And Quiet Flows the Don

By: Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Mikhail Sholokhov’s groundbreaking epic novel gives a sweeping depiction of Russian life and culture in the early 20th century. In the same vein as War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy, And Quiet Flows the Don gives listeners a glimpse into many aspects of Russian culture, and the choices a country makes when faced with war and destruction.

Public Domain (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

moving

don't know why it is hard,to get all 4 parts. however, it is a good read even with only 1/4 of the story available. the narration was excellent. .

Nuanced insight into Russia circa 1910

Read this one summer in college and was surprised by how much I had recalled and how much I had forgotten about the brutality of war.

and quiet flows the Don

Very good picture of the Russian life at the beginning of the century. Not Dostoevskiy or Faulkner, but is good overall.

A Russian Novel Not To Be Missed

A beautiful if tragic tale, Sholokhov gives the reader not only a love story but a window into Cossack history at the turn of the century. He reveals all the social and political changes that are about to be set loose in Russia while telling the story of one particular Cossack family. Stefan Rudnicki does a brilliant job as narrator bringing the characters to life. A book not easily forgotten.

A Beautiful Story

I'll confess that Quiet Flows the Don (along with the second part, the Don Flows Home to the Sea) is my favorite novel. I've read it in both Russian and English, and I consider it the finest novel ever written. That disclaimer aside, I eagerly pre-ordered the audio version as soon as I saw it would be available, and then counted down the weeks until its release. Stefan Rudnicki does justice to the story, and listening to it was a true pleasure. His performance is certainly commendable. It can be a tricky book, with many different characters and shifting viewpoints, so having a skilled narrator is a must. Rudnicki did not disappoint. If you enjoy Russian literature, tales of forbidden love, or sweeping epics, then this is the book for you. Also, check out the 14 part 2015 television adaptation of the novel after you listen to it. You won't be sorry.

HISTORICAL FICTION AT ITS BEST

It is difficult to extol the virtues of this fine novel, and equally fine narrator too highly.
Sholokhov was born in 1905 and grew up in the Don area of Russia, which he depicted in remarkable detail in his most famous novel, AND QUIET FLOWS THE DON, and various other novels about the Don Cossacks. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1965.
The Novel: Sholokhov worked on the novel for 14 years from 1926 to 1940. Set during the First World War and the Russian Revolution, it became the most widely read work of fiction in the new Communist State and presented the Don Cossacks to Russia and the world as never before. I was most impressed with the evocation of time, place and people, and the economy with which he achieved this. We get to know the various characters, the land in which they live during summer and winter and the challenges they face in peacetime and in war. Readers who enjoy historical novels that transport them to places and people long buried under the sod turned by the plough of time will be most satisfied taking this journey.
The narrator: Stefan Rudnicki is rare even among professionals. Many fine male readers do an excellent job with the prose and the male characters, but not as good with the female characters. Stefan is outstanding across the spectrum: male, female, young, old. The prose is presented in his mellifluous voice and the characters individualised by nuance and expression. A case of the writer’s intention and the narrator’s ability in perfect harmony.
Having read over 2300 books in the past 20 years, the majority on audio and from Audible, I average over 100 books a year and believe, even at this early stage, that this will be my book of the year. Highly recommended.
Happy reading. Eric. E: [e-mail]

Had it in pre-order for many months, and then...

I read the book decades ago, then I saw that the title would be released at Audible. Wow! I could remember very little from the many interweaved plots. But I remembered it as a masterpiece, and was looking forward to "living" in a Cossack village once again, seeing and hearing the characters, so vivid are Sholokov's descriptions.

I pre-ordered 2 months prior to released. As it arrived, I listened, and listened, and listened, and that's how some 60 hours after downloading it I had listened to the book's 13 hours. Superb narration for what is a page-turner. You want to know what comes next for the characters, you want to be there for the changes of each season, you can't wait to hear about the next battle. Brutality can happen any time, and your feelings won't be spared. Tenderness is also always there. What else can be said, except that epic novel is indeed epic.

Narration fantastic, novel historic

I bought this book after listening to "Stalin’s Scribe" by Brian Boeck, a fantastic history of Sholokhov.
Stefan Rudnicki narrates this and also Stalin Scribe with perfection. Beautiful voice. I have to admit I kind of skimmed through some battle scenes,
for painful reasons. I enjoyed the Russian history, the culture and the characters. This is an old and popular Russian book with a very interesting history behind it and the author. I would highly recommend Stalin's Scribe.
I also rented the movie And Quiet Flows the Don (c. 1951?, 1957)
I'm not sure if this version is the entire book. Chapters had to be removed because of megalomaniac murderous dictator Stalin.

not close to the whole book

I read this book back in 1969 and still have my Vintage Books translation by Stephen Garry. That edition has for parts: Peace, War, Revolution, and Civil War. The Audible edition skips the last two parts and does end where 'War' does. Personally, I liked the second half best, so I feel like I got ripped off. I saw no indication that the Audible version was 'edited. Sorry folks, but that is dishonest in my book, and this book's ending did not make for a full plot.

Do not buy this version!

Whilst I have given high marks for the performance and story I give the minimum overall because this is only volume one of four. This is not clear from the description. If they plan on releasing the other volumes I'd wait until they're released together.