Quietly on the Don

Author: Sholokhov
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-08-01
Features: The Don River flows quietly across the vast land of Russia. With his scorching southern colors, Sholokhov depicts for us a vivid picture of the life of the Cossacks on both banks of the Don River from the World War I to the Russian Civil War. The novel has two plot threads: one centers on the Melekhov family, reflecting the customs and social practices of the Cossacks; the other revolves around the struggle between revolution and counter-revolution triggered by the activities of a Bolshevik group, as well as the political struggles among all social strata. These two threads crisscross, unfold layer by layer, and advance step by step, drawing readers into the turbulent life of the Cossack countryside and sharing their joys and sorrows with the characters in the book. Sholokhov spent fourteen years writing this epic-length novel. After its publication, Sholokhov gained widespread acclaim and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1965. This work easily reminds us of Tolstoy's War and Peace, with equally grandiose concepts, majestic momentum, profound life content, rich and diverse characters, and vivid, moving descriptions, making these two works remarkably similar in spirit.