This book contains Goncharov's novel "The Precipice," a classic of Russian literature.
I. A. Goncharov is the author of the famous novels "A Common Story," "Oblomov," and "The Precipice." His contemporaries considered these novels a trilogy, with each part describing a specific stage in the life of Russia during the 1840s–1860s.
Goncharov worked slowly and with focus: twelve years passed between his debut novel, "A Common Story" (which was enthusiastically received even by critics), and "Oblomov," which was recognized as a classic soon after its publication. His final novel, "The Precipice," took even longer to write: twenty years. "It could not have been otherwise," Goncharov reasoned. "It was written as the period of life itself unfolded." The forebodings, anxieties, and hopes of the people of that "period" are described by Goncharov with amazing completeness and precision; however, the eternal questions of love and betrayal, creativity and talent interested the writer no less.
After ten years spent in the capital, aspiring writer Boris Raisky returns to his estate. There, he becomes convinced that "life is a novel, and a novel is life": in this quiet corner on the banks of the Volga, comedy and tragedy, idyll and drama are more closely intertwined than in books full of fire and passion.
This edition reproduces rare illustrations for the novel by the artist Pyotr Naumovich Pinkisevich (1925–2004).
The book will be of interest to all lovers of domestic literature, and its beautiful design and color illustrations make it a true gift. For readers of all ages.
Author: Ivan Goncharov
Illustrations: Pyotr Pinkisevich
Pages: 768 (offset paper). Hardcover
Dimensions: 218x149x36 mm
Series: Russian Literature. Big Books
