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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / Continental European; Drama / General; ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

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Alexander Pushkin presents in an encapsulated form his various sexual relations, complex thoughts on life, the nature of sin, love, and creativity, as well as the complicated that led him to his tragic end. Now translated into 24 languages, the Secret Journal deserves to be placed among the most scandalous works of Russian Erotic literature.

Customer Reviews (3)

THE GREAT DISCOVERY IN I9th-CENTURY RUSSIAN LITERATURE
The following intriguing description appears on the back cover of this book: THE GREAT DISCOVERY IN I9th-CENTURY RUSSIAN LITERATURE. The famous Russian poet and writer Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), fatally wounded in a duel by his brother-in-law and rival, left behind his secret ciphered journal, which was discovered and smuggled out of the U.S.S.R. There has been much speculation and mystery surrounding this journal. According to legend, Pushkin's will stipulated that the journal not be published until one hundred years after his death. Some people claimed that the journal did not exist at all.
The journal does exist and consists of explicit confessions about intimate relationships that Pushkin had with his wife, her two sisters, and other women, which brought him to his tragic end. These astonishing events and reflections reveal unknown details of Pushkin's life - the life a nineteenth-century Russian Don Juan. If all this is factual, then it is truly a great discovery in nineteenth-century Russian literature. I would add that the same would be true for world literature as well.

Despite the suspicious circumstances related by Armalinsky, we must be fair and at least admit the possibility that these were actual events. The hint that the journal is indeed authentic is the reaction of the Russian press. The specific nature of the official Soviet literary criticism is very different from that in the free world. If an official critic in a Soviet magazine is furious about a particular literary work and vigorously disclaims it, the ordinary people understand that this is worth reading. If an official critic praises a book, people do not pay attention to it. In other words, that which the Soviet government hates, the Soviet people like. It is worth noticing that the books attacked are usually not available to Soviet readers, so a critic can impose "his" (meaning government) opinion on the readers, who are intentionally deprived of an opportunity to establish their own opinions!

Something similar occurred this time, too. Major Soviet magazines (Ogonek, Voprosi Literaturi) published screaming articles denouncing and threatening to castrate Mikhail Armalinsky for smuggling the manuscript out of the Soviet Union. Soviets challenged Armalinsky to a duel! Why? Because Pushkin holds a place of highest honor in Russia, second only to Lenin. And the Soviet government tolerates nothing erotic to be related to their "saints." What is interesting is that, as usually happens in the Soviet Union, the article offered no literary proof of its outstanding dismay and based its accusations solely on critics disturbed emotions.

But what is all the fuss about? The journal is truly an erotic piece of literature. It is beautifully crafted. It can be described in a few words as a hymn to female genitalia. The author (whether Pushkin or Armalinsky or someone else remains to be seen) reveals his position toward life, which has only two values: literature and women (not necessarily in that order!).

A woman, for Pushkin, is the carrier, keeper, and custodian of the God, who appears on earth in the shape of her genitals and in the state of emotions that they produce. Because genitals are a physical form of God, their influence and force wears out, as does anything physical. Therefore, the only way to maintain the strength of the sacred feelings produced by female genitalia was, for Pushkin, to change women and, consequently, their genitals in order to refresh God's appearance with constant renewal. This task clashed with his marriage in the last years of his life, and reflections of that create the content of Secret Journal.

The footnotes by Armalinsky in the English edition explain the references to the names of people mentioned by Pushkin.

The journal contains many erotic observations of human nature that are poignant and clever; some are funny, many are controversial and even objectionable to some. But are not these qualities of a good piece of literature that is enjoyed and recommended to others?

It would be interesting to see a detailed analysis that would prove me wrong, but I have not yet seen one. According to U.S. law but not Russian law, one is innocent until proven guilty. Thus, meanwhile, let us enjoy Pushkin's Secret Journal. As Armalinsky says in the preface, "Pushkin's literary reputation is so strong that his personal reputation could not shake it, but on the contrary promises us a remarkable study of human nature, which, because of its immutability, makes us all one with the past as well as the future."

Secret Journal - ...
I read Puskin's Secret Journal, and I waited in anticipation to read his thoughts, feelings on life, literature, family life and Russia.

For Alexander S. Pushkin is my favorite writer, and I was thrilled when the book finally arrived.I immediately opened the package and sat down to what I thought was going to be an experience, the chance at a glimpse into the mind of a literary genius.

My elations and joy quickly soured as I started to read this book.It reads like a cheap sex novel, filled with prostitutes, orgies and other detestable sexual adventures.

For any avid Pushkin fan who reads this and knows about the author, you will agree with me.For those who are not fans of Pushkin, or are not well knowledgeable of his works, this book will give you a distorted view of him - a false view.

One of the reasons why I ardently disprove of this book is because I have done extensive research on him, family life, and etc.This does not indeed make me an expert, for I do not claim to be such.However, I am well versed in his literary works, to see a farce or the truth.

