0000 (UTC) Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 54 Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:25:50 +0100 (CET) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="2bcc9cd1c91c66b63feeeaa58c5825a0"; logging-data="3820672"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+Bu9rjtqzpxhTmROrON0cBwgmVJtfkOU7e/e69DRmmYQ==" User-Agent: NewsTap/5.5 (iPhone/iPod Touch) Cancel-Lock: sha1:Mj8R4M0lBT15Sgnemxd5z3IUMAM= sha1:bzlqulHrmVyrvS1UEEv+eZBtErM= Bytes: 3502 Ross Clark wrote: > On 27/03/2024 2:19 p.m., HenHanna wrote: >> >> Jack London (1876 -- 1916) >> >> >> Jack London's popularity in Russia stemmed from a confluence of factors: >> >> --  Socialist themes:          London was a vocal advocate for socialism >> and workers' rights, which resonated with the communist ideology of the >> Soviet Union.      His works like "The Iron Heel" depicting a dystopian >> capitalist society fit well with the Soviet narrative. >> >> --  Struggle for survival:     Many of London's most famous stories, >> like "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang," depict characters battling >> the harsh elements and social Darwinist struggles.     This resonated >> with the hardships faced by the Russian people, especially during the >> revolutions and early Soviet period. >> >> --  Everyman's hero:     London's protagonists often rose from humble >> beginnings, overcoming challenges through strength and resilience. This >> appealed to the Russian desire for heroes who embodied the spirit of the >> common people. >> >> -- Accessibility:     Unlike some complex literary works, London's >> adventure stories were known for their straightforward prose and >> exciting narratives, making them widely accessible to Russian readers. >> >> >> It's interesting to note that some of London's views, like his >> occasional racial stereotypes, wouldn't be considered acceptable today. >> >> However, during his time, his socialist leanings and focus on the >> underdog made him a popular figure in Soviet Russia, even for leader >> Vladimir Lenin. > > That makes sense. > > I had the same impression about London's popularity in the Soviet Union > at that time. I never visited Russia, but I was studying the language, > and my impression may have been based on Russian translations of English > books that were available in the local Communist bookstore. Years ago there was a lady here (in sci.lang, I think) who mentioned Jack London's russian translations were better than the originals. > Another writer that apparently was favoured at that time was John > Galsworthy. Not having read him at all, I had the impression he was just > a chronicler of the English bourgeoisie, so he seemed like a strange > choice. Wasn't it Marx who enjoyed Balzac?