{"title":"Fyodor Sologub","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the intriguing works of Fyodor Sologub, a prominent figure in Russian literature known for his unique narrative style and darkly imaginative themes. Sologub's narratives often delve into human nature's complexities and the absurdities of existence, making his works both thought-provoking and engrossing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong his celebrated works is \u003cem\u003eThe Little Demon\u003c\/em\u003e, a novel that masterfully encapsulates small-town life in Russia with its eccentric characters and psychological depth. This story is a critical portrayal of amoral authority through its protagonist, a teacher living in a grotesque world. It's a fascinating read for any enthusiast of General Fiction, offering a lens into Sologub's exploration of societal constraints and personal despair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother key piece, \u003cem\u003eTo the Stars and Other Stories\u003c\/em\u003e, showcases a diverse collection ranging from short stories to novellas. These works highlight his versatility and the rich tapestry of his literary skill, where he intertwines philosophical musings with elements of the surreal. Delve into these stories for a myriad of emotions and reflections on human endeavour and the universe that envelopes us, all wrapped in Sologub's distinctive prose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis collection is ideal for readers who appreciate literature that challenges the norm and offers profound insights into the human psyche. Discover Fyodor Sologub's remarkable narratives in our carefully curated collection of his most prominent works, perfect for any lover of General Fiction yearning for a deeper understanding of the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-little-demon-by-fyodor-sologub-9780141392936","title":"The Little Demon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMad, lascivious, sadistic and ridiculous, the provincial schoolteacher Peredonov torments his students and has hallucinatory fantasies about acts of savagery and degradation, yet to everyone else he is an upstanding member of society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA dark classic of Russia's silver age, this blackly funny novel recounts a schoolteacher's descent into sadism, arson and murder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs he pursues the idea of marrying to gain promotion, Peredonov descends into paranoia, sexual perversion, arson, torture and murder. Sologub's anti-hero is one of the great comic monsters of twentieth-century fiction, subsequently lending his name to the brand of sado-masochism known as Peredonovism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Little Demon\u003c\/em\u003e (1907) made an immediate star of its author who, refuting suggestions that the work was autobiographical, stated 'No, my dear contemporaries ... it is about you'. This grotesque mirror of a spiritually bankrupt society is arguably the finest Russian novel to have come out of the Symbolist movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFyodor Sologub was born in St Petersburg in 1863. His first two novels, \u003cem\u003eBad Dreams\u003c\/em\u003e (1896) and \u003cem\u003eThe Little Demon\u003c\/em\u003e (1907), were drawn from his own experiences as a schoolmaster in a remote provincial town. For many years Sologub could not find a publisher for \u003cem\u003eThe Little Demon\u003c\/em\u003e, but when in 1907 the novel was at last published—to immediate and resounding success—he was able to leave his restricting career and devote himself to literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1921, his wife committed suicide and Sologub died a few years later in 1927.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRonald Wilks studied Russian language and literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, after training as a Naval interpreter, and later Russian literature at London University. He has translated many works from Russian for Penguin Classics, including books by Gorky, Gogol, Pushkin, Tolstoy and Chekhov.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46511094726892,"sku":"9780141392936","price":19.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8731343482238.jpg?v=1748812596"},{"product_id":"to-the-stars-and-other-stories-by-fyodor-sologub-9780231200059","title":"To the Stars and Other Stories","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA boy who feels persecuted by the banality of everyday life yearns to ascend to the cold and majestic plane of the stars. A seamstress finds liberation of a sort in \"becoming\" a dog and howling at the moon. A club of young girls masquerade as the grieving fiancées of strange men. This book brings together these and other remarkable short stories by the Russian Symbolist Fyodor Sologub that explore the lengths to which people will go to transcend the mundane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRenowned as one of late imperial Russia's finest stylists, Sologub bridges the great nineteenth-century novel and the fin-de-siècle avant-garde. He stands out for his masterful command of both realist and fantastic storytelling; his play with language evinces a belief in its capacity to access other worlds and other levels of meaning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMany of Sologub's stories are set among children whose alienation from the adult world has lent them imagination and curiosity, enabling them to create an alternative reality. At the same time, he bluntly examines the sordid realities of late imperial Russian society and frankly presents sometimes unconventional sexuality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book also features a selection of Sologub's \"little fairy tales,\" ambiguous parables couched in childlike language whose ingenuity anticipates the miniatures and \"incidents\" of Daniil Kharms. Susanne Fusso's elegant translation offers these artful tales to an English-speaking audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853356454124,"sku":"9780231200059","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8057293482270.jpg?v=1759198460"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/fyodor-sologub.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}