Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a member of Russia's dying aristocracy - a man so lazy that he has given up his job in the Civil Service, neglected his books, insulted his friends and found himself in debt. Too apathetic to do anything about his problems, he lives in a grubby, crumbling apartment, waited on by Zakhar, his equally idle servant. Terrified by the bustle and activity necessary to participate in the real world, Oblomov manages to avoid work, postpone change and - finally - risks losing ...

What is Chekhov’s method of ensuring audience participation? What does his stage direction ‘through tears’ mean? What happens between the first and second acts of The Seagull? Is there any reason for the despondency in Chekhov’s drama? This book, first published in 1972, discusses these questions and many other issues around Chekhov’s last four plays. David Magarshack, the leading translator and biography of many of Russia’s greatest writers, closely examines Chekhov’s work for th...

This collection, unique to the Modern Library, gathers seven of Dostoevsky's key works and shows him to be equally adept at the short story as with the novel. Exploring many of the same themes as in his longer works, these small masterpieces move from the tender and romantic White Nights, an archetypal nineteenth-century morality tale of pathos and loss, to the famous Notes from the Underground, a story of guilt, ineffectiveness, and uncompromising cynicis...

The discovery of Sir Robert Boniface's body on the floor of his limousine was made quite accidentally on a sultry Friday evening towards the end of June. The industrial and financial tycoon, and former stalwart of the British Cabinet, was shot in the head and left in the quiet Vale of Health. Nearby, a rejected portrait of Sir Robert is found riddled with bullets in the studio of the now missing artist Matt Caldwell. As it hurtles towards its feverish denouement under the bells of the capi...

A deeply emotional and philosophical novel about goodness and society. Prince Myshkin, a man of pure kindness and honesty, enters a world driven by ego and ambition. His innocence challenges those around him, revealing both beauty and cruelty in human nature. The novel explores themes of compassion, morality, and the struggle between idealism and reality. Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Download now to experience a story of humanity and truth.

CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONTHE QUEEN OF SPADES A.S. PushkinTHE CLOAK N.V. GogolTHE DISTRICT DOCTOR I.S. TurgenevTHE CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE WEDDING F.M. DostoyevskyGOD SEES THE TRUTH, BUT WAITS L.N. TolstoyHOW A MUZHIK FED TWO OFFICIALS M.Y. SaltykovTHE SHADES, A PHANTASY V.G. KorolenkoTHE SIGNAL V.N. GarshinTHE DARLING A.P. ChekhovTHE BET A.P. ChekhovVANKA A.P. ChekhovHIDE AND SEEK F.K. SologubDETHRO...

Underground* *The author of the diary and the diary itself are, of course, imaginary. Nevertheless it is clear that such persons as the writer of these notes not only may, but positively must, exist in our society, when we consider the circumstances in the midst of which our society is formed. I have tried to expose to the view of the public more distinctly than is commonly done, one of the characters of the recent past. He is one of the representatives of a generation still living. In thi...

Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls is a novel that tells the story of Chichikov, a man who tries to buy the souls of dead serfs from landowners. The novel is full of complex characters and intricate plotlines, and it is considered to be one of the finest examples of Russian literature.

Immerse yourself in the exquisite narratives of "First Love and Other Stories" by Ivan Turgenev, a master of capturing the essence of human emotion. This compelling collection of stories invites you to explore the intricacies of love, longing, and the bittersweet nature of relationships.What if the first flutter of romance held the key to understanding your own heart?Turgenev’s tales reflect the beauty and complexity of love, offering reade...

The Lady with the Dog is a novella by Anton Chekhov first published in 1899. Written while in Yalta, it is considered one of his most famous stories, (also called Lady with Lapdog).The novella depicts what at first seems a casual liaison between a married man and a married woman in Yalta. Neither expects anything lasting from the encounter, but they find themselves drawn back to each other, risking the security of their family lives.It tells the st...

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a master of the short story. The son of a former serf in southern Russia, he attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by millionaire magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own p...

The Eternal Husband by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1870) is a compact yet searing psychological novella that delves into the labyrinthine complexities of human relationships and inner torment. In true Dostoyevskian fashion, the narrative unfolds through a series of confessional monologues and charged encounters that reveal the protagonist's struggle with the relentless ghosts of his past. At its core, the work explores the inescapable interplay between lo...