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Born | Grigory Chkhartishvili 20 May 1956 (age 63) Zestaponi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union |
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Pen name | Anatoly Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, Akunin-Chkhartishvili |
Occupation | Writer, journalist, translator |
Nationality | Russian |
Alma mater | Institute of Asian and African Countries at Moscow State University |
Period | 1980s–present |
Genre | detective and historical fiction |
Notable works | Erast Fandorin series |
Website | |
www.akunin.ru |
- Boris Akunin Books For Free Download
- Boris Akunin Books For Free 2017
- Boris Akunin Books For Free Shipping
- Boris Akunin Books In Order
Boris Akunin: the Evil Spirit or Good Luck of Modern Russian Fiction? 2002 AEI paper analyzing Akunin's works; Russian library site containing the full texts of most of Akunin's novels, including all three Pelagia novels, two Nicholas Fandorin novels, and all Erast Fandorin books except The Jade Rosary and All the World's a Stage; Boris Akunin. Erast Petrovich Fandorin is a Sci-Fi-ish 19th century Russian detective agent and the hero, main character of a series of Russian historic detective books by Boris Akunin. Boris Akunin is the put in writing name of Grigory Chkhartishvili, who was born in the Republic of Atlanta in 1956. A philologist, essayist, critic, and translator of Japanese. For people tired of the quick-cut-styled screen-written books by 'New York Times Best Selling Authors' (which I am not sure is a praise anymore), Akunin offers a fresh breath of air with his innovative story-telling yet again. Half the book is in reported speech, filled with letters and notes, wh. Order of Erast Fandorin Books Erast Fandorin is the protagonist in a series of historical mystery novels by Russian novelist Boris Akunin. Erast Fandorin exists in 19th century Russia, where he has joined the police force at a young age and became a detective extraordinaire.
Boris Akunin (Russian: Борис Акунин) is the pen name of Grigori Chkhartishvili (Russian: Григорий Шалвович Чхартишвили; Georgian: გრიგორი ჩხარტიშვილი) (born 20 May 1956), a Russian writer. He is best known as writer of detective and historical fiction. He is also an essayist and literary translator. Grigory Chkhartishvili has also written under pen names Anatoly Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, and Akunin-Chkhartishvili.
- 4List of works
Life and career[edit]
Chkhartishvili was born in Zestaponi[1] to a Georgian father and a Jewish mother and lived in Moscow from 1958 until 2014.[1] Since then he has lived between Britain, France and Spain. Influenced by Japanese Kabuki theatre, he joined the historical-philological branch of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University as an expert on Japan. He worked as assistant to the editor-in-chief of the magazine Foreign Literature,[1] but left in October 2000 to pursue a career as a fiction writer.[1]
Under his given name of Grigory Chkhartishvili, he serves as editor-in-chief of the 20-volume Anthology of Japanese Literature,[1] chairman of the board of a large 'Pushkin Library ' (Soros Fund),[1] and is the author of the book The Writer and Suicide (Moscow, The New Literary Review, 1999). He has also contributed literary criticism and translations from Japanese, American and English literature under his own name.[1] He is left handed, and has been known to smoke a pipe.
Under the pseudonym Boris Akunin, he has written many works of fiction, mainly novels and stories in the series The Adventures of Erast Fandorin, The Adventures of Sister Pelagia, The Adventures of the Master (following Nicholas Fandorin, Erast's grandson), all published in Russia by Zakharov Books, and the Roman-Kino ('Novel-Film') series set during World War I. Akunin's specialty is historical mysteries set in Imperial Russia. It was only after the first books of the Fandorin series were published to critical acclaim that the identity of B. Akunin (i.e., Chkhartishvili) was revealed.
Boris Akunin Books For Free Download
Chkhartishvili 'prefers to work with historical material' and has been called the 'undisputed champion' of Russian crime fiction given that as Boris Akunin he 'has written more than a dozen crime novels and has been widely appreciated by discerning readers . . . and has been translated into many languages.'[2]
'Akunin' (悪人) is a Japanese word that translates to 'bad man'. In his novel The Diamond Chariot, the author redefines an 'akunin' as one who creates his own rules.[1]
Akunin has been critical of Vladimir Putin's domestic and foreign policies, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014.[3] In 2012, Putin attributed Akunin's critical attitudes to his Georgian background.[4][5]
Awards and honors[edit]
In the year of 2000, Akunin was nominated for the Smirnoff-Booker Prize. In September 2000, Akunin was named Russian Writer of the Year and won the 'Antibooker' prize in 2000 for his Erast Fandorin novel Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs.
In 2003, the British Crime Writers' Association placed Akunin's novel The Winter Queen on the short list for the Dagger Award in Fiction. In 2004, he was a member of the jury at the 26th Moscow International Film Festival.[6]
Adaptations[edit]
Four Fandorin novels, The Winter Queen, The Turkish Gambit, The State Counsellor, and The Decorator, were made into big-budget Russian movies.
An English remake of The Winter Queen was in production. It was set to start filming in 2007, but the leading actress, Milla Jovovich, became pregnant, and the production process was delayed to unknown date.
Additionally, Pelagia and the White Bulldog was made into a TV mini-series in 2009, while The Spy Novel came out in a 2011 theatrical release as The Spy.
List of works[edit]
- Erast Fandorin series (publication dates in parentheses). Each historical mystery novel is assigned its own subgenre of detective fiction (conspiracy, political, etc.):
- The Winter Queen, original title Azazel / Азазель (1998). A conspiracy mystery. 1876. The 20-year-old Fandorin begins his career by accidentally stumbling over a plot for world domination.[7]
- The Turkish Gambit / Турецкий гамбит (1998).[8] A spy mystery. 1877. Fandorin takes part in the Russo-Turkish War and the Siege of Plevna as he is trying to uncover a Turkish spy.
- Murder on the Leviathan, original title Leviathan / Левиафан (1998).[9] A closed set-up mystery. 1878. Fandorin investigates a murder while traveling on a steamship headed from England to India.
- The Death of Achilles / Смерть Ахиллеса (1998).[10] A hired assassin mystery. 1882. Upon returning from diplomatic service in Japan, Fandorin tackles the mysterious death of Mikhail Skobelev (called Sobolev in the novel) in a Moscow hotel.
- Special Assignments:
- The Jack of Spades / Пиковый валет (1999).[11] A novella about confidence men. 1886. Fandorin hunts down a clever gang of swindlers.
- The Decorator / Декоратор (1999).[12] A novella about a maniac. 1889. After ending his string of murders in England, Jack the Ripper surfaces in Moscow.
- The State Counsellor / Статский советник (1999). A political mystery. 1891. Revolutionary terrorism in late 19th-century Russia takes center stage, as Fandorin is pursuing a group of daring radicals.
- The Coronation / original title Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs (Коронация, или Последний из Романов) (2000). A high society mystery. 1896. The plot surrounds the ascension of Tsar Nicholas II, whose family is being blackmailed by an international supervillain.
- She Lover of Death / Любовница смерти (2001). A decadent mystery. 1900. A decadent suicide society causes a stir in Moscow.
- He Lover of Death / Любовник Смерти (2001). A Dickensian mystery. Simultaneously with the decadent society investigation, Fandorin is looking into a series of murders in the slums of Khitrovka, Moscow.
