By analogy with Pushkin’s Golden Age, the era spanning the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries came to be known as the Silver Age; it was marked by the emergence of an unprecedented number of brilliant figures in Russian poetry—Balmont and Bryusov, Gippius and Merezhkovsky, Sologub and Annensky, Blok and Akhmatova, Gumilev and Mandelstam, Tsvetaeva and Pasternak, Yesenin and Mayakovsky, and...

Clarity, precision, conciseness, and a rejection of stylistic embellishment—these are the hallmarks of Pushkin’s prose; yet, beneath this outward simplicity lies such a wealth of meaning that literary scholars have spent nearly two centuries deciphering his masterpieces. He turned to prose—a medium he had once dismissed as ‘despicable’—only in the late 1820s, having already achieved fame and...

*Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece* by N. A. Kun—a distinguished scholar of ancient history and literature—is one of the most popular, accessible, and authoritative works introducing readers to the culture of the ancient world. Since its initial publication in 1914, the book has seen numerous reprints; reader interest remains undiminished in these captivating, vivid tales regarding the...

The novellas and short stories collected in this volume represent the gold standard of our literature—its true treasure. The joy, lightness, cheerfulness, and openness of Yuri Koval’s prose—and its ability to speak directly to the reader’s heart—transform it into something more than mere writing; it becomes an indispensable remedy for the terrible afflictions that dog us like shadows:...

It is the story of an all-consuming passion, the tale of a married woman who falls in love with a handsome officer and leaves her husband, defying everything: the judgment of high society, conventional morality, and her own conscience.

*Eugene Onegin* (1823–1831) is one of the most significant works of Russian literature. With its poignant love story, dramatic plot twists, subtle psychological depth, and detailed depiction of the era's way of life and social mores—it is no coincidence that Belinsky called the novel an encyclopedia of Russian life—the work reflects the entirety of Russian existence like a mirror.

— For all fans of the famous novel *Gone with the Wind*. — A cult family saga set in Australia and New Zealand between 1915 and 1969. — The best-selling book in the history of Australian literature. — The novel’s total print run exceeds 33 million copies. — The novel has been adapted for both screen and stage; the 1983 miniseries became the second most popular American miniseries in television...

Emma Woodhouse has it all—a loving father, a fortune, social standing, beauty, and a sharp mind—except for a husband. Yet she is in no rush to tie the knot, preferring instead to play matchmaker for her friends and acquaintances—a pastime that constantly lands her in the most unexpected and amusing situations...

*The Hunchback of Notre-Dame* (1831) is a famous historical novel by Victor Hugo. It is thanks to this work that we can admire one of the world's most beautiful Gothic cathedrals, located in the very heart of Paris. Hugo drew attention to the cathedral through his writing—and did so deliberately, as there were plans to demolish Notre-Dame. The author made no secret of the fact that the novel’s...

‘Middle class,’ ‘economy,’ ‘the family as the fundamental unit of the state,’ ‘politics,’ ‘constitution,’ ‘civic duty’—we use these words and expressions without even realizing that we owe their very existence to Aristotle. He was a brilliant thinker who first introduced them in his work *Politics*, where he also pioneered social and political philosophy, establishing the study of social...

*The Queen of Spades* is one of Alexander Pushkin’s most enigmatic novellas. Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera of the same name, frequent stage productions, and numerous screen adaptations bear eloquent witness to the work’s immense popularity; indeed, the famous three, seven, ace are known even to those unfamiliar with the story of Hermann. Rivaling it in popularity and literary significance are the...

A novel that has become a defining symbol of Franz Kafka’s body of work. Interestingly, Kafka left no clues that might allow one to reconstruct the novel's plot; the chapters were unnumbered and kept in separate envelopes. Josef K. is a rational protagonist set against an absurd society. His unremarkable—even somewhat banal—life was proceeding as usual until he was informed that proceedings had...