I thought your take on the story was very thought provoking. The Russian title is ‘Mnogo li cheloveku zemli nuzhno’, literally ‘Does a person need a lot of land’ (the Russian word ‘chelovek’ means person and, at least in the Russian dictionaries I have looked at, does not carry the meaning of ‘male’. Having said that, in a Russian thesaurus I looked at online, the first synonyms given were ‘a person’, ‘an individual’, ‘a soul’, ‘a man’, ‘a creation’ (others included ‘lad’, ‘figure’, ‘subject’, ‘creature’, ‘servant’, etc - there were 73 synonyms given in total). I put the Russian title into the Google and Microsoft (Bing) translators just out of curiosity and, wouldn’t you know it, they both came up with the traditional English title of Tolstoy’s story (How much land does a man need); this is incorrect, but it illustrates the power of Tolstoy - or of literature in general! Your comments on the religious parallels are very enlightening (if I can use that word in this context!), and you are right about the number three being everywhere, but, depending on the translation, the occurrences of this number will differ. This is because the numbers and units regarding distances and land areas are often changed to fit an English-speaking audience. The land areas in the original are in ‘desyatinas’. A desyatina is roughly one hectare (2.7 acres). Also, the Russian unit of length used in the original is a ‘verst’, which is just over a kilometre (around two-thirds of a mile). Thus, the English ‘300 acres’ is actually 120 desyatinas in the Russian; the English ‘[walked another] 300 miles’ is actually ‘[walked about] four hundred versts’; ‘he had walked three miles’ is actually ‘he had walked [about] five versts. Incidentally, I don’t know which translation you read, but I assume it was one where the protagonist’s name was written “Pahom” instead of the more correct “Pakhom”, which is pronounced ‘Pakh-OM’ (the ‘kh’ sounds similar to the ‘ch’ in the Scottish pronunciation of ‘loch’). There is no “h” sound in Russian, and words like “Hamburg” or “Hermann” are rendered “Gamburg” or “Germann” in Russian. So, for example, Harry Potter becomes Garry Potter… Again, many thanks for your insightful commentaries. Keep them coming!
Thanks. Yeah, there's always potential for translation issues with us on reading the translation. I try to work with what I got and call out that there could be issues. Thanks for the context.
I forgot to mention that Yandex Translator, the Russian equivalent of Google Translator, translates the title into English correctly (How much land does a person need). I think the English translation of the title is so ingrained that the English language based machines have it as part of their vast database. Tolstoy was a wonderful writer of the short story, though for most Russians I know, the true master of that genre in Russian is Chekhov (he is primarily thought of as a dramatist in the west, I think, but in Russia the name Chekhov is associated first and foremost with short stories). If you are ever going to look at Chekhov, his short stories "The Lady With the Little Dog" and "About Love" are well worth considering.
William Faulkner was once asked what his three favorite novels were. His response: Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, and Anna Karenina. With that said, I see some very strong parallels betweeen Pahom and the Snopes family. Pahom isn't as slimy as most of Faulkner's Snopes characters are, but he falls into the same trap that they do. He is a peasant rising up to become a landowner and does not know the old aristocratic rules that the old landowners abide by. The Snopes are sharecroppers/wanderers/hustlers/etc... that take over when the Old South and their traditions are pushed out. Also, I laughed out loud too when I read the last line of the story. What a perfect line to end this story!
I agree w/ Christy. Your ability to pick up on number patters is something I admire and don't have personally. That being said, I just wanted to add a footnote to your conclusion. You used the Exodus passage to infer the meaning of the number "three" being important into your expanded interpretation of the story. I think I agree with your conclusion, but it actually isn't even as specific as the one passage in Exodus. It is fairly common biblically for the number three to be used as a number that signifies completeness or fullness (potentially to reflect the Trinity?) I agree with Krypto. The last line is great.
Sure, fair additional indeed. Heroes almost always disappear for 3 days before being "reborn" with new powers etc too in fantasy too. Sometimes at the age of 33 ....
As I was reading, I thought of the tragedy of the commons and how people are bad as sharing. Also, I agree with Krypto. The last lines make the story. I can no longer trust your ratings. You flip floppers.
Deanie Was I’ve heard some people have cried at the last line. Crazy the different reactions! Our ratings have always been nothing less than unreliable and nothing more than reliable.
Check out our Leo Tolstoy Playlist for more breakdowns: ruclips.net/video/kI3z6iduYMY/видео.html BOOKMARKS: Publication Info: @0:32 Overall Thoughts: @0:48 Summary/Discussion/Analysis: @2:58
I wonder what influence the Russian orthodox church and the battle between westernization and the Russian ideals (sobornost) specifically would have on Tolstoy's view of family life, peasants, and masculinity. If a western European or American author would've written this story, what the differences would be. Do you think this story is affected at all by your reading it as modern American readers?
Good questions. For sure, anything we look at is going to be forced through our own lens. It's the foundation for the argument that literature interpretation belongs to the reader and not the author after it's published. Part of why we're doing the Tolstoy project this year along with the month of Russian Short Stories later is to try to get closer to understanding the differences.
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Thank you, I missed the connection to the grave when reading, how very ironic that the only land potentially owned is after death. Fantastic
One of his best stories! Thanks
I thought your take on the story was very thought provoking.
The Russian title is ‘Mnogo li cheloveku zemli nuzhno’, literally ‘Does a person need a lot of land’ (the Russian word ‘chelovek’ means person and, at least in the Russian dictionaries I have looked at, does not carry the meaning of ‘male’. Having said that, in a Russian thesaurus I looked at online, the first synonyms given were ‘a person’, ‘an individual’, ‘a soul’, ‘a man’, ‘a creation’ (others included ‘lad’, ‘figure’, ‘subject’, ‘creature’, ‘servant’, etc - there were 73 synonyms given in total). I put the Russian title into the Google and Microsoft (Bing) translators just out of curiosity and, wouldn’t you know it, they both came up with the traditional English title of Tolstoy’s story (How much land does a man need); this is incorrect, but it illustrates the power of Tolstoy - or of literature in general!
