The Russian literary canon is virtually devoid of love, romance and sex, so there are bound a collection of Steamiest Russian Romance Books That Everyone Must Read almost like erotica. The book is the Russian version of  9½ Weeks with a touch of mysticism. However, the restraint in the book makes you dreaming of new romantic liaisons. Moreover, it gives strength for not fear fleeting romances and enjoys life. Bunin received a Nobel Prize in Literature for this novel making it one of the Iconic  Russian Books To Read Before You Die. 

3. To find the meaning of life – Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich

This epic Novel depicts graphic anatomical detail the slow death of a sick civil servant. He led the life of a righteous man devoid of spiritual life. The book portrays the face of death that makes him realize the hypocrisy in everything and start questioning his life in vain. This is a book about the fear of death and its approach on facing it. Certainly, a great Russian Books To Read During Your Holiday. 

4. To have an adventure without leaving your sofa – The Captain’s Daughter by Alexander Pushkin

Puskin is one of Freaking Great Russian Authors You Must Read that depicts that good deeds are never in vain. Moreover, positivity always rewarded hundredfold to those who do them. The novel tells about Pyotr Grinyov helping other and ended saving his own life. Therefore, in a nutshell, this is an incredible story about love, honor in a very interesting period in Russian history. It is definitely Romantic Russian Books That Are Perfect For Woman To Read.

5. To take a break from binge-watching TV series – Quiet Flows The Don by Mikhail Sholokhov

Everything changes when the peaceful life of a Cossack village is upset during the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War. The novel consists of four volumes of a fascinating story about how a husband leaves his wife and then returns. It also tells about a brother preparing to kill his brother. Sholokhov is another Russian winner of the Nobel Prize as a Recommended Books For Beginners To Learn Russian Literature. 

6. For quality beach reading – A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

This novel appreciates Russian nature from sea, mountains, love, destiny, and, of course, a riveting plot. It tells the story of Grigory Pechorin a young man but he has already seen much of life. He is tired of the hypocritical conventions of high society and is disappointed in women. Moreover, he hungers for thrills and went to war, abducts the daughter of a Circassian prince risking a blood feud. In short, the book is a truly Enjoyable Russian Short Stories You Need To Read right out of the 19th century!

7. To have a hearty laugh – Pushkin Hills by Sergei Dovlatov

The book appreciates the great writer of all time where a divorced man is looking for extra work and gets a job as a guide in a remote rural museum devoted to Alexander Pushkin. However, most museum staff are women, that start falling over the newly arrived man. Pushkin Hill is a twist of romance that bound to make a good laugh. The book is full of the protagonist’s witty jokes that recognizable and caricature-like characters.

8. Life is not so bad after all – The Lower Depth by Maxim Gorky

Proletarian writer Maxim Gorky was one of the first authors to portray the life of homeless children, beggars, and other fringe characters that not many authors write. The book has many plays depicts the life of a shelter where these characters find themselves. The book tries to lighten a sad feeling from an unusual life story, but all have ended up in society’s “lower depths.” Incidentally, the play is still often staged in Russia and in Europe until today and receive positive responds from audiences.

9. To get rid of old things – The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

The novel tells about a woman selling her estate and discovers that her cherry orchard will be cut down. She relates her life to the Cherry Orchard that without it, life will lose all meaning. However, she is not ready for any change and is attached to the past. Chekhov is trying to say that it is ok to change something in your life.

10. To be Optimistic – The Fountain Pit by Andrei Platonov

This dystopian story describes the pessimistic point of view of life where nothing has any meaning. Platonov imitates the official Soviet language and has his characters even talk as if they have an exuberant formal vocabulary.  

11. To have a thrill – Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, and Mirgorod by Nikolai Gogol

Both of Gogol Novels express funny tales go side by side with horror stories with other shorts stories such as May Night, or The Drowned Maiden, A Bewitched Place, or Viy on your Russian Bedtime Stories For Children reading list. These stories feature walking dead, evil spirits, and mystical creatures fit for kids. Therefore, it’s hard to believe that the same author also wrote one of the most satirical books in Russian classical literature – Dead Souls.