Biography of Sergei Dovlatov and his work

Dovlatov Sergey Donatovich - this name is well known in Russia and abroad. Behind him lies a well-known writer and journalist, who made a significant contribution to the world literature. Books written by him are read with pleasure by people in many countries of the world. The biography of Sergei Dovlatov is the history of the Russian people of the second half of the 20th century. Peripetias of the writer's fate, in many respects typical for that time, were reflected in his work. To know the main milestones of the author's life is to understand the stories and stories written by him.

Biography of Sergei Dovlatov

The personality of Dovlatov surrounds many myths. Perhaps the most famous of them is associated with his numerous novels with women. However, people who knew the writer closely, say that the two hundred mistresses in Leningrad, often mentioned, are nothing more than fiction. At the same time, Dovlatov owes much to his wife Elena. It was she who played a key role in his emigration and helped develop the writer's career in America.

Years in the USSR

The future writer was born in 1941 in Ufa in a creative family. His father was a director, his mother a theater actress. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, together with his family, Dovlatov returned to Leningrad. He was enrolled in the local university at the Faculty of Philology, but because of poor progress he was unable to finish his studies. After serving in the army, he returned to the northern capital and entered the journalism faculty of the same university. Dovlatov was engaged in journalistic and literary activities in parallel, but his stories and stories were not printed, because they contained a bitter truth about reality. To be able to publish and receive money for his work, Dovlatov decided to leave Russia. In 1978, he emigrated to New York.

Life in America

Moving to the United States allowed the writer to realize his creative intentions. His books were popular with readers. The Russian-language newspaper The New American, which was produced by Dovlatov, received many positive reviews. The writer appeared on the radio, published in major publications. During the years of his life in exile Dovlatov Sergei Donatovich released twelve books. Not the last role in the literary success of the writer was played by his last wife - Elena. She spent a lot of time and energy on her husband's career. Despite his success in America, Dovlatov did not consider himself to be a writer. In his biography, he admitted that he "did not become a rich and prosperous man in America."

Dovlatov died in New York in 1990. The cause of death was heart failure. He had four children from different women. The eldest daughter - Catherine - was born in 1966. Four years later, the second daughter Maria was born. In 1975, the third daughter of Alexander was born. In 1984, the son Nicholas was born.

Works of the author

Sergey Dovlatov's biography is obligatory for studying if the reader wants to understand his works, since they have a lot of autobiographical. The author paid much attention not only to the text, but also to illustrations for books, covers and introductory articles written by him. Philologists carefully study Dovlatov's correspondence with publishers, which discuss not only issues related to the release of the book, but also the texts themselves, their content and intent.

Writer Sergei Dovlatov is the author of such well-known works as "Zapovednik", "Zona", "Inostranka", "Suitcase".

"Reserve" is a story based on events from the writer's life. The main character - Boris Alekhanov - got a job in the Pushkin Museum in the village of Mikhailovskoye as a guide. The book was published in America in 1983, although a rough draft was created in the second half of the 70s.

"Zone", according to the people who knew the writer personally, is one of his most beloved works. Dovlatov worked on it for about twenty years. The story includes fourteen separate stories, united by a common theme: the peculiarities of the daily life of warders and prisoners. The history of the origin of the idea of this book dates back to the time when Dovlatov served in the army and guarded the camp barracks. The book was published in the USA in 1982. The writer had to bypass several publishers to release it. He was told that the camp topic after Solzhenitsyn and Shalamov is irrelevant, but Dovlatov proved the fallacy of this statement.

The story "Inostranka" was written and published in 1986. The focus is on Russian emigrants and their lives in New York. It is one of the author's most controversial works. Many contemporaries Dovlatov called her frank failure. Best, in their opinion, the author managed to convey the images of Russian emigrants, the text itself is more like a script script than a literary work. "Foreigners" - this book is not about America, but about the Russian man living in this country. So said Sergei Dovlatov.

"Suitcase" tells the story of a Russian emigrant who left his native country with one suitcase in his hands. A few years later, he began to disassemble it and found things that caused many unexpected memories. The book was written and published in 1986.

In Russia, Dovlatov is a recognized master of the word. Some of his works, in particular "Zone" and "Suitcase", by the decision of the Russian Ministry of Education are included in the list of one hundred books that are recommended to young readers for independent reading. This event occurred in 2013.

Reviews of Dovlatov's books

Among Russian and foreign readers, Sergei Dovlatov is very popular. Books writer cause them a lot of positive emotions. Readers note the author's ability to present a difficult story in an easy, often ironic form. An important role in the disclosure of the theme is played by the features of the language, living and expressive at the same time. Some readers compare the reading of Dovlatov's book with the evening get-togethers with the best friend over a cup of hot tea.

Let's sum up

Biography of Sergei Dovlatov is a model of the life of a man who left his homeland in search of a better fate. Although the writer spent the second half of his life in America, died there and was buried, he never forgot about Russia. All books are written by him in his native language, and the fate of the Russian people occupies a central place in them. Russia, its people, their fate at home and in exile - that's what Dovlatov wrote about. The books of this author are popular among readers of all ages. They are attracted by the talent of the writer and his ability to convey his thoughts in an easy and understandable form.