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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.733
EAN: 9780375405495
ISBN: 0375405496
Label: Everyman's Library
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 608
Publication Date: 1999-05-18
Publisher: Everyman's Library
Product Release Date: 1999-05-18
Studio: Everyman's Library

(Book Jacket Status: Not Jacketed)

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Beautiful Book, New Cond.
Review: The classy look of the hardback cover is just perfect for the treasures inside the book. Thanks!

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fun Throughout
Review: Readers seeking an entrée into Russian literature are prime candidates for this prose collection. Pushkin's stories are well-paced--not a word is wasted--and those who look beneath the surface of the writer's refreshingly lucid, taut and unembellished style will find a world that bristles with energy and life.

Among my favorite short stories in this collection were: The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, The Captain's Daughter and The Queen of Spades. The epistolatory introduction to Tales of Belkin consists of a wry letter from the publisher, which kicks off a hilarious and sweeping commentary on Russian society. Filled with such characters as an arrogant fop, a wistful maiden and a heartbroken father, these poetic stories were beautifully crafted by a bon vivant who, without a doubt, appreciated the art of entertainment. The only selection I didn't care for was The Undertaker, as it struck me as silly, but the rest of Belkin's tales were page-turners. The Captain's Daughter was a heartwarming and often amusing tale of love, persistence and respect, as well as a not-so-oblique commentary on Tsarist aggression: the subject nearly landed young Pushkin in scalding-hot water, too. The protagonist Petr Andreich, who remains callow and a victim of circumstance throughout much of the story, incidentally, reminded me of Pip from Dickens's Great Expectations (Penguin Classics). Finally, Queen of Spades is a poignantly dark and cynical exploration of greed and treachery.

The images this artist pours into his short stories, as well as the plethora of superb scenes and economy of writing he employs, are reminiscent of modern screenwriting, and I suspect even harried readers who are accustomed to a steady diet of film and television will find themselves welcomed here. To wit, several stories struck me as prime candidates for a short film; I'd especially like to see an adaptation of The Shot, one of the five Tales of Belkin. Too bad this Everyman's Library edition isn't available in paperback, although it's probably small and light enough to fit into a travel bag.

Regardless, it's a fine read.

My Titles
Shadow Fields
Snooker Glen

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: suggested russian reading
Review: would put Pushkin in category with Turgenov and Chekov for a good read with a hot cup of tea in front of a roaring fire. Everyman's Library edition offers a decent look at historical Russian window through stories.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Thrilling Tales of Adventure and Romance!
Review: This book contains the major prose works of Aleksandr Pushkin, which include "The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin", "Dubrovskii", "The Queen of Spades", "The Captain's Daughter", and "A History of Pugachev". Also included in the book are many unfinished stories and fragments, which provide some glimpse into what Pushkin was thinking in between the years that he wrote his masterpieces.

Pushkin's stories range from melancholy to humorous to psychological and yet they are all written in a clear, and crisp style that is easy to grasp. Unlike Pushkin's poetry, little is lost in the translation of his prose works from Russian to English and thus we can fully appreciate his genius.

Although all of Pushkin's prose works are excellent, but one that continues to remain in my memory for some reason is "Egyptian Nights". Here the two main characters are Charskii, the nobleman who upholds the aesthetic and personal nature of poetry writing, and the greedy Italian improvisator, who lives by giving public shows and is able to deliver a poem (and quite astonishing at that) on any topic at a moment's notice - but for a fee. Is it possible that Charskii and the Italian both represent different facets of Pushkin's own personality? Anyway, I thought the story ending was erotic and exotic...

Even if you are not interested in Russian literature or in Russian culture in general, I would daresay that you would find it hard to put this collection of stories down after you started reading them.

The only problem that I had was with the publisher. I wish that they had provided a bookcover, because the paint on the outside of the hardcover kept coming off onto my hands!

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Russian Literature, Russian Love
Review: If you want to sincerely have a happy, fulfilling marriage to a Russian lady then you better not be complacent either.  Study the Pimsleur language lessons, read all the books you can, study Russian history and culture, read their literature.  The works of Pushkin alone are rewarding for any scholar with or without the motive of a beautiful Russian bride!

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