Prince Serebryani: An Historical Novel of the Times of Ivan the Terrible and of the Conquest of Sibe [Paperback]

Alexei Tolstoy (Author), Count Alexis Tolstoi (Author), Jeremiah Curtin (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

A. K. Tolstoy was above all poet; but he also wrote a historical novel from the time of Ivan The Terrible, Prince Serebryani, which had a great success, partly because in it for the first time censorship had permitted fiction to deal with the half-mad Tsar who played the part of Louis XI. of the Russian Monarchy, but especially on account of its qualities as a historical novel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Count Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817-1875) Russian novelist, poet and dramatist who was a distant cousin of Lev Tolstoy. He did some humorous works against the government bureaucracy under the pseudonym Kozma Prutkov. He wrote narrative lyrics and epics as Prince Serebryani, a historical novel set in the time of Ivan The Terrible and a trilogy of historical dramas in blank verse, The Death of Ivan the Terrible, Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and Tsar Boris. His works manifest his erudition and vitality.

Product Details

• Paperback: 460 pages
• Publisher: Intl Law & Taxation Pub (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898752795
• ISBN-13: 978-0898752793
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,787,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Prince Serebryani, February 28, 2009

By 

a.i.p. (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prince Serebryani: An Historical Novel of the Times of Ivan the Terrible and of the Conquest of Sibe (Paperback)

This is the only novel of A. K. Tolstoy, more known as poet, author of such famous verses as "Amid the noisy ball, by accident", and "Bellflowers", as well as many verses written in old Russian style, and of many humorous aphorisms, that became folk ones afterwards, such us "No one can embrace unembracable" and "Look into roots", which he wrote in association with his three cousins, brothers Zhemchuzhnikoff, under the pseudonym Kozma Prutkov. He was writing "Prince Serebryani" for ten years, and it separates earlier period of Tolstoy-poet from Tolstoy-author of dramatic trilogy. "Prince Serebryani" is an easy read, which gives full account of the different aspects of life in Russia. Often humorous, it also depicts some of the cruelty that was taking place at the time. Trully historical novel, reader is taken through all stratums of Russian society at that time. There are engaging dialogs, wich interchange with rich descriptions of architecture, costumes, and meals. There is also love story, but there is no happy end, though there isn't "traditional" tragedy as well. In general I would say, that it gives better understanding of the history and all its trends, than any history book, besides without much effort, because it engages one, as fiction does.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author's name - correction, January 16, 2003

By 

"olgen" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prince Serebryani: An Historical Novel of the Times of Ivan the Terrible and of the Conquest of Sibe (Paperback)

Count Alexis Tolstoi (Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoi) was born in St. Petersburg in 1817. The author described in Editorial Reviews is another person (also a Russian writer) - Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoi.
The author of "Prince Serebryani" (a Historical Novel of the Times of Ivan the Terrible and of the Conquest of Siberia) could not return to Russia in 1923 after the Bolshevik Revolution, because he (A.K. Tolstoi) died in 1875.