Lieutenant Kizhe

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A young clerk makes a mistake, the Tsar of Russia falls into a rage, and Lieutenant Kizhe is created from nothing. That’s how this savage, funny satire begins. Set in the Russia of Pavel I, son of Catherine the Great, its mockery of authoritarian rule is a tale for all ages.

Yuri Tynianov was a master of research. He combined telling historic detail with dazzling style to create an immersive experience. Readers come to smell and feel the exuberant but sometimes tragic world of eighteenth-century Russia. Life itself can depend on the momentary whim of a distant authority.

Nicolas Pasternak Slater’s sparkling translation dances off the page. His resilient prose makes Tynianov’s imagery and atmosphere palpable for English readers. A high-wire act which Pasternak Slater pulls off with panache is what one reviewer said of his last translation, Doctor Zhivago. We think he’s done it again.

Any reader can find entertainment and food for thought in this little gem. The unique Lieutenant Kizhe has inspired films, musicals and some of Prokofiev’s most electric music. Now Pasternak Slater’s exciting translation can inspire a new generation.