- The Diamond Chariot / Алмазная колесница (2003). An ethnographic mystery. Events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 set against a flashback to Fandorin's diplomatic service in Yokohama in 1878.
- Yin and Yang /Инь и Ян (2006). A play about Erast Fandorin, set in 1882.
- The Jade Rosary / Нефритовые четки (2006). Seven short stories and three novellas set between 1881 and 1900. Some of the 'holes' in the narrative are filled, including Fandorin's service in Japan, his investigations in the 1880s while a Deputy for Special Assignments in the Moscow city administration and his adventures in America.
- All the World's a Stage / Весь мир театр (2009). A theatrical mystery. 1911. The 55-year-old Fandorin has his life turned upside-down when investigating strange incidents in a fashionable Moscow theater.
- The Black City / Черный город (2012). 1914. While pursuing a daring Bolshevik terrorist, Fandorin goes to the Azerbaijani capital Baku, where his wife is shooting a motion picture.
- Planet Water / Планета Вода (2015). Three novellas set between 1903 and 1912: Planet Water (1903, a treasure hunt in the Atlantic), A Lonely Sail (1906, a cruel murder of an abbess from a distant monastery), and Where Shall We Paddle? (1912, a pursuit of a cruel train robber in Poland).
- Not Saying Goodbye / Не прощаюсь (2018). A novel set between 1918 and 1921. In his final adventure, Erast Fandorin finds himself in a country radically transformed by the Revolution and the Russian Civil War.
Note: (The Jack of Spades and The Decorator were published together in a single volume, Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin / Особые поручения.)
- Sister Pelagia series (about a crime-solving nun in turn-of-the-20th-century provincial Russia):
- Pelagia and the White Bulldog / Пелагия и белый бульдог [1] (2000). A bishop of a large Volga province sends an astute nun Pelagia to look into mysterious deaths of his aunt's prize-winning dogs.
- Pelagia and the Black Monk / Пелагия и черный монах (2001). Mysterious events in a remote monastery force bishop Mitrofani to start an inquiry, which only leads to more tragedy.
- Pelagia and the Red Rooster / Пелагия и красный петух (2003). A stranger who has started a new sect in provincial Russia becomes the focus of sinister and deadly plots.
- Nicholas Fandorin series (about Erast Fandorin's grandson, a modern-day British historian):
- Altyn Tolobas / Алтын-толобас [2] (2000). Nicholas visits Russia in 1995 to investigate artifacts left by his ancestor, Cornelius von Dorn, a German soldier in the service of the Russian czar in the 17th century. Cornelius's story is told in alternating chapters.
- Extracurricular Reading/ Внеклассное чтение (2002). Nicholas' adventures in Moscow in 2001 are told together with a story of a 7-year-old prodigy entangled in a regicidal plot at the end of Catherine the Great's reign.
- F.M. (2006). Nicholas is looking for a lost Dostoevsky manuscript, a fictional original draft of Crime and Punishment written as a detective novel.
- The Falcon and the Swallow / Сокол и Ласточка (2009). Nicholas and his British aunt are looking for a treasure in the Caribbean. The origin of the treasure is told in a story about Laetitia von Dorn (Cornelius's niece) set in 1702.
- The Genres Project (novels written in different fiction genres, each book's title refers to the particular genre):
- Children's Book / Детская книга (2006). Erast Fandorin Jr. (Nicholas' ten-year-old son) goes on a time-travelling adventure.
- Spy Novel / Шпионский роман (2006). Set in 1941, just before Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. State security officers are on the trail of a deeply embedded German spy.
- Science Fiction / Фантастика (2006). Two young men cope with their mysteriously acquired superpowers in the Soviet Union's dying days.
- Quest / Квест (2008). In 1930, an Indiana Jones-like American scientist and two of his colleagues go to Moscow in an attempt to disrupt Soviet eugenics experiments. The novel imitates a computer game. The second part of the narrative, called Codes to the Novel is set in 1812, during Napoleon's invasion of Russia.
- Children's Book For Girls / Детская книга для девочек (2012). Co-authored with Gloria Mu. Angelina Fandorina (Erast Jr.'s twin sister) goes on a time-traveling, world-saving quest of her own.
- Brüderschaft with Death (A 'cinematic novel', written as a collection of ten novellas ('films') about the rivalry between Russian and German intelligence during World War I. Each 'film' is written in a different cinematic genre. There are two main characters in the series: Alexei Romanov and Sepp von Theofels). The following 'films' have been released in Russian:
- The Infant and the Devil / Младенец и черт (2007). Comedy. July 1914. A German ace of espionage is trying to steal the plans of Russian military operations, as a young St. Petersburg student unexpectedly interferes.
- The Torment of a Broken Heart / Мука разбитого сердца (2007). Melodrama. November 1914. Junior sergeant Alexei Romanov, sent away from the front after being wounded, takes part in an operation in Switzerland, where Russian intelligence is attempting to neutralize a 'dealer in secrets.'
- The Flying Elephant / Летающий слон (2008). Aeronautic adventures. April 1915. Captain von Theofels infiltrates Russia's Special Aviation Corps in order to sabotage the development of the world's first heavy bomber, the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets.
- Children of the Moon / Дети Луны (2008). A decadent étude: August 1915. Ensign Romanov, fresh after completing the Russian General Staff's counter-intelligence course, goes undercover into a Petrograd society of young decadents. One of the members is about to transfer a copy of secret military documents to a German spy.
- The Wandering Man / Странный человек (2009). Mystical. December 1915. Major von Theofels is trying to discredit the head of Russian military intelligence. To achieve his goal he is trying to get close to a mysterious 'Wanderer' who greatly resembles the historical Grigory Rasputin. The Russian title plays with the double meaning of the word 'странный': wandering (archaic meaning) and strange, weird.
- Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble! / Гром победы, раздавайся! (2009). Front-line sketch. April 1916. Junior lieutenant Romanov's adventures at Russia's South-Western Front, as he is trying to ensure the secrecy of the plans for the impending Brusilov Offensive.
- Mariya, Maria.. / 'Мария', Мария .. (2010). A true tale of the sea. October 1916. Major von Theofels has a new assignment, to sabotage the Russian battleship Imperatritsa Mariya.
- Nothing Sacred / Ничего святого (2010). A hellish scheme of the Germans. November 1916. Von Theofels and his nemesis Alexei Romanov are about to meet again as the German spy is preparing an assassination of Czar Nicholas II. This time, Romanov, now a lieutenant, is a much more worthy opponent.
- Operation Transit / Операция 'Транзит' (2011). Preapocalyptic. April 1917. With Russia facing political turmoil after the February Revolution, the Germans hope to further the collapse by helping the Bolshevik leader V. I. Lenin return to the country. Major von Theofels' new assignment is to ensure his safe passage.
- The Angels Battalion / Батальон ангелов (2011). Apocalyptic. Summer 1917. With Russia's ability to sustain the war at an end and the army demoralized, the Russian Provisional Government creates the Women's Battalion of Death in order to boost the soldiers' morale. Stabskapitän Alexei Romanov joins the strange outfit as an instructor.
- History of the Russian State (История Российского государства). A series of non-fiction books documenting the history of Russia from the 9th century to 1917, complemented by a series of fictional works.
