The Terrible News

Collected and translated by Grigori Gerenstein

Russian stories from the years following the revolution

This ground-breaking collection illuminates the extraordinary explosion of literary activity which occurred in Russia in the years immediately following the Revolution. It testifies to the achievements of a number of writers – many of whom have never before appeared in English - as they tried to come to terms with one of the most far-reaching social upheavals of the century. By turns ironic, bemused, savage and absurd, the collection includes work by major figures such as Bulgakov, Zamyatin and Isaak Babel. It also presents a host of exciting writers, such as Lev Lunts, Aktor Ardov and Daniil Kharms, who will be new to most Western readers. 

Over and above the historical significance of these stories, however, is the sheer pleasure they provide for the modern reader. The Terrible News is rich with memorable examples of humorous whimsicality, uproarious comedy, poignant depictions of peasant life and excoriating satire at the expense of metropolitan bureaucracy. 

Harsh and earthy and often crazily funny, this collection captures the mood of an epoch.- Irish Times

The ghost of Gogol drifts through every page. - Times