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Laurus
Laurus
Laurus
Audiobook13 hours

Laurus

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

It is the late fifteenth century and a village healer in Russia called Laurus is powerless to help his beloved as she dies in childbirth, unwed and without having received communion. Devastated and desperate, he sets out on a journey in search of redemption. But this is no ordinary journey: it is one that spans ages and countries, and which brings him face-to-face with a host of unforgettable, eccentric characters and legendary creatures from the strangest medieval bestiaries.

Laurus's travels take him from the Middle Ages to the Plague of 1771, where as a holy fool he displays miraculous healing powers, to the political upheavals of the late-twentieth century. At each transformative stage of his journey he becomes more revered by the church and the people, until he decides, one day, to return to his home village to lead the life of a monastic hermit-not realizing that it is here that he will face his most difficult trial yet.

Laurus is a remarkably rich novel about the eternal themes of love, loss, self-sacrifice, and faith, from one of Russia's most exciting and critically acclaimed novelists.
LanguageEnglish
TranslatorLisa C. Hayden
Release dateSep 20, 2017
ISBN9781541483422
Author

Eugene Vodolazkin

Eugene Vodolazkin was born in Kiev and has worked in the department of Old Russian Literature at Pushkin House since 1990. He is an expert in medieval Russian history and folklore. Solovyov and Larionov is his debut novel. Laurus (Oneworld, 2015), his second novel but the first to be translated into English, won the National Big Book Award and the Leo Tolstoy Yasnaya Polyana Award and has been translated into eighteen languages. His third novel, The Aviator (Oneworld, 2018), was shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize and the National Big Book Award. He lives in St Petersburg.

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Reviews for Laurus

Rating: 4.18992257364341 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the words of Monty Python, “And now for something completely different,” Laurus is an experimental novel well off the beaten path. It is literary historical fiction set in 15th century medieval Russia that follows the life of an herbal healer, doctor, and mystic who takes various names on his journey to sainthood. After his parents die of the plague, Arseny is brought up by his herbalist grandfather, who teaches him the healing arts. He becomes renowned in the region for his miraculous ability to cure people suffering from the plague and other afflictions. He makes mistakes that lead to the death of a loved one, and subsequently lives a disciplined life of atonement. He endures great suffering in service to others. He embarks on physical and spiritual journeys. At various times, he becomes a healer, a “holy fool”, a pilgrim, a monk, and a hermit. This book transports the reader to the middle ages, complete with sights, sounds, smells, superstitions, and the spiritual beliefs of Orthodox Christianity.

    This is not light reading. It explores metaphysical concepts, contemplates the fluidity of time, and considers the nature of eternity. Themes include loss, suffering, timelessness, and redemption. For me, it required focused concentration and at times felt like a I was reading a fable. The author does not use quotation marks, frequently transitions into archaic phrasing, inserts anachronisms and modern slang, and injects visions of future events (shifting between medieval and modern times). Content warnings include graphic descriptions of childbirth, violence, diseases, death, and decomposition. I would call this a well-crafted novel, but not a particularly enjoyable reading experience. I thought it was original, creative, beautifully written, with a thin plot and only a couple of characters developed in any depth. Recommended to readers that enjoy Russian literature, medieval history, experimental works, or tales of spiritual journeys.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    We simply need to remember that only the material world needs time,

    There was only a time, maybe once or twice when I earnestly considered the idea of Grace. Both instances were fleeting and predictably linked to a woman. The path I tread isn't geared to such. I watched an interview with Gunter Grass yesterday, where he ventured his preference for Camus over Sartre. When asked why, the master responded, I don't harbor any faith for God but I do worship Saint Sisyphus.


    Despite the blurb on the front matter, Laurus is much closer to Dostoevsky than Eco. My favorite elements of the novel were its visible reach for the timeless and the layering of history onto the quest. The Guardian noted this is a novel about God. I saw nature. Who is to quibble?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Laurus starts very strong, with Vodolazkin transporting us to 15th century Russia and the life of a young man who is taught about lore and medicinal herbs by his grandfather. The first section, ‘The Book of Cognition,’ that follows his arc from becoming a healer of both bodily and spiritual ailments to meeting a young woman and dealing with her unplanned pregnancy, is fantastic. I loved how Vodolazkin gives us insight into life in those days, including details he must know from scholarly research, but also includes an air of timelessness by relating future events in the same places.As the novel proceeds, with the young man renouncing his life and going on a spiritual journey, it had an increasing air of mysticism and religion about it that was a little off-putting to me. It is kind of comical when the characters relate stories of strange creatures in faraway lands which we clearly know are tall tales, but sometimes the humor is less successful (the holy fools Foma and Karp come to mind). In giving us characters who actually see visions of the future and who can divine medical conditions by looking at someone, the point may have been to tell the story as if it were being told to a medieval audience, one which could accept those things along with the superstitions, e.g. to further immerse us. Regardless, it’s one advocating Christian asceticism, grace, and kindness. In spanning time, it also serves to remind us that the events of our lives are fleeting, and that today’s science will also one day be outmoded. It’s a reasonably good, but it lagged for me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Vodolazkin knows how to weave a good story! (I say it even though I didn't like "Laurus" as much as I did "The Aviator" - after which I went searching for his books!...). First of all, unfortunately, for me, "Laurus" lost a bit in translation, due to the specifics of the original language where the author used some very archaic, very old Russian phrases and words. Even though I didn't get to read the original, knowing Russian I could tell the difference. Very capable translator Lisa Hayden (she also translated "The Aviator") explains in the Foreword how she tackled this problem of archaic phrases - with her own invented words. And yet, some of the beauty and authenticity was lost.Secondly, the plot: I simply loved "the healer" part - couldn't get enough of it; loved the mysticism that abounded throughout the book; loved the dialogue - so natural to the medieval era; but when it got totally absorbed by the aura of Russian Orthodoxy it lost me a bit (even though by birth I should have adopted it) - as it was so different from the Buddhist philosophy that I really enjoy, so there was some disappointment. But all in all, a superbly crafted book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    One of the few, maybe the only, novel I've ever read and found myself wishing had been written as an epic poem. The novel follows Arseny, whose name changes several times, across Russia and Europe as he journey's to save the soul of the woman he loves who has died without Confession or last rites. The beginning hundred pages are probably some of the best translated fiction I've ever read and the tale of Arseny/Ustina is tightly woven and beautifully rendered. Vodolazkin combines extremely contemporary language and a sort of bastardization of old Russian, which Hayden rendered as misspelled middle English (which contrary to popular believe does have relatively strict rules of grammar and spelling). Arseny stops several times on his journey and moves through several stages of life, something that strongly evoked the Tolstoyan tradition of transformative characters. It is a very traditional rendering of a medieval pilgrimage tale, with an interesting twist on language usage.

