12 Russian Novels You Need to Read in 2022
So Russia has invaded Ukraine, and you’re wanting to learn about their history, but you want to have fun along the way and read fictional stories that educate as well as entertain. This article is packed with fun fantasy, historical, modern, and literary fictional reads for you to romp around Matushka Rosa, or “Mother Russia”
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The first book you need to read to understand the history and culture of Russia, as well as the perspective of communism from a Russian author, is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Fyodor was considered a radical in the mid-1800s, imprisoned and almost executed under the Russian tsarist at the time. The result? Fyodor’s brilliant novel serves as his retaliation against the communist forces that nearly killed him. A highly entertaining and enjoyable read, this book is about a man born into poverty who decides to kill an innocent old woman.
Wanting a deep dive into a massive 800 page novel about Russian social circles, Imperial Russian society, betrayal, faith, marriage, and desire? Try Anna Karena by Count Lev Nikolayevich a.k.a Leo Tolstoy. Leo Tolstoy was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902 to 1906 and for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902, and 1909. Anna Karena is a well-known classic first published in book form in 1878. Many consider it to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written and Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. The story centers on an extramarital affair between Anna and a dashing cavalry officer which forces the young lovers to flee to Italy in search for happiness, but after they return to Russia, their lives further unravel.
That was all a bit heavy. Let’s lighten it up a bit and get into some modern fiction, starting with fantasy trilogy.
The Winternight Trilogy
The Bear and the Nightingale, the first book in Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy, invites readers to a crackling fire and story of old Russian folk tales. It is nostalgic, atmospheric, and fantastical. I’m not sure of the historical accuracy to Russia or Russian culture, but day-to-day living in this old Russian-feeling world really transported me.
“It was late winter in northern Rus’, the air sullen with wet that was neither rain nor snow.”
It’s an adult fantasy novel that begins in this first book with a teenage female protagonist named ‘Vasya’ Petrovna. She can see and talk to spirits of the stables, household and water. She is caught in a battle between the gods, the frost-demon and the Bear, and forces the reader into conflicts of good and evil, of morality, religions, and loyalty. Many people mistake this for a young adult novel, which it is not. I love the adult themes it explores. It was a novel that truly blew my mind. It is a great story, interweaving so many themes it kept me thinking. This book is not for everyone, as the writing style can be a little slow, atmospheric, and stagnant at times. But it is perfect for me and was a page-turner for me because I love the character exploration.
The sequel, The Girl in the Tower, follows Vasya as a young lady who wants neither to be a wife nor a nun, both of which would confine her from the outer world. She disguises herself in boy’s clothes and roams lands on her beloved magic horse. This book took a broader perspective of this fantasy Russian world. Many people like this novel better than the first, as it is faster paced, and less philosophical. I actually felt as if his novel was more of a young adult novel as Vasya has young adult character conflicts and growth. I’ve read many reviews saying that this series gets better as it goes on.
I still have to read the third, The Winter of the Witch. In this book, Moscow is struck by disaster. This one involves a grand prince and wider worldly conflict. Vasya must try to save Russia and the magical world she treasures.
Now we’re going to delve into some history, and be transported to Russia within the historical fiction genre.
This book will inform you of Tsarist Russian customs, food and society from the viewpoint of a young, poor Russian noblewoman in the nineteenth century. It is an enchanting romantic epic inspired by the true story of a woman who disguised herself as a man and joined the cavalry in the nineteenth century. The tsar in this novel is a symbol of Russian imperial power and does not represent any particular ruler. Publishers Weekly wrote here that “Scrupski captures the decadent opulence of wealthy Russian aristocracy as well as the numbing poverty of its serfs and peasants as her heroine traipses from one social event to another in search of a man who will marry her”.
The protagonist is Alexandra Korvin who is beautiful, poor, and unmarried. She travels to opium dens, brothels, and huts in search of a husband. We also see her in palaces and country houses in St. Petersburg. This was during a time when an unmarried woman only gained wealth through marriage. So, tired of looking for a man in order to gain status, she decided to become one and join the army instead to get it.
