Many Russians will be spending their vacations at various \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [resorts]. And as it happens, some will have \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> or several, depending on their length of stay and the amount of time they spend by the pool or on the beach. The more the better I say!<\/p>\n You see, in Russian the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> can mean either an affair or a novel. I figure, reading a few novels \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u044f <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043f\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [while sunbathing on the beach] isn\u2019t such a bad way to spend one\u2019s summer.<\/p>\n The question, in my mind, is not \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [to read or not to read], but \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [what to read]. On one hand, there\u2019s light reading, both in terms of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [content] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441 <\/strong>\u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [book\u2019s weight].<\/p>\n These usually tend to be easy-flowing pieces such as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [romance novels], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [crime fiction], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [science fiction] and various other \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0440\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u00bb<\/strong> [books that are popular, but not necessarily substantial; run-of-the-mill books].<\/p>\n The compound word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0440\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u00bb<\/strong> means \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0431\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [items of popular consumption] and is frequently used disparagingly with the meaning of \u201crubbish\u201d as in<\/p>\n \u00ab\u042f \u043d\u0435 \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u041a\u043e\u044d<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043e, \u0442\u0430\u043a \u043a\u0430\u043a \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u043b\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0430, \u0430 \u0448\u0438\u0440\u043f\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431 \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439-\u0442\u043e\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n [I don\u2019t read Coelho because it\u2019s rubbish and not intellectual literature]<\/p>\n (to all Coelho fans out there – it is just an example and does not reflect my personal opinion on the author)<\/p>\n But I digress\u2026 Let\u2019s get back to our question of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u044d<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u0438\u043c <\/strong>\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [what to read this summer]. If light reading \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0430\u043c <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [isn\u2019t your cup of tea] then how about choosing some heavier books, both in terms of substance and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [page count]?<\/p>\n May I suggest the following:<\/p>\n This list is by no means all-inclusive as there\u2019s lots more great Russian literature, both prose and poetry, classical and contemporary, with movies and without. The list above is an excerpt from a list of so-called \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0435\u0435 <\/strong>\u0447\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [summer reading] for high school students in Russia (grades 9 through 11).<\/p>\n Now, you might note that reading all these books (or even watching all the movies) is very time-consuming. You might argue that reading everything on the list would take up all your free time and none would be left for \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> in its meaning of a summer fling.<\/p>\n You\u2019re right, of course! But let me tell you, it is so worth it. Remember, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0430 <\/strong>\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0441\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Russian literature is better than sex<\/a>]! BTW, let\u2019s add \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440 <\/strong>\u0416\u0438\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [Doctor Zhivago] to the summer reading list.<\/p>\n Whatever you choose to do this summer in terms of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong>, remember to use sufficient protection. Considering the length of these books, I think SPF 100 should do the trick.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s on your summer reading list?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Finally, \u00ab\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0438\u043b\u043e \u043b\u0435\u0442\u043e\u00bb [summer is here]! There are lots of not so good things that are associated with summer – \u00ab\u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0430\u043d\u044b\u00bb [hurricanes], \u00ab\u043b\u0435\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u0440\u044b\u00bb [forest fires], \u00ab\u0436\u0430\u0440\u0430\u00bb [heat], \u00ab\u0437\u0430\u0441\u0443\u0445\u0430\u00bb [drought] and such. But let\u2019s look at the bright side! Summer, above all, is time for \u00ab\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044b\u00bb [summer break] and \u00ab\u043e\u0442\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a\u0430\u00bb [vacations]. Many Russians will be…<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2011\/06\/DSC07728-263x350.jpg\")