Dunmore's THE SIEGE

[A Smith]

Dear Klawa Thresher,

Somebody advised you on Dunmore's book as follows:

"I have one suggestion--a 2001 novel called "The Siege" written by Helen
Dunmore.  Though she's English, she clearly has extensive background in
Russian historical and literary culture.  Many of the translations of
Russian poetry she uses are her own and she includes a brief
bibliography, mainly historical references and memoirs, in the
afterward."

Please note that this New Zealand author has a very wild imagination and the
book is not a historical account of the real events. It is a work of fiction
which contains one astonishing mistake which shows that she was sloppy regards
facts: the author depicts Akhmatova in Leningrad during the seige!!!... It
gives her an opportunity to insert her own translations of Akhmatova's poetry
(in my view they are dreadful). It is a well known fact that Akhmatova was
evacuated to Tashkent during this period (she wrote many beautiful poems in
Tashkent). 
As for Olga Berggolts, you might wish to consult Katherine Hodgson's book on
Berggolts (it was published last year). The author gives some poems in her own
translation. Katherine Hodgson (University of Exeter, UK) worked on Berggolts
for the last twenty years, interviewed her sister and consulted lots of
archival materials in ST Petersburg. Her information is trustworthy and
accurate.

All best,

Alexanndra Smith

Alexandra Smith (PhD, University of London)
Lecturer in Russian, 
Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies,
University of Sheffield, UK.

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