Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky

SHORTLISTED FOR THE READ RUSSIA PRIZE 2018
LONGLISTED FOR THE GLOBAL READ RUSSIA PRIZE 2018

Fleeing Russia amid the chaos of the 1917 revolution and subsequentCivil War, many writers went on to settle in Paris, Berlin andelsewhere. In exile, they worked as taxi drivers, labourers and filmextras, and wrote some of the most brilliant and imaginative works ofRussian literature.

This new collection includes stories by the mostfamous émigré writers, Vladimir Nabokov and Ivan Bunin, and introducespowerful lesser known voices, some of whom have never been available inEnglish before.

Here is Yuri Felsen'sevocative,impressionistic account of a night of debauchery in Paris;Teffi'switty and timely reflections on refugee experience; and Mark Aldanov'ssparkling story of an elderly astrologer who unexpectedly finds himselfin Hitler's bunker in Berlin. Exploring displacement, loss and newbeginnings, their short stories vividly evoke the experience of life inexile and also return obsessively to the Russia that has been leftbehind - whether as a beautiful dream or terrifying nightmare. By turnsexperimental, funny, exciting, poignant and haunting, these works revealthe full range of émigré writing and are presented here in masterlytranslations by Bryan Karetnyk and others.

Reviews

Brilliantly translated by Bryan Karetnyk ... A truly wonderful selection