The critically acclaimed biographer of Russian rulers and writers has now written a masterful work about the author whose novels, plays and memoirs depicted the working-class life in the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary eras. 16 pages of photos.
Lowell Bair Book order (chronological)




The Count of Monte Cristo
- 152 pages
- 6 hours of reading
A young sailor, Edmond Dantes, is unfairly imprisoned because his enemies are jealous of him. Torn away from the girl he wants to marry, he spends many bitter years in the grim island prison of the Chateau d'If. A fellow prisoner, the Abbe Faria, tells him the secret of the treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. Now, if only he can escape from the fortress, he can become rich - and be revenged on the people who betrayed him all those years ago...The Count of Monte Cristo has been abridged and simplified by Beatrice Conway
Candide or optimism
- 163 pages
- 6 hours of reading
With its vibrant new translation, perceptive introduction, and witty packaging, this new edition of Voltaireʹs masterpiece belongs in the hands of every reader pondering our assumptions about human behavior and our place in the world. Candide tells of the hilarious adventures of the naïve Candide, who doggedly believes that "all is for the best" even when faced with injustice, suffering, and despair.
Bantam Classic: Madame Bovary
- 454 pages
- 16 hours of reading
The text of this Norton Critical Edition is based on Eleanor Marx Aveling's celebrated translation, revised by Paul de Man.