Nikolai Leskov

I just finished reading Selected Tales by Nikolai Leskov. It was my first introduction to Leskov and his work. I enjoyed his writing very much: down to earth stories and fables, with a nice touch of humor, describing the life of the middle class and working classes of 19th century Russia. If you haven't read Leskov, I recommend him.

You just reminded me that I have Leskov's The Enchanted Wanderer in one of my TBR piles.
Thank you for starting this thread!

Well, you're welcome, aluv. The Enchanted Wanderer is in fact one of the stories in the collection I read, the longest entry, obviously. All of the works were quite enchanting, I thought.

"The Steel Flea" and "The Siberian Lady Macbeth" are two all-time favorites.

I have enjoyed the Leskov stories I've read, so I was disappointed to wind up bailing out of his first novel, Nekuda ("No Way Out"); see my post on it:
http://languagehat.com/leskovs-nekuda/

Finished a Russian novel that I feel will be a classic in Russian literature. The Big Green Tent by Ludmila Ulitskaya, translated by Polly Gannon.
"tells the story of three school friends who meet in Moscow in the 1950's and go on to embody the heroism, folly, compromise, and hope of the Soviet dissident experience."

I've read several more Leskov books; I'll link to my reviews.

Смех и горе (Laughter and Grief):
http://languagehat.com/leskovs-laughter-and-grief/

Запечатленный ангел (The Sealed Angel):
http://languagehat.com/leskovs-sealed-angel/

Очарованный странник (The Enchanted Wanderer):
http://languagehat.com/leskovs-enchanted-wanderer/