Eugene Onegin (Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin)

This English translation of a famous long novel by the Russian writer is quite remarkable. I don't know any Russian so I don't know how it compares, but the poem I read seemed quite natural in English, following an intricate rhyme scheme but still unforced, colloquial but not trendy. Nonetheless, I'm just not big on poetry. I was drawn into the story of the ne'er-do-well rake, bored with society and countryside alike, playing games with the affections and friendship of others, driven by a callous joke to killing his young friend in a duel and then spiraling downhill. But I kept getting distracted by the rhyme and stanza structure; I would have been more immersed in the story if it had been prose. Also, I couldn't identify with anyone in the story; everyone was cruel, or foolish, or histrionic, or otherwise just made me want to shake them. So I guess I'd have to say this was not for me. I'm glad I read it, though. That's what book clubs are best at; inspiring me to read things I otherwise wouldn't.