The Quiet Don is the most significant work of those dedicated to the Don Cossacks. In scale it is compared with Tolstoy's “War and Peace”. It reflects a huge piece of life of the inhabitants of the Cossack village and the tragedy of the entire Russian people, the epic novel "Quiet Don". Critics' reviews agree on one thing: the book is one of the greatest in literature. Opinions about the writer are not so flattering. The article is devoted to disputes about the authorship of the famous novel and the characterization of the main characters.
History of creation
The novel was conceived in the early twenties of the last century. Its writing was preceded by the creation of Don stories. The characters of the Cossack village inspired the author for long work on a large-scale work of art. And in 1940 the fourth volume of the novel Quiet Don was completed. Responses of researchers, and among them was Alexander Solzhenitsyn, indicate a lot of controversy. The author of "In the first circle" said that the material of the book is exceedingly superior to life experience and the level of education of Sholokhov. Such a work, according to Solzhenitsyn, can only be created by a master, and only after numerous attempts. Mikhail Sholokhov was in his early twenties when he was writing the first volume. Behind him there were only four classes of the gymnasium.
Perhaps one of the geniuses who are born once every two hundred years, was the author of the novel "Quiet Don"? The reviews of critics and readers about the subsequent works of Sholokhov suggest that the writer never showed such a tremendous talent in his work.
The main images in the novel
Long communication with representatives of the pre-revolutionary Cossacks should have preceded work on such an outstanding work as The Quiet Don. Feedback from adherents of the idea of ​​plagiarism is based on the fact that Sholokhov, due to his age, could not have such experience. In the novel, first of all, the authenticity of the everyday life and psychological character of the heroes is striking.
At the center of the story are people with vivid individual characters and complex fates. The life path of Grigory Melekhov is most deeply shown. This hero is a reflection of the entire Don Cossacks. His quest for life is the fate of all representatives of this social culture. Peasant labor was the most important in the life of each of them. And the example of the protagonist shows how difficult it was to abandon the usual way of life, from proximity to land and peasant labor to a simple Don Cossack. The novel is full of picturesque landscapes. The beauty and colors of nature occupy an important place in the whole narrative of the novel "Quiet Don".
M. Sholokhov formulated the reviews about the writing as follows: “The writer who is able to embellish reality, trying to spare the feelings of the reader, is bad.” And in the great epic novel, as proof of these words, there are not only the beauty of the Don nature and the noble feelings of the main characters, but also monstrous morals bordering on wildness.
Grigory Melekhov
The heroes of the novel are complex, multifaceted images. The main one is Grigory Melekhov. At the beginning of the work he is shown as a man accustomed to peaceful peasant labor. It should be said about the author's style, filled with vibrant vibrant colors and a specific flavor. “The feet of Gregory are accustomed to trample the earth,” - these words complement the image of Gregory and create a portrait of a person intended for work and family life. However, youth and southern blood become decisive in his fate. He fell in love with a married woman. The strength of his feelings is confirmed by his decisive actions, one of which is leaving his family and serving as a groom.
One of the storylines is the story of the extraordinary love of Gregory and Aksinya. Reviews of the book "Quiet Flows the Don" left a large number of F. G. Biryukov. The Soviet literary critic who rejected the opinion of Sholokhov's plagiarism, in particular, said that in creating the novel the author was far from idyllic. In the great work there is patriarchalism, antediluvian manners, and domestic backwardness. But the particularly dark side of human life is shown in chapters on war. The protagonist sees the dirt of human life, and he is overcome by confusion and great doubts.
Gregory at war
The horror of military morals, which Melekhov witnessed, leads to the fact that he does not know which side he should go to. He sees fratricide, death. Gregory meets with the "red" Cossack, which affects his worldview. But later he sees his terrible violent death and goes over to the side of the “whites”. But here, he does not leave the uncertainty in the correctness of the choice made. Countless wanderings on Russian soil, covered by war, robbery and poverty, end with the return to their home, once formerly crowded and noisy. Only the son and sister of Gregory survived - the civil war spared no one.
“Quiet Don” is a novel, a review of which is left by almost every outstanding personality in the literature of the XX century. Lithuanian writer J. Avizius said that the author of this great work was not constrained by any rules and canons. And therefore, the novel is written powerfully, and the burning truth of life lives in it. “In its form, the novel has a rare integrity, as if cut out of a single clay,” wrote J. Avizius.
The subject of research by many prominent historians and literary critics was The Quiet Don. Criticism, reviews of the novel - the theme of a great many critical articles. The opinion of V.V. Petelin about the main character of the work is reduced to the concept of the typical character of this character. According to the literary critic, Gregory is a symbol of the whole people, a collective image of all those who survived the tragedy during the years of the revolution. And there were millions of them.