- A Part of Europe - From the beginnings to the Mongol Conquest | Часть европы - От истоков до монгольского нашествия (2013). History of Russian statehood from its beginnings (9th century) up to the Mongol Conquest (early 13th century).
- The Fiery Finger | Огненный перст (2013). Three historical novellas set between the 9th and 13th centuries: The Fiery Finger (the adventures of a Byzantine spy in the Slavic lands in 856 AD), The Devil's Spittle (political games at the court of Yaroslav the Wise in 1050) and Prince Cranberry (about a young ruler of a tiny duchy, located dangerously close to the Wild Steppe, in 1205).
- A Part of Asia - The Horde Period | Часть Азии - Ордынский период (2014). History of Russian statehood under the Mongol rule (from early 13th century to mid-15th century).
- Bosch and Schelm | Бох и Шельма (2014). Two historical novels. The first novel tells of a horrific invasion of Tartars (Mongols) in 1237 and is narrated from both the Russian and Mongolian perspectives, falling into the Tragic Genre. The second novel is about the adventures of a smart swindler who is wandering around Russia and the neighbouring countries on the eve of dramatic events – the great Battle of Koulikovo in 1380 where the united Russian army faced the army of the Golden Horde. The novel is comical and belongs to the Picaresque genre.
- Between Asia and Europe - From Ivan III to Boris Godunov | Между Азией и Европой - От Ивана III до Бориса Годунова (2015). History of Russian statehood from Ivan III (mid-15th century) up to Boris Godunov (first years of the 17th century).
- Widow's card or Widow's kerchief | Вдовий плат (2016). Two historical novels. Widow's card is set in the times of Ivan III, while The mark of Cain takes place during Ivan IV's reign.
- Between Europe and Asia - The Seventeenth Century | Между Европой и Азией - Семнадцатый век (2016). Russia's emergence from The Time of Troubles and the reigns of the early Romanovs.
- Sennight of the Three-Eyed | Седмица Трехглазого (2017). A historical detective novel, relaying the life of a 17th-century Moscow sleuth and a play To Kill The Snakelet about Peter the Great's coup to overthrow princess Sophia Alekseyevna.
- Asiatic Europeization - Czar Peter Alexeyevich | Азиатская европеизация - Царь Пётр Алексеевич (2017). The reign of Peter the Great foundation of the Russian Empire.
- Nutshell Buddha | Ореховый Будда (2018). A novel about the adventures of a Japanese monk and an orphan Russian girl in Peter the Great's Russia.
- Non-series books:
- The Seagull / Чайка, Комедия в двух действиях (2000). A reworking of Anton Chekhov's Seagull as a mystery[13]
- Comedy/Tragedy / Комедия/Трагедия (2000). Two plays, Hamlet, a Version and Mirror of Saint Germain
- Fairy Tales for Idiots / Сказки для Идиотов (2000).[14] A collection of short stories, not related to any of the series.
- Screenplays / Сценарии (2006). Original screenplays written by Akunin for three of his novels.
- Photos as Haiku / Фото как хокку (2011). A collection of biographical stories sent in by the readers of Akunin's blog.
- The Most Frightening Villain and other stories / Самый страшный злодей и другие сюжеты (2012). A collection of blog posts from 2010 to 2011.
- A Real Princess and other stories / Настоящая принцесса и другие сюжеты (2013). A collection of blog posts from 2011 to 2012.
- The most mysterious secret and other stories / Самая таинственная тайна и другие сюжеты (2014). A third collection of blog posts.
- The Northern sentry and other stories / Северный Часовой и другие сюжеты (2015). A fourth collection of blog posts.
- As Grigory Chkhartishvili:
- The Writer and Suicide / Писатель и самоубийство (1999). A non-fiction study of suicide in literary circles throughout history.
- Cemetery Tales / Кладбищенские истории (2004). Written as both Boris Akunin and Grigory Chkhartishvili, the book consists of literary essays about cemeteries in different parts of the world, each accompanied by a macabre short story. One of the short stories (Shigumo) features Erast Fandorin, and is included in The Jade Rosary.
- As Boris Akunin-Chkhartishvili:
- Aristonomia / Аристономия (2012). Akunin's first attempt to write 'serious literature', as opposed to genre fiction. The novel is set during the turmoil of the February and October Revolutions and the Russian Civil War, with philosophical ruminations on the nature and development of human dignity woven into the plot.
- Another Way / Другой Путь ' (2015). The novel is set in 1927, as Joseph Stalin is consolidating power. The main character finds true love and continues his philosophical work, now on the subject of intimacy and love's transformative powers.
- Happy Russia / Счастливая Россия (2017). The story continues in 1937, at the height of Stalin's purges. A secret society of Moscow freethinkers, who philosophized about an ideal future for their country, is investigated by the secret police.
Plans[edit]
As Akunin has indicated in interviews, the Sister Pelagia series is finished (only three books were ever planned) and so, in all likelihood, is the Nicholas Fandorin series. The Alexei Romanov/Sepp von Theofels series, planned for 10 novellas, was completed in 2011. The other two projects will continue. In particular, Akunin plans to write two more Erast Fandorin books, both collections of short stories and novellas, similar in structure to The Jade Rosary and taking place entirely during the 20th century.[15]
The Genres project may continue as well, with Akunin possibly exploring new genres. He has also stated he may write more Akunin-Chkhartishvili novels to continue the story and to further develop the ideas from Aristonomy.
In March 2013, Akunin announced in his blog that he was going to wind down his career in detective fiction (though he still plans to finish the Erast Fandorin series as promised) and begin concentrating his energy on a new big project, History of the Russian State. He plans to write eight volumes of history, from the Middle Ages to the Russian Revolution, aiming to make it completely 'non-ideological' yet interesting to read. Accompanying each volume of history, there will be a book of fiction taking place in the same time period. All the fiction pieces will be parts of one, long family saga. The first part of the project was released in November, 2013. It includes two volumes, A Part of Europe (a volume of history, covering the period between the formation of the Kievan Rus in the 9th century and the beginning of the Mongol conquest of Russia in the 13th century) and The Fiery Finger (a collection of three novellas, set in the same time period). The second part was released in 2014, and the third part in 2015/2016.
Anatoly Brusnikin[edit]
In November 2007, AST, one of the publishing houses with which Akunin is affiliated, came out with a historical mystery novel by a new author, Anatoly Brusnikin, called Девятный спас (Devyatny Spas, The Ninth Savior). Despite the fact that Brusnikin was a complete unknown, AST spent lavishly on an advertising campaign for the book, which almost immediately resulted in rumors that Brusnikin might actually be Akunin in a new disguise.
The rumors about the authorship of Devyatny Spas were also fueled by the total secrecy surrounding the person of the author and the fact that his name, A. O. Brusnikin, is an exact anagram of Boris Akunin. AST has also released a photograph of Brusnikin, which greatly resembled Chkhartishvili's face.[16]
In January 2012, two years after the second Brusnikin novel was published and just prior to the release of the third one, Chkhartishvili admitted in his blog that it was indeed him hiding under a new nom-de-plume. The reason for creating another alter ego was Akunin's desire to write historical novels without a mystery component and to attempt a 'Slavophile' look at Russian history in lieu of his usual 'Westerner' outlook. The Brusnikin 'photograph' was revealed to be a combination of Chkhartishvili's face with the face of a studio designer who made the picture.
To date, three Brusnikin novels have been written.
