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Laurus
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
It is the late fifteenth century and a village healer in Russia called Laurus is powerless to help his beloved as she dies in childbirth, unwed and without having received communion. Devastated and desperate, he sets out on a journey in search of redemption. But this is no ordinary journey: it is one that spans ages and countries, and which brings him face-to-face with a host of unforgettable, eccentric characters and legendary creatures from the strangest medieval bestiaries.Lauruss travels take him from the Middle Ages to the Plague of 1771, where as a holy fool he displays miraculous healing powers, to the political upheavals of the late-twentieth century. At each transformative stage of his journey he becomes more revered by the church and the people, until he decides, one day, to return to his home village to lead the life of a monastic hermit not realizing that it is here that he will face his most difficult trial yet.Laurus is a remarkably rich novel about the eternal themes of love, loss, self-sacrifice and faith, from one of Russias most exciting and critically acclaimed novelists.
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Therewillbebooks
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Pickpick

New episode just dropped! We begin with Eugene Vodolazkin's novel, “Laurus,“ a book that we both liked and disliked for similar reasons. However, the novel did bring up many interesting topics to discuss and think about. Finally, we're back to nominating books for the August book club. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RybRBW8eMxwXcagvczgNO

rwmg I may give Laurus another chance some day. I was coming down with Covidwhrn I read it and just didn't have the mental stamina for it 2y
50 likes1 comment
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Therewillbebooks
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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What do you do when you have so many great nominations? You can't just pick one, so pick a few. And that is what we did listener, we know we have a mountain of books we're reading but what's better than adding more great selections?! Hopefully, you will join us in reading some if not all the books we've added to the TBR.

https://anchor.fm/peter-murphy8

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rwmg
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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MrBook
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Stop 5 on today‘s home-library tour!

Do you own or have you read any of these books?!
(The dark one is “Hell Divers II”.)

#MrBooksBooks

rwmg Loved An Instance of The Fingerpost. Laurus is on my TBR shelf 6y
TEArificbooks Read The Perfect Mother 6y
SaniyyahK Bag of Bones...great book! 6y
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Palimpsest I own Laurus and Instance. 6y
BookishTrish I have Laurus on my TBR Russia shelf 6y
stacybmartin Bag of Bones is one of my favorite Stephen King books. 6y
jlabombard10315 Just finished Bag of Bones recently and loved it! 😍❤🤓 6y
76 likes8 comments
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jessamyngrace
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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jessamyngrace
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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That issue does not disquiet them... for they are creating for eternity.

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jessamyngrace
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin

Does that mean our people have a short memory?

One might say that. It is just that memory should not be too long. That, you know, is not for the best. After all, some things should be forgotten.

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Alternative_Mr_Men
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Bailedbailed

Think I‘m going to have to bail on this one. I‘d give a content warning but don‘t want to give stuff away. Let‘s just say things got very squicky and miserable and it‘s ground down my will to read.

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Alternative_Mr_Men
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Finished You Don‘t Know Me on the exercise bike (I am such a hero!) so laying back and starting Laurus in the sunshine :) #amreading

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Ruthiella
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Haven‘t read this yet but I think the cover is beautiful . This picture doesn‘t quite do it justice. #coverlove #ReadingResolutions

AceOnRoam They are doing a group read on GR at the moment! Supposed to be amazing but not on my immediate tbr right now. 7y
Ruthiella @AceOnRoam Hmmm, maybe I should check it out. I am making a great effort to read at least a portion of the books I already have and this might be a good opportunity! Thanks for letting me know!😃 7y
AceOnRoam The 21st Century Literature group is reading it now (I am not a member). Newest Literary Fiction group read it 2016 I think when it first came out the threads are always open for comment. All the best. 7y
29 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Alternative_Mr_Men
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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This month‘s picks, fresh from the book store! #amreading #bookbloggers #newbooks

2 likes2 stack adds
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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Finished after 1 1/2 months. Was expecting it to be historical fiction,not literary fiction set in the past. Still enjoyed it. I think the translator and author did a great job convening the themes of the books #russia #intranslation #healing

4 likes2 stack adds
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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I thought this passage in Laurus was beautiful. #russian #translation #communication

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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Yikes.... that math.... I am super happy I live in a world where Science exists and is applied to everything. #theydidthemath #shoddyreasoning #russia #translation

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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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For medicine March. I started Laurus back in January as a work read. Been looking forward for the bottom two for a few years now. #medicinemarch #ilikebigbooks#andicannotlie #nonfiction #clasdic

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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Still hard to believe that once upon a time science was not used. Wear lapis to avoid mjrderers because Lapis has not been seen on a murderer? That's nuts! Super glad to live in an era with medicine based in science. #russian #international #translation #"medicine"

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AMVP
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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#RiotGrams Day 3 of the February photo thing.
Not sure if hyphenated words are cheating the whole one word title thing. Have celebrated Laurus elsewhere, and most of these I've still yet to read.
Honestly, I've hit a bit of a wall with my reading this year (my recent purchase of #Overwatch isn't helping), and I'm not sure how to fix that. Maybe I'll shoot to finish a book this weekend, at least so I stay on track with my 2017 goal.

