Full Description
The stories in this collection range from impossible fantasy to scorching satire. A civil servant finds a new passion for his work when he's swallowed alive by a crocodile. A struggling writer stumbles on a cemetery where the dead still talk to each other. An arrogant but well-intentioned gentleman provokes an uproar at a subordinate's wedding, and in the marital bed. And a young boy finds unexpected salvation on a cold and desolate Christmas Eve.
This vivid translation by Nicolas Pasternak Slater and Maya Slater illuminates Dostoevsky's dazzling versatility as a writer. His remarkable short fiction swings from wickedly sharp humour to gripping psychological intensity, from cynical social mockery to moments of unexpected tenderness.
Contents
A Bad Business 7
Conversations in a Graveyard (Bobok) 101
A Meek Creature 130
The Crocodile 204
The Heavenly Christmas Tree 267
The Peasant Marey 275
Translators' Acknowledgement 285
