Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Alexander Pushkin (Author), Ronald Wilks (Translator), John Bayley (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: July 1, 1998

Alexander Pushkin was Russia's first true literary genius. Best known for his poetry, he also wrote sparkling prose that revealed his national culture with elegance and understated humour. Here, his gift for portraying the Russian people is fully revealed. "The Tales of Belkin", his first prose masterpiece, presents a series of interlinked stories narrated by a good-hearted Russian squire - among them "The Shot", in which a duel is revisited after many years, and the grotesque "The Undertaker". Elsewhere, works such as the novel-fragment "Roslavlev" and the "Egyptian Nights", the tale of an Italian balladeer seeking an audience in St. Petersberg, demonstrate the wide range of Pushkin's fiction. "A Journey to Arzrum", the final piece in this collection, offers an autobiographical account of Pushkin's own experiences in the 1829 war between Russia and Turkey, and remains one of the greatest of all pieces of journalistic adventure writing.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian

About the Author

ALEXANDER PUSHKIN was born in Moscow in 1799, and died in 1837, challenging a troublesome admirer of his wife to a duel. RONALD WILKS has translated many Russian works for Penguin, including Chekhov's MY APPRENTICESHIP, THE KISS AND OTHER STORIES, and THE PARTY AND OTHER STORIES (available in Penguin Classics). JOHN BAYLEY is Warton Professor of English Literature, Oxford University. He has written many books, and has also introduced Pushkin's EUGENE ONEGIN for Penguin Classics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140446753
• ISBN-13: 978-0140446753
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 19th century Russian Lit begins here, October 8, 2003

By 

A.J. (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This small collection of Pushkin's prose writings presents an admirable sample of the diversity of subject matter of the man considered to be the first great Russian writer whose reputation transcended national boundaries. But Pushkin constantly reminds us that in no way is he a pioneer -- one of the most remarkable things these stories display is their author's reverent awareness of his lesser-known antecedents, effectively providing a chronological and artistic link with obscure names from the Russian and other European bodies of literature.

The "Tales of Belkin" sacrifice realism for plot devices that are either dramatic (a revisited duel in "The Shot," a repentant Prodigal Daughter in "The Postmaster"), contrived (mistaken identity in "The Blizzard," impersonation in "The Squire's Daughter"), or grotesque (a reveling coffin builder gets what he asks for in "The Undertaker"). These stories are clearly among the roots of the genre that was later to be embellished stylishly by the likes of Chekhov and Maupassant.

The "History" chronicling the strange customs of the village of Goryukhino is fashioned so wryly and whimsically, its effect so subtly humorous, that one wonders about the seriousness of Pushkin's intent. "Kirdzhali" is a concise but meaty tale of a rogue warrior and escape artist, while "Egyptian Nights" tells of an Italian balladeer in St. Petersburg desperately in search of an audience.

But the supreme achievement in this collection is "A Journey to Arzrum," in which Pushkin describes his passage from Moscow south through the Caucasus and Georgia towards Turkey during the 1829 war between the latter country and Russia. Replete with anecdotes involving the inhabitants of and the travelers through these exotic, isolated regions, the architecture of the cities, and the wonders of the scenery, the "Journey" is journalistic adventure writing at its finest.

Pushkin finishes his picaresque memoir on a decidedly unheroic note, however, when on his return journey he happens to see an insultingly negative review of one of his published poems in a Russian periodical. As his momentary vexation turns to sarcastic laughter, he confirms a sense of humor and humility that, however uncharacteristic it may seem for a young Russian writer of his day, is thoroughly apparent in his personality as a storyteller.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hidden Gem!, November 11, 2010

By 

Love To Read (Bucks County, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of Belkin and Other Prose Writings (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

You deserve to treat yourself to Alexander Pushkin's style of writing. This collection of short stories is phenomenal. After reading one, you can't imagine the next one being as good but they are and the variety is just as much of a pleasant surprise.

I was reluctant to read Russian literature because of my eastern European upbringing which was heavily overcast with the cloud of World War II. But I'm so glad that I did because it's a treat to read each story and have a positive experience so frequently during the course of reading a book. And this particular translator, Ronald Wilks, really seemed to get the author's personality and style accurately and did not infuse too much of his own.