| Property |
Value |
| Publisher |
Azbuka-Atticus Publishing Group / Azbuka |
| Page Count |
1328 pages (complete text of the epic) |
| Book Weight |
45.4 oz (~1290 grams) |
| Book Dimensions |
5.9 x 2.1 x 8.5 in (150 x 54 x 216 mm) |
About the Book
Presenting the first two volumes of Mikhail Sholokhov’s supreme epic masterpiece, And Quiet Flows the Don, which earned the author the Nobel Prize in Literature. This monumental work offers a sweeping, highly detailed chronicle of a pivotal era in Russian history: the twilight of the Russian Empire, the horrors of World War I, the chaotic revolutionary upheavals of 1917, and the brutal dawn of the Russian Civil War.
Plot and Main Characters
The narrative centers on the fate of the Don Cossacks, viewed through the lens of Tatarsky village and the proud Melekhov family. The protagonist, Grigory Melekhov, is a passionate, headstrong, and deeply honest Cossack caught in the gears of historical change. His personal journey mirrors the broader tragedy of his nation.
- Volume 1 immerses the reader in the vibrant, tradition-bound, yet rigid daily life of the Cossack community. It tracks the explosive, forbidden love affair between Grigory and his married neighbor, Aksinya Astakhova. In a desperate bid to tame his son, Grigory's father forces him to marry Natalya, igniting a bitter domestic conflict. The peaceful pastoral era shatters as World War I begins, dragging the Cossacks away to the frontlines.
- Volume 2 shifts to the grim trenches of the Eastern Front and the radicalized streets of Petrograd. As the Tsarist regime collapses, the military unravels. Grigory desperately seeks political and moral truth, searching for a path toward true justice. He finds himself torn between the White movement fighting for the old order and the Red Bolsheviks, witnessing shocking atrocities on both sides. Brother turns against brother, tearing the Don region completely apart.
Core Themes and Literary Value
Sholokhov masterfully captures the unique Cossack dialect, ancient customs, fierce temperaments, and their profound, spiritual connection to the land. The epic explores timeless themes: the agonizing search for truth amidst political chaos, the horrific cost of civil strife, the sanctuary of family, and the unstoppable force of love. It stands not merely as a historical archive, but as a piercing psychological study of human resilience crushed by the wheels of history.
