Nikolai Zharinov's golden bookshelf: five books many people unfairly put off until "someday"
August is the month when summer no longer feels endless and the evenings grow longer and more contemplative. Writer, philologist and cultural historian Nikolai Zharinov believes this is the perfect time to reach for the novels that have long been waiting on the shelf — books postponed for "someday" because they seemed too long, too serious, or simply required the right frame of mind. At the National Centre RUSSIA, the expert shared five books that many readers have overlooked for far too long — and quite unfairly.
Topping his golden list is Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain". According to Nikolai Zharinov, many readers are intimidated by its length, despite the fact that it is an exceptionally engrossing novel. A story about time, love, illness, philosophy and Europe on the eve of catastrophe, it is, he says, the perfect companion for August's long evenings and an ideal opportunity to finally conquer this literary summit.
The second recommendation is Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Life of Monsieur de Molière". Less well known than "The Master and Margarita", the novel deserves no less attention, says the cultural historian: "It is at once a biography of a great playwright, a reflection on the fate of the artist, and a subtle autobiography of Bulgakov himself."
Third on Nikolai Zharinov's August reading list is John Steinbeck's "East of Eden". This sweeping American novel explores family, free will, and the nature of good and evil. Despite its scale, it is remarkably accessible thanks to its vivid characters and compelling narrative. It is one of those rare novels that leaves readers reluctant to begin another book once they have turned the final page.
The fourth recommendation is Iris Murdoch's "The Black Prince". Nikolai Zharinov advises: "If you have long wanted to discover Iris Murdoch, this is the best place to start. It is simultaneously an intellectual novel, a psychological thriller and a literary game in which every chapter changes the reader's understanding of what has gone before."
Rounding off the list is Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveller". Many readers, according to the expert, assume it is overly difficult, when in fact it is one of the most entertaining novels ever written about the act of reading itself. Calvino constantly engages in dialogue with the reader, plays with expectations and reminds us why we love literature in the first place. August, says Nikolai Zharinov, is the perfect time to indulge in this subtle intellectual game.
According to Nikolai Zharinov, all five novels reward patient, unhurried reading — but above all, they require the right moment. And perhaps the final month of summer is exactly when these books, so often saved for "someday", will finally have their chance. The only regret, he suggests, may be not having discovered them sooner.
