Literature: Russian and neighbours | Page 4 of 7

Image for TOLSTOY, Zhivoi Trup [A Living Corpse], first book edition in the original Russian, Moscow, 1912 #1

Tolstoy's answer to Chekhov - unopened

Zhivoi trup. Drama v 6 deistviyakh i 12 kartinakh [A Living Corpse. A drama in 6 acts and 12 scenes]

£1,000

TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich [TOLSTOI], Zhivoi trup. Drama v 6 deistviyakh i 12 kartinakh

First separate edition of Tolstoy's play, a large-format quality production, with illustrations. A lovely example, unopened in the charming art-nouveau wrappers.

Tolstoy wrote in his diary, "that in A Living Corpse there are notes inspired by Chekhov's work. Such is the secret of artistic creativeness".

Image for BLOK, Vozmezdie, Skt. Peterburg, 1922. First edition. #2

A 10-year poetical work

BLOK, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich

Vozmezdie [Retribution]

£200

BLOK, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich, Vozmezdie

First edition of this epic by the great Russian poet, the result of more than 10 years of work. With long introduction and bibliography.

Image for TOLSTOY, Childhood and Adolescence, Moskva, 1876; in wrappers. #1

In publisher's wrappers

TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich

Detstvo i Otrochestvo [Childhood and Adolescence]

£3,950

TOLSTOY, Lev Nikolaevich, Detstvo i Otrochestvo

Tolstoy's own editing of his first novel: a lovely example, rare in original wrappers, of this second edition, specially adapted for children's reading and showing for the first time a different version from the standard text.

Image for MANDELSHTAM, Kamen [Stone], first edition, Skt. Peterburg, 1913. #1

The very rare first edition

MANDELSHTAM, Osip Emilevich

Kamen [Stone]

£12,500

MANDELSHTAM, Osip Emilevich, Kamen

First edition of the first book by one of Russia's greatest 20th-century poets. A very good example of this rare edition.

Image for SOLZHENITSYN, Odin den Ivana Denisovicha, London, 1962. First edition. #1

In striking wrappers

SOLZHENITSYN, Aleksandr Isaevich

Odin den Ivana Denisovicha [One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]

£2,500

SOLZHENITSYN, Aleksandr Isaevich, Odin den Ivana Denisovicha

First edition of the celebrated author's first book § a famous 'pirate' edition published without Solzhenitsyn's consent. A very good copy, with the striking original wrappers.

Image for Norov analyses Tolstoy's War and Peace: first edition of this rare pamphlet #2

Extensive contemporary analysis of Tolstoy's masterpiece

[TOLSTOY] – NOROV, Avraam Sergeevich

Voina i mir (1805-1812). S istoricheskoi tochki zrenia i po vospominaniam sovremennika. Po povodu sochinenia L.N.Tolstogo "Voina i mir" [War and Peace (1805-1812). From an Historical Perspective and Following Memories of a Contemporary. About the work of Count L.N. Tolstoy, "War and Peace"]

£850

[TOLSTOY] - NOROV, Avraam Sergeevich, Voina i mir (1805-1812). S istoricheskoi tochki zrenia i po vospominaniam sovremennika. Po povodu sochinenia L.N.Tolstogo "Voina i mir"

A very rare extensive review and analysis of Tolstoy's masterpiece, published by a writer and book collector immediately when War and Peace's first edition was being brought out.

Image for Dostoevsky's Devils (or Possessed), first edition, 1873 #1

Dostoevsky's most political novel

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor Mikhailovich

Besy [The Devils, sometimes The Possessed or Demons]

£16,500

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor Mikhailovich, Besy

Dostoevsky's most political novel: a very good example of the first edition, in contemporary Russian binding.

Image for SAMOKISH & MEY, Izbavitel, SPb, 1900. Separately published #2

With striking designs

SAMOKISH Nikolai (artist) and Lev Al. MEY

Izbavitel [The Saviour]

£1,850

SAMOKISH Nikolai (artist) and Lev Al. MEY, Izbavitel

A hunting poem beautifully decorated by one of the leading book illustrators of the time. Separately published from Kutepov's celebrated and monumental 'Imperial Hunt'.

Image for DANTE, DORE and MINAEV. Divine Comedy in Russian. First complete edition. Skt. Peterburg, 1874-79. #2

Out of stock

SOLD

In the spectacular publisher's binding

DANTE ALIGHIERI, Gustave DORE (illustrator) and D.D. MINAEV (translator)

Bozhestvennaia Komediia [The Divine Comedy]

DANTE ALIGHIERI, Gustave DORE (illustrator) and D.D. MINAEV (translator), Bozhestvennaia Komediia

Lovely copy, in the impressive original binding, of the first complete translation of Dante in Russia. With Doré's celebrated illustrations.

