Lyudmila Ulitskaya, one of the most famous writers in Russia and translated abroad, answers questions from Psychologies.
1 What are you reading now?
David Shahar, “Summer on the Street of the Prophets”*. Life so happened that I had to spend seven months in Jerusalem, from April to November, and I walked quite a lot around the city with my feet, both in the Old, and in the middle-old, and in the new. The books of David Shahar, although they contain, as expected, heroes, and a plot, and all sorts of historical reminiscences, are written in such a way that it is clear that the main character in them is the city of Jerusalem. And he is absolutely inexhaustible. Well, I’m reading it now to extend my presence a little, or something …
2 A book that you re-read from time to time.
I constantly reread the poems of Mandelstam, Brodsky, they are at hand. But there are many other poets as well. A year ago, my “ancient” period ended. I read Ovid, Catullus, and some Roman prose anew, completely anew. Wonderful reading. And recently I reread Bunin’s “Dark Alleys” for the umpteenth time and realized that I grew out of this reading. Or old. It does not touch at all what touched before. Moreover, the hero suddenly, at the last reading, seemed vulgar. Twenty years ago, I would have torn out the eyes of anyone who dared to say such a thing.
3 A book that is good for the whole family to read.
My sons and I read Dante, Shakespeare, a bit of Tolstoy, I remember Bulgakov… Of course, I did. Well, they sometimes fell asleep after getting warm. But until now they give the impression of quite cultured people, although I’m not sure that they then re-read all this. The book in this place can be almost any good one, the process of joint reading is important. I “gave” Moby Dick to my grandson at a time when he was still too tough for him: they looked at the pictures, I told how it was. Here, to my indignation, a cartoon came out with a sweet little blue Moby Dick. The grandson looked, and all my upbringing was spoiled!
4 The funniest book ever…
The Constitution of the Russian Federation.
5 Which writer would you like to talk to personally and why?
At first I thought – maybe O. Henry? Or maybe Rimbaud? Or Rilke? It’s in the first minute. In the second minute – no, I don’t want to communicate with anyone. Writers are for the most part important people, inflated, with great ambitions. I would love to talk to one of the musicians.
* Bridges of Culture, Gesharim, 2004.