- The Ninth Savior / Девятный Спас (2007). Set in the beginning of Peter the Great's reign, it follows the lives of three friends (clearly modeled after the Three Bogatyrs of the Russian folk tales) and a scion of the Romanovs named Vasilisa (modeled after Vasilisa the Wise) and their involvement in a series of sinister plots.
- A Hero of A Different Time / Герой иного времени (2010). An homage to Lermontov's A Hero of Our Times, it is set during the Caucasus War in the early 1840s.
- Bellona / Беллона (2012). The Crimean War is the main subject.
Akunin has said he has no definite plans to write more Brusnikin novels, though he remains open to the possibility.[17]
Anna Borisova[edit]
At about the same time as Brusnikin had made his appearance, Chkhartishvili's other disguise, Anna Borisova, hit the bookstores relatively undetected. In this literary experiment Chkhartishvili wanted to attempt to write as a woman and to get away from detective and adventure fiction. Similar to the Brusnikin ruse, the 'photograph' of Borisova released by the publisher was actually a combination of Chkhartishvili's face with that of his wife.[18]Borisova's work, though not overly complicated, is more literary and philosophical in nature. There were three Borisova novels written.
- There.. / Там .. (2007). Victims of a terrorist attack in Moscow experience afterlife, each in accordance with their very different beliefs.
- The Idea-Man / Креативщик (2009). A mysterious stranger walks the streets of Saint Petersburg, telling people strange and fascinating stories.
- Vremena goda (2011). Set in a French retirement home for Russian-speaking clientele. The main characters are a young Muscovite doctor suffering from a potentially fatal brain aneurism and a supercentenarian owner of the home incapacitated by the Locked-in syndrome.
Akunin has said that he will not write any more Borisova novels 'unless I get a sex-change (surgery).'[17]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefghЧхартишвили, Григорий. Collection of materials by Lenta.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 26 November 2009.
- ^The Case Of The Missing Russian Crime Novel. Igor Pomerantsev. Radio Free Europe. NEWS STORIES AND DOCUMENTS. July 31, 2009.
- ^'Ukraine crisis: Russians opposed to Putin'. BBC News. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^Whitmore, Brian (January 19, 2012). 'Putin Vs. Akunin'. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^'Boris Akunin: what it means to be a Georgian'. New Statesman. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^'26th Moscow International Film Festival (2004)'. MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Азазель''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Турецкий гамбит''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Левиафан''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Смерть Ахиллеса''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Пиковый валет''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. 'Декоратор''. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. Чайка'. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Б. Акунин. Сказки для Идиотов'. Akunin.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Борис Акунин готовится представить читателям новую книгу!'. Shoppingonline.ru. 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^'Акунин с Брусникиным - на одно лицо! //'. Kp.ru. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^ abborisakunin 16 января, 13:45 (2012-01-16). 'Любовь к истории - Ответы на вопросы и Обращение за помощью'. Borisakunin.livejournal.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ^borisakunin 11 января, 13:13 (2012-01-11). 'Любовь к истории - Проект 'Авторы': Анна Борисова'. Borisakunin.livejournal.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-22. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boris Akunin. |
- (in Russian)Akunin's site (contains the full text of ten novels)
- (in Russian)Akunin's personal blog
- (in Russian)Fandorin.ru Official Site of Erast Fandorin and other Akunin characters
- (in Russian)The Erast P. Fandorin Virtual Museum
- Akunin.net Akunin's published books in Russian, English, German and French, last updated in 2005
- 2002 AEI paper analyzing Akunin's works
- Russian library site containing the full texts of most of Akunin's novels, including all three Pelagia novels, two Nicholas Fandorin novels, and all Erast Fandorin books except The Jade Rosary and All the World's a Stage
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boris_Akunin&oldid=915703938'
Erast Petrovich Fandorin | |
---|---|
Oleg Menshikov as Erast Fandorin in the 2005 movie The State Counsellor | |
First appearance | The Winter Queen |
Created by | Boris Akunin |
Portrayed by | Oleg Menshikov Egor Beroev Ilya Noskov |
Information | |
Alias | Erast Petrovich Nameless ('He Lover of Death'), Genji ('She Lover of Death'), Erast Petrovich Kuznetsov ('Before the End of the World') |
Nickname | Funduk (schoolmates); Erasmus (Count Zurov) |
Gender | Male |
Title | from Collegiate Registrar (1876) to State Counsellor (1891) |
Occupation | April–May 1876: Moscow police clerk May–September 1876, July 1877-March 1878: Agent of the Third Section September 1876-July 1877: Volunteer in the Serbian Army 1878-1882: Diplomat 1882-1891: Deputy for Special Assignments under the Governor-general of Moscow 1891-1904: private investigator, engineer and adventurer 1904-1905: Consulting engineer for the Railroad Police Department. |
Spouse | Yelizaveta 'Lizanka' von Evert-Kolokoltseva (1876), Eliza Altairskaya-Lointaine (1911-1914), Yelizaveta Anatolievna (last name unknown, possibly married c. 1919) |
Children | Alexander Fandorine (son), born 1920/21 |
Erast Petrovich Fandorin (Russian: Эраст Петрович Фандорин) is a fictional 19th-century Russian detective and the hero of a series of Russian historical detective novels by Boris Akunin.
The first Fandorin novel (The Winter Queen, rus. - Азазель) was published in Russia in 1998, and the latest and the last one in 2018 ( Not Saying Goodbye , rus. - «Не прощаюсь» ). More than 15 million copies of Fandorin novels have been sold as of May 2006,[1] even though the novels were freely available from many Russian web-sites and the hard-copies were relatively expensive by Russian standards.[2] New books in the Fandorin series typically sell over 200,000 copies in the first week alone,[2] with an unparalleled (for mystery novels) first edition of 50,000 copies for the first books to 500,000 copies for the last.[3][4]
The English translations of the novels have been critically acclaimed by, among others, Ruth Rendell.[5]
- 2Personal life
- 4Novels
![Boris Boris](https://c9j8f5b7.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/el-angel-caido-boris-akunin.jpeg)
Background[edit]
In the Soviet Union, detective novels enjoyed mass popularity. Although they were seen as a 'low genre' by the communist officials, both local (such as Vayner brothers and Julian Semenov), and foreign detective novels have always been avidly coveted.[6][7]
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many trashy detective novels were published that featured a lot of gore and sex.[8] Akunin's wife, in common with many other Russians,[9] started to enjoy reading this genre of literature. However, she did not want to be seen reading the novels and she always wrapped them in brown paper to prevent people from seeing what she was reading.[7][10][11] This inspired Akunin to create a detective novel which nobody would be ashamed to be caught reading,[11] something between the literature of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky and the pulp of modern Russian detective novels.[12]
He set out to write a cycle about Fandorin with an exploration of every subgenre of the detective novel in mind, from spies to serial killers.[1] In addition, he wanted to address different types of human character in his books. As Akunin identified sixteen subgenres of crime novels, as well as sixteen character types, the novels in the Erast Fandorin series will ultimately number sixteen. As of December 2009, thirteen novels have been published in Russia. The series is titled Новый детективъ (New detective, or New Mystery). This title serves to set the novels apart from the postmodernist intellectual novels as well as from the trashy detective novels,[4] but it is also a subtle play on the use of time in the novels.[6]
Akunin uses many historical settings for his novels. He uses the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire as background for the novel The Turkish Gambit; the death of the 'White General' Mikhail Skobelev (as 'Mikhail Sobolev') in The Death of Achilles; and the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II and the Khodynka Tragedy for Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs. Akunin uses the gaps in the knowledge of these histories to create an atmosphere for his mystery novels to which readers can relate.[4]
Boris Akunin Books For Free 2017
Personal life[edit]
Biography and career[edit]
Akunin describes in The Winter Queen how Erast Fandorin was orphaned at the age of nineteen. He never knew his mother, and his father died bankrupt, leaving only debts. Fandorin had to abandon his education at Moscow University and was forced to enter the police force as a clerk. Since the events in The Winter Queen take place in the spring of 1876 (when Akunin says Fandorin is twenty), this places his birth some time in the year 1856. Further hints at Fandorin's ancestry are given in another novel, Altyn Tolobas, one of four novels set in the present day and featuring Fandorin's grandson Nicholas, where Akunin writes of how Captain Cornelius von Dorn, a Germanhorseman, entered Russia in c. 1680. Erast Fandorin represents the 8th generation counting from Cornelius, the German name von Dorn having been Russified to Fondorin in the 18th century, and later to Fandorin by the 19th century.