Image for AKHMATOVA. Poema bez geroia. Samizdat in unusual binding. c. 1968. #2

Out of stock

SOLD

Great Akhmatova's memorabilia

AKHMATOVA, Anna

Poema bez Geroia. Triptikh. 1940-1962. Leningrad-Tashkent-Moskva [Poem Without a Hero. Triptych. 1940-1962. Leningrad-Tashkent-Moscow]

AKHMATOVA, Anna, Poema bez Geroia. Triptikh. 1940-1962. Leningrad-Tashkent-Moskva

An interesting and very unusual item: a samizdat copy of Akhmatova's masterpiece, bound in the poetess' dress, with a lengthy inscription detailing part of the provenance.

Image for BUNIN, I. Pod otkrytym nebom [and] Stikhi i rasskazy. First editions, Moscow, 1898 and 1900. #1

Out of stock

SOLD

Inscribed by the future Nobel Prize

BUNIN, Ivan

Pod otkrytym nebom [bound with:] Stikhi i Rasskazy

[Under the Open Skies [bound with:] Poems and Short stories]

BUNIN, Ivan, Pod otkrytym nebom [bound with:] Stikhi i Rasskazy

A lovely volume with two first editions, including one inscribed by Bunin. Both works are rarely found.

Image for M. BULGAKOV. Adam & Eva. First version, samizdat, 1960s-70s. #2

Out of stock

SOLD

Never published in his lifetime

BULGAKOV, Mikhail

Adam i Eva. Piesa v 4 aktakh [Adam and Eve. A play in 4 acts]

BULGAKOV, Mikhail, Adam i Eva. Piesa v 4 aktakh

The very first, Bulgakov's own version of his dystopian play, here in an attractive, unusual samizdat.

Image for GROSSMAN, V. Vse techet. Posev, 1974 #2

Out of stock

SOLD

"A bitter indictment of the Soviet system" (Terras)

GROSSMAN, Vasilii

Vse techet [Everything flows]

GROSSMAN, Vasilii, Vse techet

Grossman's first novel being published abroad, and banned in Soviet Union until 1989. Pleasant example of this larger format edition.

Image for NABOKOV, Vl. Poetry in samizdat, very rare. 1970s. #3

Out of stock

SOLD

Nabokov the Poet – Home-made and illegal in Russia

NABOKOV, Vladimir

Stikhi [Poetry]

NABOKOV, Vladimir, Stikhi [Poetry]

Some of Nabokov's most scandalous poems, of course banned in Soviet Union and here in an illegal "edition" home-made in Brezhnev's USSR. Very rare.

Image for DOSTOEVSKY, F. Besy [The Possessed]. First edition, in wrappers. St. Petersburg, 1873. #1

Out of stock

SOLD

In superb original condition, with all wrappers

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor Mikhailovich

Besy [The Devils, sometimes The Possessed or Demons]

DOSTOEVSKY, Fedor Mikhailovich, Besy

The best example we've handled of the first edition of this important Russian novel.

Image for MAYAKOVSKY & BURLIUK. Otkrytie Ameriki. New York, 1925. First edition. #2

Out of stock

SOLD

On the way to the New World

MAIAKOVSKII, Vladimir [MAYAKOVSKY] and David BURLIUK (artist)

Otkrytie Ameriki [Discovery of America]

MAIAKOVSKII, Vladimir [MAYAKOVSKY] and David BURLIUK (artist), Otkrytie Ameriki

Rare first edition of Mayakovsky's poem, illustrated by Burliuk, here in a fine, pleasant copy.

Image for SHAKESPEARE & PASTERNAK. Hamlet. Moscow, 1941. #2

Out of stock

SOLD

Hamlet in war time

SHAKESPEARE, William, and Boris PASTERNAK (translator)

Gamlet. Prints Datskii. Tragediia [The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark]

SHAKESPEARE, William, and Boris PASTERNAK (translator), Gamlet. Prints Datskii. Tragediia

First separate edition of Shakespeare's famous tragedy in Pasternak's fine translation. A pleasant example of this scarce edition.

Image for PUSHKIN & TOMASHEVSKII. Gavriiliada. Peterburg, 1922. #1

Out of stock

SOLD

Pushkin's erotica with erudite comments

PUSHKIN, Aleksandr and Boris TOMASHEVSKII (editor)

Gavriiliada [The Gabrieliad]

PUSHKIN, Aleksandr and Boris TOMASHEVSKII (editor), Gavriiliada

Pushkin's most famous censored work, here in a lovely and important scholarly edition, finely produced.

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