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The Beggar and Other Stories

Part of Pushkin Collection

Author Gaito Gazdanov

Translated by Bryan Karetnyk

Paperback

$18.00 US

Steerforth Press | Pushkin Collection

4.77"W x 6.47"H x 0.69"D | 7 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Sep 25, 2018 | 224 Pages | 9781782274018

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Translated for the first time, the best short stories by the 'modernist master' Gazdanov, author of The Spectre of Alexander Wolf.

In a Metro underpass, bald and dressed in rags, stands a silent beggar. In the evening, he walks the deserted streets of Paris; at night, he sleeps in a small, foetid crate vacated by the death of another beggar. He is poor and he is ill, but, on reflection, he is free.

Never published before in English, this marvellously translated collection of tightly written, lyrical works represent marvellously compact miniatures of all the major strands that Gazdanov explores in his novels. The senselessness of life, the nature of fate, and the richness of the inner life - these brilliant and moving stories have it all.

Gaito Gazdanov (Georgi Ivanovich Gazdanov, 1903-1971) was the son of a forester. Born in St Petersburg and brought up in Siberia and Ukraine, he joined Baron Wrangel's White Army in 1919 aged just sixteen, and fought in the Russian Civil War until the Army's evacuation from the Krimea in 1920. After a brief sojourn in Gallipoli and Contantinople (where he completed secondary school), he moved to Paris, where he spent eight years variously working as a docker, washing locomotives, and in the Citroën factory. During periods of unemployment, he slept on park benches or in the Métro. In 1928, he became a taxi driver, working nights, which enabled him to write and to attend lectures at the Sorbonne during the day. His first stories began appearing in 1926, in Russian émigré periodicals, and he soon became part of the literary scene. In 1929 he published An Evening with Claire, which was acclaimed by, among others, Maxim Gorki and the great critic Vladislav Khodasevich. He died in Munich in 1971, and is buried in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois near Paris. View titles by Gaito Gazdanov

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‘[Gazdanov’s] critique of power and wealth is more relevant than ever. We’re lucky to have these stories. A fine introduction to the short prose of a modernist master.’ — Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"A stellar showcase of the Russian-born Parisian’s striking voice . . . This collection is Gazdanov at his best, allowing readers to slowly pry open the secrets of its cast of dilettantes and lost souls." — Publishers Weekly

'A publishing event... and much, much more... How to define the genius of Gaito Gazdanov, the boy who stared certain death in the eye? He understood how human beings struggle to live in the world while shouldering the burden of their obsessive thoughts, fears, desires, and regrets.' — Los Angeles Review of Books

'Beautifully-crafted… translated and published in English for the first time, this collection of miniature tales has everything, ranging from a secret mission to an extramarital affair.' - Cub magazine

'The Gazdanov revival... is nothing short of a literary event' - TLS 'Gazdanov is a modernist master.' - Irish Times

'Gazdanov's work is the perfect fusion of the Russian tradition and French innovation.' - London Review of Books

'He has his own utterly distinctive voice... Pushkin Press is to be congratulated on reviving an author who is as relevant now as ever.' - Spectator

'This is an original at work.' - The Times

'A fascinating writer.' - Irish Times

‘The six stories in this new volume exemplify Gazdanov’s skill as a writer… As stories, Gazdanov’s tales can be thrilling and virtuosic.’ - Bookanista

‘Permeated by a sense of melancholy, the stories provide a riveting glimpse into the author’s turbulent life and times.’ — The Lady

"Dark, beautiful magics awaits in these pages… a must buy." — Hits the Fan

"An extraordinarily rich collection… while I was reading it I couldn’t help thinking what a wonderful job Pushkin are doing bringing Gazdanov to us." — Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings

'His writing has been described as "if Nabokov wrote thrillers". I'm hooked.' - Observer

'Gazdanov owes a debt from the grave to his translator Bryan Karetnyk.' - TLS

'Each punchy story is a masterful portrait of character and thoughtful plotting of philosophical enquiry…’ - Country Life

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