In The Winter Queen, Fandorin falls in love with a seventeen-year-old girl, Elizaveta, whom he meets while he is investigating his first case. On their wedding day, she was killed by a bomb in a package addressed to Fandorin himself. At the time of the explosion, Fandorin was out pursuing the person who delivered the bomb and thus miraculously escaped without physical harm. The trauma of losing his bride leads to a lifelong slight stammer in Fandorin and a premature greyness at the temples.
In The Turkish Gambit, Fandorin is charged with the capture of a Turkish spy during the war between Russia and the Ottoman empire. Upon his return, he requests to be stationed in a remote post, and becomes second secretary to the Russian ambassador in Japan. His adventures in Japan are detailed in the second part of The Diamond Chariot and in Jade Rosary Beads. In Japan, he saves the life of the fallen yakuza Masa, who becomes his manservant as a token of gratitude. He learns martial arts, including ninjutsu, and trains in them every day with Masa. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Fandorin fathers a child with a Japanese woman during a brief but intense love affair. Fandorin tragically never learns of the survival of his lover or their son, though some details of their lives are described in the novel. In The Death of Achilles Akunin describes how Fandorin returns to Russia, only to find his old friend General Mikhail Sobolev murdered. Fandorin enters the service of The Governor-General of Moscow, Knyaz Dolgoruki (a fictionalized version of Vladimir Dolgorukov [ru]).
Fandorin rises from the rank of Collegiate Registrar to that of Collegiate Counsellor over the years 1876 to 1891 (ranks XIV and VI in the Table of Ranks, respectively).
In The State Counsellor, set in 1891, Fandorin is accused of the murder of the high-ranking official General Khrapov. After he clears his name, Fandorin is offered the job of Oberpolizeimeister but declines, instead resigning from public service and becoming a private investigator. He then leaves for America, studying engineering at M.I.T., in 1895, as told in Jade Rosary Beads. In The Coronation, Fandorin returns to Russia in time to prevent an international scandal from occurring during the coronation of TsarNicholas II of Russia in 1896. In 1905, Fandorin protects the Trans-Siberian Railway from Japanese saboteurs during the Russo-Japanese War.
Allusions to the fate of Fandorin are made in Altyn Tolobas. Late in life Fandorin marries again and has at least one son, Alexander, who is born in exile in London in 1920, his mother having left Russia in 1919 while pregnant, which implies that Erast Fandorin died in that year in the turmoils of the Russian Civil War. Alexander's son, Nicholas Fandorin, is born around 1960.
Physical appearance and other characteristics[edit]
Boris Akunin provides the reader with a vivid portrait of Erast Fandorin. Fandorin is of average height, with a thin build. He has a small moustache, blue eyes and black hair. The death of his wife caused his hair to turn grey at the temples almost overnight, as described in The Winter Queen. It also caused him to stammer, but this tends to diminish as tensions rise. Fandorin is always impeccably groomed and can be vain about his appearance; in The Winter Queen he wears a corset to improve his figure. He is a gifted linguist; in various novels he speaks English, French, German and Japanese with fluency, as well as a working knowledge of both Serbian and Turkish in The Turkish Gambit.
In every novel, Fandorin is described as a master of disguise, which he uses to infiltrate criminal hideouts and in stakeouts. When he is disguised, he does not stammer at all. In The Coronation, Fandorin explains that this is because he always takes on the personality of the disguise, which often requires that he should not stammer. In The Winter Queen, he learns to present evidence by making a list: 'That is one. That is two. And that is three'. He is brave and determined, and has to kill several men during his investigative career, but he is still sickened by the sight of blood. While in Japan, he learns the art of the ninjas (or 'silent ones', as they are referred to in the novels). He is physically fit and athletic. In his later years, Fandorin becomes an enthusiast of the newly invented automobile.
Fandorin is exceptionally lucky, a common trait in the Fandorin family that skips every other generation; allusions to this character trait appear in every novel. He never loses a bet, and wins at all sports. He has however lost the appetite for gambling, as it soon became boring. He can be popular with the opposite sex, partly because he still mourns the loss of his first wife - this sadness seems to attract women.[2]
Allusions and references to other works[edit]
According to Akunin, he mixed several of the most sympathetic heroes of Russian literature to form the Erast Fandorin character.[13] One of these heroes is Chatsky from Alexander Griboyedov's Woe from Wit, from whom Fandorin inherits his sense of duty: 'To serve the cause, not the individuals'.[2] Other heroes Erast Fandorin is based upon are Andrei Bolkonski (from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace), Prince Myshkin (from Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot) and Pechorin (from Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time).[10]
Akunin said he 'plots along the line of Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day'.[14] The orphaned urchin Senka, the narrator of He Lover of Death, is clearly based upon Oliver Twist (also pointed out by the subtitle of that novel: a Dickensian story).[2] The entire first volume of The Diamond Chariot is an allusion to Alexander Kuprin's Junior Captain Rybnikov,[6] and the opening sentence of The Winter Queen is a clear reference to Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.[6] A more subtle allusion exists to Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, as the novel The Winter Queen starts with a suicide in 1876, exactly the same year in which Anna throws herself under a train.[4] Another allusion to Anna Karenina can be found in The Jack of Spades, where Fandorin's current girlfriend, who is married to another man, has the same patronymic (Arkadievna) as Anna Karenina herself. In Murder on the Leviathan, one of the newspaper fragments is signed by G. du Roy, an allusion to the journalist Georges Duroy from Guy de Maupassant's Bel Ami.[4]
In The Death of Achilles the hired killer Achimas is mentioned as having been secretly hired by the Italian government to kill an anarchist nicknamed 'The Jackal' who plans to kill King Umberto - yet Achimas himself bears considerable similarity to the hired killer nicknamed 'The Jackal' who plans to kill Charles de Gaulle in Frederick Forsyth's 'The Day of the Jackal'.Furthermore, Achimas' lifestory mirrors that of the Iliad'sAchilles and the events described in the second part of the novel allude to Homer's work.