A Gentleman in Moscow is a historical fiction by Amor Towles Set in Moscow during the Stalin era. It was published in 2016, is 462 pages, and was called “a gorgeous sleight of hand” by the New York Times with a satisfying end and deep themes of parental duty, friendship, romance, and the call of home. Kirkus Reviews says “the book is non-stop pleasure brimming with charm and philosophic insight”. The Novel was a finalist for the 2016 Kirkus Prize in Fiction and Literature.
Want to live out history as a spy operating in communist countries on the sly?
John le Carre is a well-known spy author who worked for the Secret Service and is known for his famous spy novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, published in 1963.
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
This novel is considered a revolutionary espionage novel. Le Carre writes about cold war tensions in Germany, Britain, and Russia. His novels have had a major cultural impact by showing the intelligence services of Eastern and Western nations.
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold will help you understand the intricacies of an uprising against the Russian government, as the “inguish” must rise against their Russian oppressors in this spy novel. An investigator named Cranme learns that a British spy named Larry has absconded with some £37 million milked from the Russian Government with the help of a former Soviet spy. The Russians have displaced him and his people from their rightful homes. The Ingush are primed for an uprising against their Russian oppressors and Larry’s the man to arm them.
The Russia House, by John Le Carre
A film based on this novel was released in 1990 starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1987.
In The Russia House, Le Carre takes us on a journey to explore why governments manipulate and betray, and how spies do the same. It also explores the relationship between the KGB and the CIA.
It’s about a British publisher named Bartholomew “Barley” Scott Blair who goes on a drunken retreat to a secluded dacha in the forest near Peredelkino. Barley talks boldly of patriotism and courage, of new world order, and an end to Cold War tensions in this spy novel.
Red Sparrow Trilogy, by Jason Matthews
The next modern Russian spy novel is Red Sparrow, the first book in a series followed by Jason Matthews. This book is a multiple viewpoint novel starring Dominika Egorova, a retired prima ballerina recruited as a Russian Intelligence Officer trained in the art of sexpionage. This was a series I started last year and really loved, mostly because I was hooked on Dominika’s character. She is the most complex, gray character I’ve ever read. She does some really shady things but from the motives of a real person who has been betrayed over and over again. The depths of her emotions are impressive, and her character mysterious. She is a Negroni of a woman, and I love her.
You should read Red Sparrow for a more modern take on Russian culture, food, and political intrigue. Jason Matthews was allegedly a CIA agent, so a lot of the concepts regarding Russia’s use of espionage may or may not be accurate. I also learned the importance of power and nationalism to Russia.
Another reason this series is so exciting to read is that Vladimir Putin makes his own debut in this novel! Dominika must speak with him to discuss her mission. Much action ensues in this series but in general, a woman spy who becomes a Red Sparrow and attends the Russian schoolhouse to learn the tricks becomes a Russian double agent after being treated terribly by her Russian government and family. She then enters high-stakes situations and must choose which side she wants to be on. This book was really fun, action-packed, and included worldly recipes at the end of each chapter.
The second novel in the series is The Palace of Treason and The Kremlin’s Candidate, and I’m looking forward to finishing both of those this year.
To summarize:
Anna Karena (Wordsworth Classics edition) https://amzn.to/3w6e0ir
Crime and punishment: https://amzn.to/3CEfyBs
A gentleman in Moscow: https://amzn.to/3w5ty5W
Ruslan: https://amzn.to/35RagH1
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1963)- https://amzn.to/3CLxVVi
Our Game: https://amzn.to/3I76d6h
Russia House: https://amzn.to/3IamGqt
The Winternight Trilogy:
The Bear and the Nightingale- https://amzn.to/3MNJf7G
The Girl in the Tower- https://amzn.to/3w2xhBl
The Winter of the Witch- https://amzn.to/3J9X9Pk
The Red Sparrow Trilogy:
Red Sparrow: https://amzn.to/3JfdhiO
Palace of Treason: https://amzn.to/3KHXRDX
The Kremlin’s Candidate: https://amzn.to/3I4qIk4
I hope this was as fun for you as it was for me!
I receive commissions from the Amazon links provided for you in the article to have easy access to purchasing these books!
