What do the writers themselves read? What authors, plots and characters make a particularly strong impression on them? Every month famous Russian writers answer questions from Psychologies.
1 What are you reading now?
With the exception of what is reread, these are memoirs, diaries, memoirs (mainly literary ones). Of the relatively recent ones for me — Berberova’s «Italics is mine» (AST, Astrel, 2010) and Emma Gerstein’s memoirs about Mandelstam («Memoirs», Zakharov, 2002). Reading today’s fiction does not give me pleasure.
2 The book that helped me get through the hard times.
Perhaps these were books about even more difficult times. Kidding. In fact, hard times increase the urge to read (and perhaps write). Immersion in fiction (one’s own or someone else’s) helps to overcome reality. It is difficult to name a specific book… well, maybe he addressed Chekhov more often than others.
3 Favorite book as a child.
«Childhood of the Theme» by Garin-Mikhailovsky. Why is she? It was one of the first books I read on my own. It was in the hospital; I was just going through hard times.
4 The book that inspired you to create.
Perhaps it was the other way around. Among other things, my own reader dissatisfaction prompted me to write. I suddenly had nothing to «read» and wanted to help the national literature on my own.
5 The book that made you cry.
I remembered, I remembered, and I remembered. Once, in deep childhood, he burst into tears after reading Chekhov’s «Rothschild’s Violin».
6 And laugh?
Wouldn’t it be trite to name Gogol? Still, for example, Pushkin’s letters.
7 With which of the departed writers would you sit at the same table and talk?
I prefer to sit at the table with books, but not with their authors. Live writing communication often resembles a wedding, where everyone is the groom. For me, the departed writer is always better than the present one.