Ludmila Oulitskaïa Boeken

One of Russia’s most renowned literary figures and a Man Booker International Prize nominee, Ludmila Ulitskaya presents what may be her final novel. Jacob’s Ladder is a family saga spanning a century of recent Russian history—and represents the summation of the author’s career, devoted to sharing the absurd and tragic tales of twentieth-century life in her nation. Jumping between the diaries and letters of Jacob Ossetsky in Kiev in the early 1900s and the experiences of his granddaughter Nora in the theatrical world of Moscow in the 1970s and beyond, Jacob’s Ladder guides the reader through some of the most turbulent times in the history of Russia and Ukraine, and draws suggestive parallels between historical events of the early twentieth century and those of more recent memory. Spanning the seeming promise of the prerevolutionary years, to the dark Stalinist era, to the corruption and confusion of the present day, Jacob’s Ladder is a pageant of romance, betrayal, and memory. With a scale worthy of Tolstoy, it asks how much control any of us have over our lives—and how much is in fact determined by history, by chance, or indeed by the genes passed down by the generations that have preceded us into the world.

Ljudmila Ulickaja's "Sonechka" tells the heartwarming and poignant story of a woman's life, set against the backdrop of Soviet and Russian history. Sonechka's existence unfolds during the harsh realities of Stalinism, World War II, and the era of existing socialism. The protagonist, a shy and unremarkable librarian, possesses a singular passion: an unwavering love for great Russian literature, which she has fervently embraced since childhood. Her true life is intertwined with the world of literature, experiencing the heartbreak of Anna Karenina as deeply as she feels her own sister's pain. In a narrative rich with literary references, Sonechka ultimately finds her soulmate, willing to leave the vibrant realm of literature for the bleakness of reality, only to face disillusionment in a manner befitting a novel. The story resonates with themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in both literature and life.

Quelle meilleure manière de commencer l'année qu'en compagnie des plus grands auteurs ? Que ce soit dans un appartement moscovite avec Ludmila Oulitskaïa, dans le décor d'une ville de Flandre avec Georges Simenon ou dans un club parisien avec Louis Aragon, le Nouvel An promet d'être inoubliable. Dans la nuit, Aurélien aperçoit le pâle rayonnement des chiffres de sa montre, minuit... Il y a une sorte de joie noire qui enveloppe les êtres perdus, séparés de ne plus voir, une bousculade qui se cherche, des cris, des rires, la voix vénitienne du gros Lulli en anglais : "Happy new year ! Happy new year !".