Chachic I have a copy of Seconds in my TBR pile, keep hearing good things about it. 8y
AMVP @Chachic would recommend. Definitely feels like a maturation of the themes and perspectives explored in the Scott Pilgrim series. 8y
9 likes2 comments
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TNbooklover66
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Decided to combine Day 3 of #riotgrams #onewordtitle and #17booklove #redbooks.

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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I'm on a Russian roll this year. Last year I was in Sweden quite a bit. This is also the 3rd book I've read that has been translated (that I know of). #russia #medieval #translation #"doctor"

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Conservio
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I love Barnes and noble gift cards. The burning page is 3rd in the invisible library series. Laurus is a Russian translation.

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szainabwilliams
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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🎄🎄🎄 books books books! I have a weakness for gorgeous covers and don't my friends know it. For your consideration, a Russian historical fiction in translation, and a Woolf bio. And a coffee.

20 likes2 stack adds
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vespertine.volumes
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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An extraordinary book. Unique and relentlessly challenging while also softening the sharp edges of anguish and tragedy with a certain medieval whimsy.

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I-read-and-eat
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Some of my #onewordtitles , there are so many of them! The tagged book Laurus was a good read but a little disappointing. I just noticed Beowulf peeping through the back, another one world title that wanted to join in. #photoadaynov16 @RealLifeReading

MaleficentBookDragon Baby Groot!!!! 8y
I-read-and-eat @MaleficentTheBookDragon That was my favourite part of the movie 😂 8y
59 likes2 comments
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merelybookish
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Pickpick

Turns out a book about a healer/mystic/holy fool in 15th- century Russia that also contemplates the nature of time is not an easy or quick read. That said, I enjoyed it. In part because it immersed me in a world and way of thinking so distant from my own. This is not for everyone but I would recommend it to people who like tackling novels that do something unfamiliar.

Moray_Reads This is on my tbr. I have a deep abiding love for Russian lit and was lucky to hear Vodalazkin talk about Laurus this summer 8y
19 likes1 comment
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merelybookish
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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All the essentials with pumpkin. #catsoflitsy #wineandbooks #messywriting

I-read-and-eat How do you feel about this book? I read it a while ago and it didn't captivate me the way I thought it would. 8y
merelybookish @I-read-and-eat I just started. I decided to read after it won a mock #tournamentofbooks on Goodreads. 8y
19 likes1 stack add2 comments
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I-read-and-eat
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Some colorcoded books to brighten up your Monday. I love doing this with my books it is so satisfing. I felt a bit sad about Laurus, the tagged book, the blurb seemed great and it started of great but then it got slow and I felt myself skimming most of it. I loved all of the other books. Seems like red is good color for books. ❤

LeahBergen Beautiful! 8y
38 likes2 comments
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I-read-and-eat
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Bookshop 'Dominicanen' in Maastricht (The Netherlands) The fairest bookshop in the world according to the Guardian. And it truely was stunning! Bought Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin here as a literary souvenir. What is your favorite bookshop?

#bookshop #dominicanen #church

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Reading_E
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Not quite a meal but a relaxing lunch time beverage #readandeat #septphotochallenge #somethingforsept

tricours What do you think of this book? I found it promising at first, except for weird anachronisms. 8y
21 likes1 comment
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Reading_E
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I've decided to balance my English reading with some Russian books and I have heard great things about this book both from Russians and people who read it in its translated version. I'm excited 😊not sure I can keep the creepy staring cover on my nightstand though 😱

Blair_Reads Yeah that cover is great though! 8y
15 likes1 stack add1 comment
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JenniferEgnor
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I loved this story of a man in 15th century Russia who knew all the powers of every herb, yet he could not save his lover, dying in child birth, or his own soul long after she was gone.

#medievalshelf

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Mediaevalgirl
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Starting this book tonight for my Historical Fiction Book Club. Can't wait to read it since I loved 'The Name of the Rose', so if it's anything like that, it will be a great read 🤗📖 #amreading

JenniferEgnor I absolutely fell in love with this book. 7y
1 like2 stack adds1 comment
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tricours
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Mehso-so

I apparently missed #internationalcatday yesterday?? Well, I'll post anyway. This is Valeria, our super nervous cat who only likes people who lie down, either outside or after 8 pm inside. As for this book, which I read earlier this summer - a big meh. A good idea poorly executed.

BookishFeminist Your cat is adorable! 🐱💕 8y
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tricours @BookishFeminist to be honest, this is her best angle! She licks off her own fur, unfortunately 😔 8y
MrBook 😻😻😻 8y
LauraBeth Cats are crazy - it's what makes us love 'em 😻 8y
Tanzy13 📚 8y
12 likes7 comments
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outis
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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Mehso-so

This one falls into the "it's not you, it's me" basket-it just didn't work for me, but might be well loved by others. If a story about a religious man in Middle Ages Russia grappling physically and philosophically with his faith sounds like your thing, pick this one up. Otherwise skip it or be prepared to remind yourself-as I often had to-that there's something to learn from most experiences.

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outis
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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"...any meeting is surely more than just parting. There is emptiness before meeting someone, just nothing, but there is no longer emptiness after parting."

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tricours
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
Mehso-so

A mediocre book with too many annoying aspects.

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tricours
Laurus | Eugene Vodolazkin
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I'm 60% into this book and liking it less and less 😕