The Tale of Tsar Saltan - Alexander Pushkin

Rating: ★★★★
15/03/14

Bitterly, the weaver sighed,

And the cook in passion cried,

Full of jealousy and hate

Of their sister's happy fate.

- Alexander Pushkin

Human beings are complex creatures. We can love and hate with the same energy. When we meet a cruel person, we call him “inhuman”. Because being “human” entails love, solidarity, generosity. However, after getting to know so many people that are everything but nice, one starts to wonder about the true nature of humans. What is to be human? Are we capable of being happy for other people's happiness or we practice what we preach just once in a while?

I added this book the other day and found it and read it today. My first choice was a Spanish translation. For the love of Alexandria, what a horrible thing to read. The entire essence of the tale was lost in the way. So I exchanged it for one in English that actually kept the original form. It's a fairy tale in verse. But even fairy tales can be thought provoking.

This is a poem full of imagination, adventure and beautiful verses with some humorous images. What I still love about Pushkin's style are the words he chose to describe every image, every thought. A rich, exquisite language that leaves me spellbound with a silly, dreamy smile out of admiration. Even while writing about the simplest things. Not in vane he's considered the greatest Russian poet.

This is the story of three sisters that dreamed of marrying the Tsar. Eventually, he chose the youngest sister and the others went to work for them at the palace. The envy and jealousy of those sisters and the mother (sly deceiver!) because of the girl's good fortune caused undesirable consequences. That people can't be happy because of their own relatives' bliss is something I'll never understand. But it happens.

Anyway, a nice read.