Novels[edit]
English title | Russian title | Russian original publication | English translation | Genre | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Winter Queen | Азазель (Azazel) | 1998 | 2003 | Conspiracy mystery | ||
The Turkish Gambit | Турецкий гамбит | 1998 | 2005 | Spy novel | ||
Murder on the Leviathan | Левиафан (Leviathan) | 1998 | 2004 | Agatha Christie-type mystery | ||
The Death of Achilles | Смерть Ахиллеса | 1998 | 2005 | Hired killer mystery | ||
Special Assignments | The Jack of Spades | Особые поручения | Пиковый валет | 1999 | 2007 | A novella about confidence men |
The Decorator | Декоратор | A novella about a maniac | ||||
The State Counsellor | Статский советник | 2000 | 2009 | Political mystery | ||
The Coronation | Коронация, или Последний из Романов (Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs) | 2000 | 2009 | High society mystery | ||
She Lover of Death | Любовница смерти (Mistress of Death) | 2001 | 2009 | Decadent mystery | ||
He Lover of Death | Любовник смерти (Lover of Death) | 2001 | 2010[15] | Dickensian mystery | ||
The Diamond Chariot | Алмазная колесница | 2003 | 2011[16] | Ethnographic mystery | ||
Ying and Yan | Инь и Ян | 2006 | Experimental play | |||
Jade Rosary Beads | Нефритовые Четки | 2006 | Different for each story in collection | |||
All the World's a Stage | Весь мир театр | 2009 | 2017 | Theatrical mystery | ||
The Black city | Черный город | 2012 | English translation announced for November 2018 | Thriller, political mystery | ||
Planet Water | Планета Вода | 2015 | Technocratic mystery, Nostalgic mystery, Idiotic mystery | |||
Not saying goodbye | Не прощаюсь | 2018 | Historical |
Akunin's stated goal in creating the Fandorin series was to try as many approaches to detective fiction as possible.
The Winter Queen[edit]
Moscow, 1876. The 20-year-old Erast Fandorin, recently orphaned, enters civil service as a clerk in the Criminal Investigations Department of the Moscow Police. While investigating a scandalous but, seemingly, quite straightforward case of public suicide by a rich young man, Fandorin uncovers a powerful and terrible conspiracy.
The Turkish Gambit[edit]
Pleven, 1877. During the Russo-Turkish war of 1877, an encrypted message is mysteriously altered, leading to strategic gains by the Turks. Fandorin, an agent of the Third Section (Russia's secret police), is ordered to find the Turkish spy before more damage to the Russian cause is done.
Murder on the Leviathan[edit]
Red Sea, 1878. A terrible mass murder is committed in Paris and clues lead 'Papa' Gauche, a French police inspector on board the British steamshipLeviathan, sailing from Southampton to Calcutta. Fandorin, now a diplomat newly appointed to a post in Japan, is one of the passengers. Will Gauche's experience and Fandorin's talents be enough to uncover the killer?
The Death of Achilles[edit]
Moscow, 1882. After four years of diplomatic service in Japan, Fandorin returns to Moscow with his Japanese manservant Masa. He arrives just in time to hear about the premature death of war hero Mikhail Sobolev, who apparently suffered heart failure in his hotel room. Fandorin, who has just assumed the post of the Governor-General's Deputy for Special Assignments, is very suspicious of the circumstances of Sobolev's death. Before long, his investigation will lead him to another quite extraordinary man.
Special Assignments[edit]
Special Assignments (Russian: Особые поручения) is a single volume containing two different novellas, The Jack of Spades (Russian: Пиковый валет) and The Decorator (Russian: Декоратор). They both deal with Fandorin's service as the Deputy for Special Assignments (hence the name) for the Moscow Governor-General Prince Dolgorukoi. In 'The Jack of Spades', set in 1886 Moscow, Fandorin and his assistant Tulipov pursue a crafty con man who has successfully tricked the Governor-General himself. In 'The Decorator', set in 1889 Moscow, Fandorin and Tulipov chase a serial killer who might be Jack the Ripper himself.
The State Counsellor[edit]
- External link: The State Counsellor: List of characters for the reader
Moscow, 1891. Disguised as Fandorin, the leader of a revolutionary Combat Group murders a reactionary general. The attack having occurred in Moscow Province, Prince Dolgorukoi's career is put into grave danger. After Fandorin is cleared, he attempts to pursue the Combat Group and its leader Mr. Green, an extremely tough and resourceful man. Police official Prince Pozharsky, dispatched from St. Petersburg, takes over the case and proves to be quite a talented man in his own right. Pushed aside, Fandorin must find a way to rescue his boss' reputation.
The Coronation[edit]
Moscow, May 1896. The imperial family moves to Moscow for the coronation of TsarNicholas II. However, Nicholas' 4-year-old cousin Mikhail is abducted and the kidnapper demands a diamond from the royal sceptre as ransom. The absence of the diamond in the sceptre would create an international scandal. The kidnappers are a world-famous gang headed by mysterious international supercriminal Dr. Lind. Erast Fandorin, now a private detective, has been tracking Lind from America to Russia and is ready to offer his assistance to the imperial family.
She Lover of Death[edit]
Moscow, 1900. Fandorin deals with a suicide club. The action takes place contemporaneously with the events of He Lover of Death. It is told from the point of view of 'Columbine', a Moscow debutante from Irkutsk, whose attraction to decadent literature and a sentimental nature may prove to be fatal. The theme of the novel is an allusion to Robert Louis Stevenson's short-story cycle The Suicide Club.
He Lover of Death[edit]
Moscow, 1900. The action takes place contemporaneously with the events of She Lover of Death. It is told from the point of view of Senka, a boy from the Khitrovka slums, who has gotten himself mixed up in very dangerous criminal activity. Fandorin and Masa, in Moscow investigating the suicide club, offer their assistance to the reluctant Senka.
The Diamond Chariot[edit]
This novel consists of two parts. In the first part, set during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Fandorin, in charge of protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway from sabotage, is tracking down a Japanese agent. In the second part, set in 1878, Fandorin's arrival in Yokohama and his adventures there are recounted. Upon entering diplomatic service, he is immediately mixed up into a political assassination plot and crosses a clan of ninjas. In a way that does not become apparent until the end, this story is related to the first part of the novel.
The title Алмазная Колесница ('Diamond Chariot') refers to the Kongōjō school of Tantric Buddhism. The first part is structured as a haiku, with each chapter taking the place of a syllable, while the second part is meant to serve as a 'meaning between the lines' of the haiku.
Jade Rosary Beads[edit]
Jade Rosary Beads (Russian: Нефритовые четки) about Fandorin's adventures in the 19th century was issued in Russia on 21 November 2006. The book contains three novellas and seven short stories, some of which take Fandorin abroad to England, America, and France. It is illustrated by Igor Sakurov.[17]
Each short story and novella is dedicated to a different author and includes allusions to that author's works. The plots of the short stories in this volume are as follows:
- Shigumo (Сигумо). Set in Yokohama in 1881, during Fandorin's diplomatic service in Japan. A private investigation of a former colleague's death leads Fandorin to explore Japanese mysticism. The story serves as a 'postscriptum' to The Diamond Chariot. Dedicated to Sanyutei Encho.
