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by A.F. Veltman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1998

A first English-language collection of five long stories by a forgotten 19th-century Russian writer (1800-70) who was also a successful journalist and historian, in his day favorably compared to (and also praised by) such immortal contemporaries as Pushkin, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. This selection showcases Veltman's skills as a satirist, of both social humbuggery (in ""Roland the Furious,"" roughly analogous to Gogol's classic play The Inspector General) and literary snobbishness (""A Traveler from the Provinces""). And the best of these five, ""It's Not a House, but a Plaything,"" offers a piquant study of family and class conflict in a rich tale dominated by mischievous ""house spirits"" who orchestrate a tragicomic clash between two incompatible families unhappily thrown together. Very interesting stuff, that leaves us eager for further translations of Veltman's once-famous oeuvre.

Pub Date: June 1, 1998

ISBN: 0810115271

Page Count: 200

Publisher: Northwestern Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1998

Categories: FICTION