    Laurus fell short of a five star for me though because it slowed towards the climax as Arseny sets out from Pskov to Jerusalem, and it ultimately skips his experience in Jerusalem almost entirely (while there is a purpose for this and as a reader you are meant to be disappointed, just as Arseny is disappointed to realize he didn't need to travel so far to reach God, it still was tough when I realized there would never be any description of his time in the Holy City). I also was unhappy with the general portrayal of women throughout this novel. There are no strong female characters at all, in fact, there are barely any women except for Ustina who dies very early on and whose life was given entirely to Arseny. Given the subject matter and the modern telling of a medieval pilgrimage, the lack of strong women is not surprising (it was more or less what I expected when I picked this up), but I do think it's important to consider before embarking on this one.

    Altogether, the novel was well thought out and the ending pages were absolutely beautiful even given the few things I didn't like here and there. The last passage, in particular, was very moving and somewhat unexpected. I'm hoping to see more both from Vodolazkin in English and from the translator, Lisa Hayden. Considering this is only Vodolazkin's second published novel, it's an amazing book. I will absolutely be tracking down Hayden's other translated literature and highly, highly recommend this book, even with it's few challenges.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This novel harked back to pre-Soviet fiction plus a large dollop of Russian Orthodox spirituality. The grandfather of a young man in 15th century Russia, Arseny, teaches him the secrets of herbal healing. Also, he learns the power of undying love from a young woman, Ustina, who arrives at his hut one day. After her death in childbirth and that of their son, out of self-blame for their deaths, he becomes a wanderer and fool-for-Christ. He becomes clairvoyant, with eccentric behavior, taking on the masculine form of her name, Ustin. He has a rude shelter by a convent. We are introduced to Ambrogio, an Italian, who becomes a dear friend and who prophesies through his visions of the future. At the behest of the mayor of Pskov, they make a journey to Jerusalem to lay a beautiful icon lamp at the holy Sepulcher and pray for the mayor's daughter, who had drowned. Ustin becomes Arseny again. They travel through Poland, to Venice, taking ship across the Mediterranean to Jaffa, then by camel to Jerusalem. Their trip is ultimately unsuccessful, and after pouring out his heart to God at the Tomb, Arseny returns to Pskov without his friend, who is murdered for the lamp. He then goes to his hometown and becomes a monk at the Kirillov Monastery with the name Amvrosy. After years he is tonsured into the Great Schema; he becomes an austere hermit with the name Laurus and lives in a cave in the woods, still using his gift of healing. The novel ends with his death. This was a masterwork, a gorgeous book with a window into the Russian "soul" and through our hero, a glimpse into Orthodox spirituality. We are meant to accept all the miracles at face value as in a hagiography. The translation was excellent, mixing old and new language. Most highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I hope this doesn't come across as meaningless hyperbole - this book is extraordinary and the translation is brilliant. This is the story of Arseny, a humble 15th century Russian who begins life as the orphaned grandson of a village healer. After his grandfather dies, he saves an orphan girl and takes her in, but when she dies while giving birth to their stillborn son, he begins a series of travels and adventures as a form of penance, becoming increasingly saintly in the Russian holy fool tradition. The story follows many of the conventions of mediaeval myths, so we are expected to take all sorts of miracles at face value, and also says a lot about Russian orthodoxy and what it demands of its saints. Things get stranger when his Italian travelling companion appears, since he has detailed visions of the future including many 20th century events, some of which shed light on the author's own motives, and allow him to discuss ideas with the knowledge of 20th century science. The story frequently lapses into archaic speech, for which the translator has cleverly found old English equivalents. I am probably just scratching the surface of what could be said about this book, all I can say is read it for yourself.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have been totally lost in Eugene Vodolazkin´s novel Laurus about the boy Arsenij, who becomes the holy fool Ustin, who becomes the monk Amvrosij, who becomes the eremit monk Laurus. Arsenij was born in the village Rukina in Russia may 8 the year 6948 after the Creation or the year 1440 after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He leads a tragic and strange life but a life so full of love - to God, to Jesus Christ of course and also to all those who comes in his way. He helps, heals and share what he have. You can´t imagine the sufferings he endures, but the novel is not sorrowful but uplifting and full of faith, hope and love, without being sentimental or silly. It´s full of strange things and miracles and perhaps you could categorize it as magical realism, but it´s really about life!