This long epic poem is not only a classic in russian poetry but also a key to understanding Pushkin's special relationship with the Tzar - it is a study in conflict on many levels.
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As the author stated in his journal" it is better to die with honour then to live as a dishonoured man" where the tsar was overwatching writers wife all over the places and sometimes calling her in for having to be near to her and to touch her! on the other hand, the writer's brother in-law d'anthes had an eye for pushkins wife natalia pushkina and having to spread rumors all over that he had an affair with authors wife!
whatever may pushkin have done within his troubled marriage, human honour would always judge ýtself whether the unfaithfullness and mistrust one another in a marriage belongs only to the committed ones or not!
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That being said, the Belkin stories are delightful. Each story revolves around a mistaken or hidden identity. The narratives are so swiftly paced that they could be considered page-turners if there were more pages to turn.
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It also includes a lengthy introduction by the noted dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who gives an overview of Pushkin's life, and his influence on the ballet, with many stories that became the basis for works performed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (like "The Golden Cockerel", or as it is better known, "Le Coq d'Or"), and of course opera, with the likes of Eugene Onegin, and Boris Godunov.
The first story is "The Golden Cockerel", about a magical creature who is given to the Tsar for protection, but has dire consequences; # 2 is "The Tale of the Tsar Sultan", and is the longest of the stories, about a simple peasant girl who marries the Tsar, her jealous relatives, and her hero son, who saves the life of a swan that later turns into a princess. # 3 is "The Dead Princess and the Seven Heros", which one will recognize as a version of "Snow White", and # 4 is "The Tale of the Golden Fish", about a man with an avaricious wife, and the fish that grants him many favors.
These stories all have a moral to them, and the evil ones get their dues; it is also written in a style that would take some maturity, so this would be recommended for a child old enough to appreciate Pushkin's language, and the complexity of Zvorykin's art.
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