- Table-Talk, 1882 (Table-Talk 1882 года). Shortly after the event described in The Death of Achilles Fandorin is invited to a high-society gathering where he is presented with a six-year-old unsolved mystery of a disappearance of a rich land-owner's daughter. On a bet, Fandorin agrees to solve the case without leaving the room. Dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe.
- From the Lives of Woodchips (Из жизни щепок). One year into his new job as a Deputy for Special Assignments, Fandorin is asked to investigate the poisoning of a Russian railroad tycoon. He undertakes the investigation by going undercover as a clerk in the victim's company. Dedicated to Georges Simenon, as Fandorin uses a 'psychological method' similar to that of Simenon's Maigret.
- Jade Rosary Beads (Нефритовые четки). The year is 1884 and Fandorin is looking into the brutal murder of an antiques salesman who, among other things, sold Oriental souvenirs. The story deals with Chinese culture and is dedicated to Robert van Gulik.
- The Scarpea of the Baskakovs (Скарпея Баскаковых). In the fall of 1888 Fandorin sends his personal assistant Tulipov to a village outside of Moscow, where the populace is disturbed by an alleged appearance of a giant snake. According to a legend, such a snake is to bring the end to the local noble family and Fandorin suspects foul play. The story is dedicated to Arthur Conan Doyle and contains many parallels to Conan Doyle's novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.
- One Tenth Percent (Одна десятая процента). This story takes place in 1890 as Fandorin is investigating an apparent murder, but is baffled by the suspect's complete lack of motives. Dedicated to Patricia Highsmith.
- Tea in Bristol (Чаепитие в Бристоле). Shortly after the events described in The State Councillor Fandorin finds himself in England, mulling over his future and renting a room from a kindly old lady, Miss Palmer. The ex-detective grows fond of the sharp-minded spinster and together they decide to unravel the curious disappearance of Lord Berkley. The dedication is to Agatha Christie, while Miss Palmer is an homage to (and an anagram of) Christie's character of Miss Marple.
The short stories are followed by three novellas.
- Dream Valley (Долина Мечты). The year is 1894 and Fandorin is living in America, studying engineering at MIT. But his fame as a detective follows him there and soon he is off to Wyoming to help a local bigwig out of a difficult situation. This piece is written in the genre of a Western and is dedicated to Washington Irving.
- Before the End of the World (Перед концом света). Set in 1897, this story follows Fandorin to the Russian North, where he is observing the first census of the Russian Empire. The local Old Believers are opposed to the government's initiative and somebody is stirring them up. Fandorin, naturally, gets involved into this religious-themed mystery, dedicated to Umberto Eco.
- The Prisoner of the Tower, or A Short But Beautiful Journey of Three Wise Men (Узница башни, или Краткий, но прекрасный путь трех мудрых). Set at the dawn of the new century (31 December 1899), this story is dedicated to Maurice Leblanc and his short story Herlock Sholmes Arrives Too Late. In a stately château in northern France, a local noble is terrorized by the famed extortionistArsène Lupin. In desperation, the noble sends for both Sherlock Holmes and Erast Fandorin to help him out of the seemingly impossible situation. The story is told from two points of view, those of Holmes' companion Dr. John Watson and Masa, Fandorin's Japanese manservant.
All the World's a Stage[edit]
Moscow, 1911. Somebody is menacing the leading actress of the 'Noah's Ark Theatre' Eliza Altairskaya-Lointaine. At first she discovers a viper in her flowers. Then all men, who love her, either die or get killed. The 55-year-old Fandorin tries to investigate this mystery and help Eliza, but falls in love himself. In order to gain Eliza's heart he writes a play for the 'Noah's Ark Theatre', in which Eliza has the leading part. Will Fandorin be able to set his mind on the villain, or will he be completely captured by the object of his affection?
The Black City[edit]
Baku, 1914. This is the novel about the adventures of Erast Fandorin in the city of Baku (center of the Oil industry in the Russian Empire), before the First World War. His enemy is one of the main leaders of the Revolutionary movement, who is in charge of financing the 'Party'.
Planet Water[edit]
Three novellas: 'Planet Water', 'The Lonely Sail' (taking place in the remote province of Zavolzhsk), and 'Where Shall We Go' (taking place in Warsaw, Russian Poland, Dec. 31, 1912)
Not Saying Goodbye[edit]
The sixteenth, and possibly final book of the Erast Fandorin Series, consisting of three novellas set between 1917 and 1918. With the subtitle of 'Adventures of Erast Fandorin in the XX century. Part two', the Russian release of the novel is scheduled for February 8, 2018.
Stage[edit]
Ying and Yan is an original play featuring Fandorin. Subtitled A theatrical experiment, it features both a 'white version' and a 'black version'. When a wealthy man dies, Fandorin is brought in to clarify some points of the will. After the murder of several characters, Fandorin (assisted by his manservant Masa) needs his sleuthing skills once more. The black version leads to a diametrically opposed result to that of the white version, due to some minor changes in evidence found in the beginning of the play. This play is notable for the comic element introduced by Masa's limited knowledge of Russian—he has begun copying out words from the dictionary but so far has gotten only to the letter 'D'. The play was commissioned by director Aleksey Borodin.
Typography[edit]
Akunin uses typography to enhance the story that is being told. Newspaper stories are typeset in a different font (see The Turkish Gambit). He even goes so far that chapters written from the perspective of a Japanese (see Leviathan) are rotated ninety degrees to give the illusion of traditional Japanese writing. (This effect is omitted in the American edition of Leviathan.)
Translations[edit]
Novels from the Erast Fandorin series have been translated into more than 30 languages.[4] Because Akunin saw the English-language market as key to the rest of the world, he was very cautious when selecting the person who was allowed to translate the Fandorin novels into English, eventually choosing Andrew Bromfield.[1] As of 2011 all the Fandorin novels through The Diamond Chariot had been translated into English. Random House, the American publisher, published only the first four novels.[8] The British publisher is Weidenfeld & Nicolson, a division of Orion Publishing. The fate of future novels was uncertain as Orion Publishing referred to The Diamond Chariot as the 'finale' to the series.[18] After a long hiatus, in September 2017, All the World's a Stage was released, and Black City is expected in November 2018.[19]
Each of the first three translated novels have sold over 50,000 copies in the UK alone.[20]The Winter Queen has been described as the possible result if Aleksandr Pushkin had written mystery novels, and Andrew Bromfield was lauded as one of England's finest translators from Russian.[11] Critics were also very favorable about Murder on the Leviathan, but less so about The Turkish Gambit, which offers a far slower pace than The Winter Queen.[21]The Death of Achilles has again been received very positively.[22][23]
All novels up to The Black City have been translated into French, Serbian and German. DutchpublisherDe Geus has completed its announced translations of the first seven novels.[24] Translations for the other novels have not yet been announced.The first eight novels have been translated in Norwegian. The whole cycle has been translated into Polish by Jerzy Czech and have been published successively since 2003 by Świat Książki (World of Books) Publishing. All the novels have been translated into Bulgarian. The first ten novels has been translated into Hebrew.[25]Only the first 7 novels (up to Coronation included) and The Diamond Chariot have been translated into Italian.
