Welcome back to A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin. In this episode, Shari and Rhea discuss the move of the chronicle from the medieval to the modern eras. They talk about what is lost when the comet is no more seen as a dragon, how beauty and mystery are intricately connected, and whether or not they think Vodolazkin is criticizing modernity’s view of how history ought to be chronicled. They talk about the curious change to the title of the book in the English translation, and what all the factors are that go into book titles in general. They discuss the difference between recording history as a recording of “Good v. Evil” and recording it as a simple chain of cause and effect, and where the human is placed (or places himself) in the recording of each one. They talk about the marriage of Parfeny and Ksenia. They consider the play on the word and idea of “progress,” and how with this thread, A History enters into conversation with Hannah Coulter, and Wendell Berry’s body of work in its entirety.

Below is a link to Rhea’s reading guide for A History of the Island. Be sure to check out her running list of name meanings.

If you want a deep dive into a Tolstoy’s take on history and the ancient v. modern view of how it gets told, you might enjoy my 12-day journey chronicling his long essay on the matter at the end of War & Peace:

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