Character of Natalyla Pushkina and her relationships with Pushkin and d'Anthes

[Lucinda]

I am fascinated by how so little is known in the west about the character of Natalya Pushkina and how the view o fher has varied from one sexist stereotype 'giddy heartless flirt' to another
' devoted wife' in Russia and to some extent elsewhere, from what Vitale says in her notes.

It is as if many writers (and I did think Binyon came rather into this category) dont like to think that the wife of a famous poet might have been attracted to another man.

One feels for Pushkin not only in his last awful agony but in his prior torment of humiliation; he seems to have been driven to the brink of madness.

There is the odd transformation of the humble Pushkin of the letter to Natalya's mother before they were married, openly admitting that 'I have nothing with which to please her' and his later attitude as an outraged patriarch whose property some other man was encrouching upon.

Of course, jealousy does make people sound arrogant, and that tendency of his to challenge people (did he really have 28 duels?) is more evidence of insecurity.

His insistence in his insulting letter to Heekeron that after d'Anthes' engagement Natalya regarded d'Anthes with cold contempt seems almost as if he was writing for posterity (and it seems some researchers are eager to take him at his word).

There are few enough bigoraphies on Pushkin in English and of course, research must be very difficult to any but the most fluent readers of Russian (even if the court language of that time was French).

In the whole story there are so many things that don't add up, fascinating clues that can't be followed up by the non reader of Russian.

For instance, the odd fact that Vyazemsky is quoted by Vitale as saying that Pushkin asked Natalya who she would weep for in the duel and her reply was supposedly 'The one who is killed'. Vysazemsky was an admirer of hers, and it gives rise to all sorts of questions.

Then, while d'Anthes may have behaved caddishly in his open pursuit of a married women, it was only what Pushkin had done repeatedly himself. d'Anthes seems to have aquired an unfair reputation as a coward according to Vitale's research, this being the view taken by Binyon.

Then there is the whole mystery of the authorship of the anonymous letters...

Anyone interested in discussing all this?

[Kara-]

I find it fascinating too. I've only read a couple of books about Pushkin one by Troyat which blew my mind. I have wanted to read Dostoyevsky's biography on Pushkin but couldn't get my hands on it. Natalya Pushkina is fascinating and appears to be a woman - complete in feelings. I think from what I've read she is portrayed as frivolous and a flirt because that is an easy character to draw. If she did say "The one who is killed" then she was a confused young woman and I think she cared passionately and deeply but different for each man. What other books have you read that you could recommend about this. I am a non Russian reader too.

[Lucinda]

Hello, Kate

What you say is fascinating. I think it very likely that NP must have been torn - she'd been married off at eightgeen to a man who might be an often beguiling genius, but she really was of an age to be attracted to superficial qualities - such as the fun loving d'Anthes had.

I read a biography by Binyon - very detailed, but I thought unfair to d'Anthes about the duel. It took a patriarchal morality type view that Pushkin,who'd cuckolded lots of other men, was quite right to be furious when another man fell in love with his own wife. Serena Vitales' book 'Pushkihn's Button' is a bit poetic , but very insightful about the duel and has uncovered new material. Then there's Robin Edmonds'. bigoraphy too.

I've never read Dostoyovsky's biography - I don't know if it might not be a bit too lauditory - the legend was just starting off in his day, I suppose...

Have you read Pushkin's robber novel 'Dubrovsky' unfinished, but I thought a brilliant attempt to combine popular taste with literary merit?

[Kara-]

No I haven't read Dubrovsky. I read a collection of Pushkin's works years ago and remembered the biography that inspired me to find out more about him. Hence seeing Pushkin!s button at the bookstore!
I must read him again to refresh my mind.
I'll buy that book you recommended too. One thing has always stayed with me from the biography though. When Pushkin was a young boy at the tsars palace the children used to make poems up about each other. Pushkins poem translates perfectly to another boy who also tried his hand at the fashion of writing poems etc "may God forgive his sibs as the world does his poems".
Gosh that made me laugh and from a child!

[Kara-]

Dang "may god forgive his sins as the world does his poems". Stupid big thumbs on an iPhone!

[Lucinda]

Typical acid Pushkin wit, Kara! I'm glad you'll read 'Dubrovsky' particularly, that's my favourite.I hope
to speak again when I get back from holiday in France.