Thus, I do not recommend anyone to read or buy this farce...

dilemmas over dilemmas
Once I started to read this journal ý immensed my self in those pages that revealed the authors human needs,having a loving wife, happy kids,very ýntriguing environment, betrayels, mercyness, suspicion and finally reaching the end of his limit to the mortalýty by a duel with his brother-in-law. one might say that was that worthed to be killed like that after having captured the whole nations heart by being one of the most admired native son in russian literature!

As the author stated in his journal" it is better to die with honour then to live as a dishonoured man" where the tsar was overwatching writers wife all over the places and sometimes calling her in for having to be near to her and to touch her! on the other hand, the writer's brother in-law d'anthes had an eye for pushkins wife natalia pushkina and having to spread rumors all over that he had an affair with authors wife!

whatever may pushkin have done within his troubled marriage, human honour would always judge ýtself whether the unfaithfullness and mistrust one another in a marriage belongs only to the committed ones or not! ... Read more

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A collection of six fairy tales by the renowned Russian poet. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Introduction by John Bayley; Translation by Natalie Duddington ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Entertaining stories from a Russian master
This is a collection of fictional narratives by "the first truly original Russian novelist."

The best of the collection is "The Captain's Daughter".It is an historical novel of 140 pages that grew out of Pushkin's research and writing of "History of the Pugachov Rebellion".In "The Captain's Daughter", young Pyotr Grinyov comes to manhood and pursues marriage of the daughter of the commander of the Belogorsky Fortress amidst the turmoil and bloodshed of the Cossack rebellion led by Yemelyan Pugachov in 1773 and 1774, during the reign of Catherine II.The novel is patterned after the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott and it may surpass its model.The story is told in a light-hearted manner, often with boisterous high humor.The action, of which there is plenty, proceeds at an almost breakneck pace.Some of the characters are stock in nature, but several are distinctive and memorable (especially Grinyov's manservant, Savelyich).Along the way the reader absorbs quite a lot of Russia of that era.It is not great literature, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable tale, even for a modern audience.

The remaining stories in this book are somewhat uneven in quality.Five of them were published together in 1831 as "The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin".These actually are parodies of different fictional styles or devices then current, and as such they are more skillful pieces of prose writing than might be thought based on a superficial reading.(The best of these, to my mind, is "The Shot".) The volume also contains the "The Queen of Spades", which is a minor landmark in Russian literature and the basis for Tchaikovsky's opera.Most of these other stories also are told with propulsive energy.In most there is an element of the supernatural, and in most an act of deception or disguise is at or near the center of the plot.Again, while they are not great literature, for the most part they wear well - better than the vast majority of stories written in English in the 1830s.

This collection, with the same cover illustration by Edward Gorey, was first published by Vintage Books in 1957.May it stay in print for another half century.

Wonderful!
The book itself is old, but in wonderful condition. There are no pages missing, and the antique texture makes me like the book even more. Thanks!!

Typically Pushkin, Typically Great Reading
I have read so much of Pushkin's writing that I was delighted to find this little treasure of short stories.They are all engrossing, particularly the title story.Loved it so much I sent my daughter a copy and she loved reading it as well.Highly recommended to anyone and a NOT TO BE MISSED work for any Pushkin fan.As usual, one wishes one could read it in Russian and avoid the translation idiosyncracies, but that is life.

Excellent Collection of Stories, But a Bit Weighted Down in Translation
Pushkin, of course, is the master of Russian literature. While Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, etc, are more well-recognized in the West as 'seminal figures' of Russian literature, it is Pushkin who truly embodies Russian storytelling.

The translation of "The Captain's Daughter" (a novella, 140 pp) was excellent. Were this collection rated on the novella alone, it would easily get five stars.

However, the rest of the stories in the collection (about another 150 pp) suffered, unfortunately, from stilted and occasionally confused translating. A shame, too, because Pushkin's stories are really meant to be simple and easily understood.

Much like a Russian O. Henry, Pushkin generally thrives on the ironic. His storytelling is spartan: only the most basic details are provided, but each story is heartfelt, simple, and quite beautiful.

There is a strong selection of stories in this collection, and overall, the storytelling is very good. The translation could be improved, but is fairly readable; it's a shame that the translation can weight down the flow of Pushkin's stories.

solid introduction to Pushkin
Pushkin is the Godfather of Russian literature._The Captain's Daughter and other Other Stories_ is a decent representation of his writing style, but I found the stories much less interesting than his poetry.With that said, the title piece is by far the strongest of the collection.The story is full of high drama, love, intrigue and betrayal, as the main character struggles to maintain his sense of honor and dignity.It was a bit over the top for me, but no one writes about human emotion with the depth that Pushkin does.For that alone, _The Captain's Daughter_ is worth the read.Skip the other stories.In the final analysis, I highly recommend it. ... Read more

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Eugene Onegin is an eight-chapter novel in sonnets of Pushkin's own devising, in iambic tetrameter, which he uses to modulate, Mozartlike, between deep profundity and twinkling humour, from exquisite lyrical descriptions of nature to devastating satire, all within a twinkling of the proverbial eye. The story and plot are simple, not unlike those of Pride and Prejudice, but with an open ending. Tom Beck's new translation of Eugene Onegin captures the endless variety, sparkle and vivacity of this unique novel in verse. Poetic quality, rather than slavish fidelity to the original, has been the guiding principle in this acclaimed translation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Thank God Pushkin was born
Pushkin was a master of the Russian language, and these short works (which have been translated by Paul Debreczeny) are living proof. Each of these stories are works of art. "The Blackamoor of Peter the Great" is brilliant beyond belief, while "A Novel in Letters" and "The Captain's Daughter" are definitely worth reading. "A History of Pugachev" takes about 1/4 of the entire book, and it drags sometimes. But I hope I'll admire it once I read it a second time. The other stories ("Roslavlev", "A Tale of Roman Life", The Queen of Spades", etc.) will not disappoint. I give this an A.

