What is the best-known book set in Russia?

[nwhyte]

See note on methodology

Despite the richness of the field, there is a surprising convergence not just on the best-known book set in Russia, but on the top three spots. In order, the most widely-owned books set in Russia on both LibraryThing and GoodReads (all nineteenth-century classics) are:

Comments

[steepholm]

Wot no Chekhov?

[nwhyte]

Plays don't generally do well in these lists, unless by Shakespeare (see Scotland, and a couple of smaller countries in due course).

[bopeepsheep]

I wonder if A Young Doctor's Notebook has progressed far up the lists since the TV adaptation?

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[owlfish]

We have the 12-word toddler version of War and Peace. Surprisingly moving for a 12-word book. But also rather severely abridged....

[strange_complex]

I'm curious - is it literally 12 words long, or does it employ a vocabulary of only 12 words? There is, of course, a famous six-word-long story ("For sale. Baby shoes. Never used."), but I'd struggle to imagine how anything approaching War & Peace could be conveyed in a total of only 12!

[owlfish]

Literally twelve words. Twelve different words. Most of the story is told through felt figures - twelve photos of vignettes, each with a word.

[strange_complex]

Yeah, I suppose I see how that could work, accompanied by a lot of talking about what was going on in the pictures. It sounds cute, anyway!

[davesmusictank]

I too am surprised that Chekhov isn't in he top list