How many copies has How the Steel Was Tempered sold?
How the Steel Was Tempered has sold 36.4 million copies. It is one of the best-selling books of all time and the best-selling book ever written in the Russian language.
Questions about How the Steel Was Tempered
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote How the Steel Was Tempered?
How the Steel Was Tempered was written by Nikolai Ostrovsky (1904-1936). The novel is a fictionalized autobiography drawn from Ostrovsky's own experiences in the Red Army, including losing his right eye to artillery fire during the war.
When was How the Steel Was Tempered first published?
The first part was published serially in 1932 in the magazine Young Guard. The second part appeared in the same magazine from January to May of 1934. The novel was published in book form in 1936, the same year Ostrovsky died.
What was removed from How the Steel Was Tempered when it was published as a book?
The 1936 book edition was heavily edited to conform to socialist realist rules. The serial version had included Pavel's suffering as an invalid, the tense atmosphere in his home, the deterioration of his marriage, and his separation from his wife. All of this was cut and did not reappear in later editions.
How many film adaptations of How the Steel Was Tempered were made in the Soviet Union?
Three Soviet film adaptations were produced. The first appeared in 1942. A second film, Pavel Korchagin, was released in 1956 with Vasily Lanovoy in the title role. A six-episode television series followed in 1973, with Vladimir Konkin playing Korchagin.
What is the plot of How the Steel Was Tempered?
The novel follows Pavel Korchagin from age twelve in the Ukrainian town of Shepetovka through his involvement in the Russian Civil War and Polish-Soviet War fighting for the Bolsheviks. He sustains a spinal injury in battle that progressively worsens, eventually leaving him nearly blind and almost totally paralyzed. The novel ends with Pavel in Moscow, writing about his wartime experiences.