Premier Russian author and the father of the russian novel
This is a very good collection of stories.The Queen of Spades and the Captain's Daughter stand out.

Pushkin defines Russian literature
Pushkin is to Russian speakers what Shakespeare is to English speakers. His influence on the prose and poetry of the language is second to no one and writing influences Russian literature to this day. Amazingly Pushkin only lived until the age of 38. Even now you can visit his gravesite (as I did) and still see teenage girls weeping and putting flowers on his grave.

This edition of the complete prose of Pushkin is truly excellent. The Queen of Spades and the Captain's Daughter are included are and are worth the price alone.

The translators, Arndt and Debreczeny, do a fine job in translating Pushkin's prose, while the stories are set up in chronological order so the reader can see Pushkin's growth as a prose writer. In fact this was the volume of Pushkin writings in English I took with me while living in Russia for a short while.

Very readable and a worthwhile introduction to the greatest of Russian writers.

Excellent walk through Pushkin's prose maturation
What makes this book so beautiful is that word "Complete".In one handy reference you can enjoy all of Pushkin's prose.Mr. Debreczeny's translation of Pushkin's work is hearty. I believe it's nearly as close as we can come to feeling the work outside of really knowing Russian.

That would be amazing for me: to know Russian and read Pushkin in the language that he raised high in the face of the patrician encroachment of French that had relegated Russian to servant status.Each language must have a unique and valuable propriety in it's innermost meanings, and in reading this work (plus knowing something of Russian culture), I believe you can feel that unique Russian "thing" even through this translation.

You have about fifteen pieces plus Pushkin's own pre-work/research and some fragments.Mr. Debreczeny has arranged them such that you walk through the development of Pushkin as a prose writer.Early on, he did have quite a disdain for prose in comparison to poetry.To paraphrase Debreczeny, Pushkin's first serious writing treated prose as a necessary evil, writing with technical correctness but approaching parody of itself with strict adherence to the concept of prose as a sterile, low medium for expression.

I the later works, you will see the layering of complex themes and characters into prose that for me felt like driving a standard shift with power-assisted steering -- You get just enough resistance to feel the road and keep you engaged and thinking.Also, you just plain enjoy the ride.

Mr. Debreczeny is an excellent guide in his commentary and in his translation. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

lovely folk tales
This wonderful book contains four stories by Russia's great Aleksandr Pushkin, brilliantly illustrated by Boris Zvorykin. Originally published as a limited edition in France, in 1925, it has been translated from the French by Jessie Wood, with good reproductions of the brightly colored illustrations, which resemble illuminated manuscripts, and have much intricate detail.
It also includes a lengthy introduction by the noted dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who gives an overview of Pushkin's life, and his influence on the ballet, with many stories that became the basis for works performed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (like "The Golden Cockerel", or as it is better known, "Le Coq d'Or"), and of course opera, with the likes of Eugene Onegin, and Boris Godunov.

The first story is "The Golden Cockerel", about a magical creature who is given to the Tsar for protection, but has dire consequences; # 2 is "The Tale of the Tsar Sultan", and is the longest of the stories, about a simple peasant girl who marries the Tsar, her jealous relatives, and her hero son, who saves the life of a swan that later turns into a princess. # 3 is "The Dead Princess and the Seven Heros", which one will recognize as a version of "Snow White", and # 4 is "The Tale of the Golden Fish", about a man with an avaricious wife, and the fish that grants him many favors.
These stories all have a moral to them, and the evil ones get their dues; it is also written in a style that would take some maturity, so this would be recommended for a child old enough to appreciate Pushkin's language, and the complexity of Zvorykin's art.

The Golden Cockerel and Other Fairy Tales
This book by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin I've read for the first time probably in 1956, in Russian. I remember the contents because later on I've been reading it to my children in Polish. The original version did impressme much more than the translation. Right now I'm living in Canada and havejust a few books in Russian. I'm not a wealthy person, but verysentimental. The reason I'm writing this "review" is in fact anattempt to find out about the unexpensive way to get a few more books inRussian, not necessarily by A.S. Pushkin.

The Golden Cockerel Crows Superiority
This collection of Russian Fairy Tales is not for bed-time stories. The tales contained within this book are wonderfully true to the stories passed down from the old world. The violent images within most of the tales holdtrue to those found in the original tales. Refreshing and invigorating,there's very little "once upon a time" in Russia, and theillustrations and characters make this book a must-have conversation piece. ... Read more