Your comments on the religious parallels are very enlightening (if I can use that word in this context!), and you are right about the number three being everywhere, but, depending on the translation, the occurrences of this number will differ. This is because the numbers and units regarding distances and land areas are often changed to fit an English-speaking audience. The land areas in the original are in ‘desyatinas’. A desyatina is roughly one hectare (2.7 acres). Also, the Russian unit of length used in the original is a ‘verst’, which is just over a kilometre (around two-thirds of a mile). Thus, the English ‘300 acres’ is actually 120 desyatinas in the Russian; the English ‘[walked another] 300 miles’ is actually ‘[walked about] four hundred versts’; ‘he had walked three miles’ is actually ‘he had walked [about] five versts.
Incidentally, I don’t know which translation you read, but I assume it was one where the protagonist’s name was written “Pahom” instead of the more correct “Pakhom”, which is pronounced ‘Pakh-OM’ (the ‘kh’ sounds similar to the ‘ch’ in the Scottish pronunciation of ‘loch’). There is no “h” sound in Russian, and words like “Hamburg” or “Hermann” are rendered “Gamburg” or “Germann” in Russian. So, for example, Harry Potter becomes Garry Potter…
Again, many thanks for your insightful commentaries. Keep them coming!
Thanks. Yeah, there's always potential for translation issues with us on reading the translation. I try to work with what I got and call out that there could be issues. Thanks for the context.
I forgot to mention that Yandex Translator, the Russian equivalent of Google Translator, translates the title into English correctly (How much land does a person need). I think the English translation of the title is so ingrained that the English language based machines have it as part of their vast database.
Tolstoy was a wonderful writer of the short story, though for most Russians I know, the true master of that genre in Russian is Chekhov (he is primarily thought of as a dramatist in the west, I think, but in Russia the name Chekhov is associated first and foremost with short stories). If you are ever going to look at Chekhov, his short stories "The Lady With the Little Dog" and "About Love" are well worth considering.
this channels is too underrated...
You're too kind.
Your emphasis on numerology is so interesting! I never notice numbers 😅
No I feel self conscious about this...
William Faulkner was once asked what his three favorite novels were. His response: Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, and Anna Karenina.
With that said, I see some very strong parallels betweeen Pahom and the Snopes family. Pahom isn't as slimy as most of Faulkner's Snopes characters are, but he falls into the same trap that they do. He is a peasant rising up to become a landowner and does not know the old aristocratic rules that the old landowners abide by. The Snopes are sharecroppers/wanderers/hustlers/etc... that take over when the Old South and their traditions are pushed out.
Also, I laughed out loud too when I read the last line of the story. What a perfect line to end this story!
Ha, I love that. I doubt I ever would have picked up the 'rat-like' Snopes to compare with this.
I just discovered Tolstoy. To me it feels very much like a story about ego more so than greed.
Great review.
Sure, sounds good 👍
I agree w/ Christy. Your ability to pick up on number patters is something I admire and don't have personally.
That being said, I just wanted to add a footnote to your conclusion. You used the Exodus passage to infer the meaning of the number "three" being important into your expanded interpretation of the story. I think I agree with your conclusion, but it actually isn't even as specific as the one passage in Exodus. It is fairly common biblically for the number three to be used as a number that signifies completeness or fullness (potentially to reflect the Trinity?)
I agree with Krypto. The last line is great.
Sure, fair additional indeed. Heroes almost always disappear for 3 days before being "reborn" with new powers etc too in fantasy too. Sometimes at the age of 33 ....
As I was reading, I thought of the tragedy of the commons and how people are bad as sharing. Also, I agree with Krypto. The last lines make the story.
I can no longer trust your ratings. You flip floppers.
Deanie Was I’ve heard some people have cried at the last line. Crazy the different reactions!
Our ratings have always been nothing less than unreliable and nothing more than reliable.
Check out our Leo Tolstoy Playlist for more breakdowns: ruclips.net/video/kI3z6iduYMY/видео.html
BOOKMARKS:
Publication Info: @0:32
Overall Thoughts: @0:48
Summary/Discussion/Analysis: @2:58
Thanks for watching!
Came because of school... will stay because it's extraordinary articulate and interesting. Keep up the great work!
What a kind thing to say. Thank you.
Glad to hear from someone who reads in 2021!
I wonder what influence the Russian orthodox church and the battle between westernization and the Russian ideals (sobornost) specifically would have on Tolstoy's view of family life, peasants, and masculinity. If a western European or American author would've written this story, what the differences would be. Do you think this story is affected at all by your reading it as modern American readers?
Good questions. For sure, anything we look at is going to be forced through our own lens. It's the foundation for the argument that literature interpretation belongs to the reader and not the author after it's published. Part of why we're doing the Tolstoy project this year along with the month of Russian Short Stories later is to try to get closer to understanding the differences.
I was pronouncing it 'pak-hom' in my head. Almost certainly wrong, but I prefer it to 'pay-em' personally.
Word
This was awesome, I laughed out loud at the end of this video! 🤣 Great!
You're a man after my own heart, Noah. :D
Love your format of review.
Just finished How much land and watched your review and you did it justice
That’s very kind of you to say
Thanks you clearly illustrate
What is the settings, pls answers
The guy in the green nailed it. I agree with the funny parts I laughed also. The other guy is annoying.
Can't keep track of two people, huh?