Adaptations[edit]
Azazel was filmed for television in 2003 by Alexander Adabashyan, and has also been adapted for the stage in Russia.[26] Reviews of the play have not been very favorable and have called it long, windy, talky and situational,[26] or entertaining but plodding.[27]
In 2005, two further Fandorin novels, The Turkish Gambit and The Councillor of State, were made into big-budget movies by Dzhanik Faiziyev and Filip Yankovsky respectively. The adaptation of The Turkish Gambit set a new box office record in Russia of 19.23 million USD,[28] beating The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by more than 5 million USD.[29] It was met by criticism from the Russian military, who said the film stains the memory of general Mikhail Skobelev.[30]The Turkish Gambit won three Golden Eagle Awards (best art design, best costume design and best film editing), while The Councillor of State won two awards (best leading actor for Nikita Mikhalkov and best supporting actor for Konstantin Khabensky).[31]
In 2005 a BBC Radio Adaptation of Murder on the Leviathan was made starring Simon Robson as Fandorin.
Ying and Yan has also been performed on stage in Russia, with both versions performed back-to-back on two consecutive days. They met with critical acclaim.[27] Prior to September 2006, all Erast Fandorin films, plays and television programs have been made in Russian only.
The Winter Queen has also been adapted as a graphic novel by Aleksey Kuzmichev.
Paul Verhoeven owns the rights to a future English-language film version of The Winter Queen.[32] Filming was scheduled to start in July 2007, with Milla Jovovich as the female lead actress,[33][34][35] but was postponed due to Jovovich's pregnancy.[36] The film has been rescheduled for 2010, with Jovovich, Anton Yelchin cast as Erast Fandorin, and Russian director Fyodor Bondarchuk replacing Verhoeven, who is producing.[37]
In 2012, the author, Boris Akunin has announced in his own blog that the book The Diamond Chariot will be adapted into TV Series, production project of Central Partnership. Sergey Ursulyak is set to direct the series. In 2013, Slovokino Production company began to work on adaptation of the book 'Special Assignments'. Danila Kozlovsky has been cast as Erast Fandorin in the film 'The Decorator' that expected to be aired on 2017.
Awards[edit]
- The Crime Writers' Association of Britain nominated Akunin for the 2003 Dagger Awards for The Winter Queen, a translation of the novel Azazel.[38]
- Murder on the Leviathan was nominated for Best European Crime Novel in the Gumshoe Awards 2005.[39]
- Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs won the Russian Anti-Booker 2000 in the category Brothers Karamazov.[9]
See also[edit]
Boris Akunin Books For Free Shipping
References[edit]
- ^ abcJurjevics, Juris (11 May 2006). 'The Death of Achilles: A Fandorin Mystery (includes interview with author)'. San Diego Reader. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
- ^ abcdeLeon Aron, 'A Private Hero for a Privatized Country' in Russian OutlookArchived 2006-08-16 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 17 August 2006.
- ^Early news of All the World's a Stage sales[permanent dead link], retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ abcdefYulia Idlis, 'B. Akunin's Fandorin Saga: To Be Continued?', Kultura 1, 2006, pp. 10-15, retrieved 23 September 2006 (PDF).
- ^Ruth Rendell, Fiction: The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin trans by Andrew Bromfield, The Sunday Times, 12 May 2003Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 26 September 2006.
- ^ abcdSofya Khagi, Toronto Slavic Quarterly, 'Boris Akunin and Retro Mode in Contemporary Russian Culture'Archived 2014-01-23 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 11 September 2006.
- ^ abSan Francisco Chronicle, 'Russian writer is onto a rare thing -- a series of good detective novels', retrieved 17 August 2006.
- ^ abSteven Lee Myers, New York Times, 'A Russian intellectual turns to crime (fiction)'Archived 2006-09-08 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 11 September 2006.
- ^ abVsevolod Brodsky, Context, Letter from RussiaArchived 2006-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 11 September 2006.
- ^ abTelegraph, 'The masked man', retrieved 17 August 2006
- ^ abcRichard Lourie, New York Times, 'If Pushkin had written mysteries', retrieved 18 August 2006.
- ^The Independent, 'Boris Akunin: The riddler of Russia'Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 29 August 2006
- ^Patrick Lannin (Reuters), 'Russian gentleman detective tops bestseller lists', 19 Februari 2001 Archived 2006-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 26 September 2006.
- ^Boris Akunin's interview with NPR's All things considered, 31 July 2000, retrieved 29 September 2006 (RealAudio required).
- ^Per Amazon UK listing for 'He Lover of Death'
- ^'The Diamond Chariot: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin [Hardcover]'. Amazon.co.uk. Amazon. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- ^[1] News article
- ^'Boris Akunin - The Diamond Chariot - Orion Publishing Group'. Retrieved 14 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^Depository, Book. 'Black City : Boris Akunin : 9781474604437'. www.bookdepository.com. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- ^Times Online, 'A Russian's revolution', retrieved 29 August 2006.
- ^The Boston Globe, 'Mystery charms with misdirection', retrieved 29 August 2006
- ^The Boston Globe, 'Akunin delights again with 'Achilles' whodunit', retrieved 29 August 2006
- ^The Washington Times, 'Fandorin in Moscow', retrieved 29 August 2006
- ^(in Dutch)Author info on Boris Akoenin by Dutch publisher De GeusArchived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^מלמד, אריאנה (11 February 2016). בוריס אקונין מוביל אותנו אל החצר האחורית של יפן [Boris Akunin Leads Us to the Backyard of Japan]. הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ abThe Moscow Times, 'When the characters don't live up to the craftmanship'Archived 2006-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 8 September 2006
- ^ abThe Moscow Times, 'Seeing double'Archived 2006-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 8 September 2006
- ^Mosnews, Costume Drama Beats Foreign Competition at Russian Box Office', 8 April 2005Archived 17 January 2004 at Archive.today, retrieved on 30 September 2006.
- ^Berliner Zeitung, 'Ich liebe die Russen' (German)Archived 2011-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 29 August 2006
- ^The Guardian, 'Russian military bombards hit film', retrieved 8 September 2006.
- ^Golden Eagle Awards 2005 (Russian)Archived 2015-04-10 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^The many dreams of Paul Verhoeven, retrieved 18 August 2006
- ^Milla Jovovich: Verhoeven's Russian Queen of Crime, retrieved on 23 April 2007
- ^Info on Milla Jovovich's official website, retrieved 23 April 2007
- ^Interview with Paul Verhoeven, 28 February 2007, retrieved on 24 April 2007
- ^(in Dutch)'Paul Verhoeven postpones new film', retrieved 22 May 2007.
- ^'Jovovich is Queen', joblo.com
- ^2003 Dagger AwardsArchived 2006-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Gumshoe Awards 2005Archived 2006-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
External sources[edit]
- Dmitry Babich, 'The Return of Patriotism?'[permanent dead link], retrieved 17 August 2006.
- Rebecca Reich, The St. Petersburg Times, 'Akunin's plot thickens', retrieved 17 August 2006.
- Author's Website: www.akunin.ru Includes the complete texts, in Russian, of the first six Erast Fandorin novels.
- Fan site Fandorin.ru
- The Moscow News, 'Boris Akunin: Murder by Cliches', retrieved 7 September 2006.
- Leon Aron, 'A champion for the bourgeoisie: reinventing virtue and citizenship in Boris Akunin's novels' in The National Interest, Spring 2004, retrieved 29 September 2006.
- Akunin website containing the Russian texts of all Erast Fandorin novels through The Diamond Chariot
Boris Akunin Books In Order
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