Axinha
The main character is the artistic embodiment of passion, impulse and instincts. Her fate is tragic and could not be different, given the events that took place in her father's house. Aksinya was the victim of domestic violence. This fact cast a shadow on the relationship with the young husband. But Aksigny’s love changes as the story progresses. The heroine is getting older, and at the same time her feeling is becoming mature. At the beginning of the novel, it is selfish, and upon completion it resembles maternal care, becomes sacrificial.
With subtle psychologism, he depicted the main images in the novel "Quiet Flows the Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov. Reviews, opinions about the book, despite the incessant debate about authorship, agree on one thing - this is a great work. Aleksei Tolstoy emphasized that although the life of the Don Cossacks is extremely picturesque in this creation, universal and national themes nevertheless come to the fore.
The image of Don
Particular attention in the novel is paid to the image of the Cossacks. Not far from the village of Veshenskaya, where the main characters live, lies the great mighty Don. He is nothing but a symbol of the life of the whole people. The title of the book contrasts with the events that are outlined in it. The life of the families of the Melekhovs, Astakhovs and other characters is not at all filled with peace and quiet. But the image of the river symbolizes the aspirations and aspirations of the heroes that Mikhail Sholokhov created in the novel "Quiet Flows the Don". Reviews of this book by Sergei Mikhalkov are a comparison of the role of Don in the work of the Soviet writer with the Volga in Gorky's works.
Natalya
About Sholokhov’s mastery, mainly representatives of Soviet literature left positive reviews and reviews. "Quiet Don", according to the writer Yu. V. Bondarev, is a book in which the fates of ordinary people are in the foreground. Representatives of the people later became favorite images in the work of pro-Soviet authors. But we must pay tribute to the artistic gift of the writer, who created portraits of heroines, who later became the most striking in the history of all literature. These are images of both passionate Aksinya, and quiet loving Natalia, and frivolous Daria.
The wife of Grigory Melekhov is the embodiment of selfless love, tenderness, infinite maternal love. In the early years of marriage, she is not capable of manifesting feelings. Natalia is too young, and her temper is by no means hot. This pushes Gregory to the incessant comparisons of his wife with her beloved Aksinya.
Natalia’s fate is sad, as is the life of her rival. Gregory rushes between her and his mistress and cannot find happiness anywhere. But, in spite of everything, she continues to love and be faithful. The death of Natalia Melekhova leads to the fact that the love triangle is broken. Nothing now hinders the happiness of Gregory and Aksigny. However, there is still war, which brings with it adversity, hardships and death. And there is nothing stronger than her.
Ilyinichna
The unprecedented power of maternal love and wisdom is possessed by Ilyinichna. She knows life and the order that reigns in her. The wisdom of this woman proves her attitude to the daughter-in-law. She again takes Natalia to her house and, in short conversations, seeks to convey her experience to her. Ilyinichna knows how to restore peace in the house, as evidenced by her relationship with Pantelei Prokofievich. She alone is able to curb the wild hot temper of this man. And she also knows that only love for children can unite parents.
Pantelei Prokofievich
The head of the Melekhov family is a tough and hardworking person. There are too obvious features of an outdated patriarchal worldview. Melekhov Sr. believes that he has the right to punish the unfaithful wife of the eldest son. And he independently finds the bride to the youngest, which is too high-handed action, even taking into account the mores of that time. But in the soul of Pantelei Prokofievich lives kindness, tenderness. These qualities are manifested primarily in relation to Natalia. It hurts the father because the daughter-in-law is unloved by his son. He seeks justice. And although he has a rather peculiar concept about her, only good intentions move his actions.
Peter Melekhov
In beauty and charm, the older brother Gregory is inferior. But at the beginning of the novel, wisdom, calmness, good nature are manifested in it. Later, in the chapters that tell about military service, a slightly different Peter looms before the reader. This one is cunning, knows how to adapt. There is no hot blood in him that makes relatives of his father, younger brother and sister. And there is no that noble desire for independence, uniting members of the Melekhov family.
Darya
Another interesting female image is the wife of Peter. Daria - attractive, slim. Family life did not deprive her of girlish beauty. But a burning desire to live, to be happy pushes her to commit all sorts of misconduct. The scariest of them is murder. However, having contracted a “bad disease” due to erratic love relationships, she deliberately drowns in a deep river.
Reviews
Mikhail Sholokhov spoke about the novel “Quiet Don” as a work that was not easy for him. In it, he reflected the old and new Russia, and most importantly - a painful turning point that crippled the fate of people. Adversity and hardship also influenced the character of the heroes, who change significantly throughout the story.
The book “Silent Don” has national value. Mikhail Sholokhov was named by Yu. V. Bondarev a thorough historian whose work turned out to be much more important than the works of those researchers who tend to confuse rather than clarify.
The question of who wrote The Quiet Don is officially closed. The authorship of this novel is proven. Created the novel "Quiet Don" Sholokhov Mikhail Alexandrovich. Researchers who have done a long serious work have the right to express other opinions. But still the phrase “the young author of the greatest novel in four volumes” sounds, at least, implausible. But, perhaps, the point is all in the incomparable talent, which manifested itself in only one book.