The Last and the First
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
The first English translation of celebrated Russian writer Nina Berberova's debut novel: an intense story of family conflict.
Nina Berberova was a Russian writer who chronicled the lives of Russian exiles in Paris in her short stories and novels. Her work captures the profound sense of displacement and the search for identity experienced by those forced to leave their homeland. Berberova masterfully depicted the intricate fates of her characters, weaving their personal journeys into the rich tapestry of interwar European cultural and social life. Through her poignant prose, she offered readers an intimate glimpse into the lives of emigrants navigating the complexities of a new existence.







The first English translation of celebrated Russian writer Nina Berberova's debut novel: an intense story of family conflict.
The collection features a variety of human emotions, blending humor and sadness in its narratives. Berberova's storytelling is highlighted for its grace and subtlety, drawing comparisons to the renowned Chekhov. Each story showcases her literary prowess, offering readers a deep and poignant exploration of the human experience.
Baroness Maria Ignatievna Zakrevskaya Benckendorff Budberg hailed from the Russian aristocracy and lived in the lap of luxury-until the Bolshevik Revolution forced her to live by her wits. Thereafter her existence was a story of connivance and stratagem, a succession of unlikely twists and turns. Intimately involved in the mysterious Lockhart affair, a conspiracy which almost brought down the fledgling Soviet state, mistress to Maxim Gorky and then to H.G. Wells, Moura was a woman of enormous energy, intelligence, and charm whose deepest passion was undoubtedly the mythologization of her own life
Die Diamantohrringe hatten neun Jahre in einem Pariser Leihhaus gelegen - als Erinnerung an eine glückliche Vergangenheit und als Pfand für eine bessere Zukunft. Die glückliche Vergangenheit, das war die Liebe zur gestorbenen Ehefrau. Die bessere Zukunft, das sollte ein Leben in Chicago bei seinem russischen Freund Drudschin sein. Und die Ohrringe sollten das Geld bringen für die Reise dorthin. Aber alles kommt anders: Erst quartiert sich die schwarzäugige Revuetänzerin Alja mit ihrem riesigen lila Tüllrock in Jewgenjijs Zimmer ein und möchte ihn zum Bleiben verführen. Dann - immerhin schon in New York angelangt - verliebt sich Ludmilla, die Tochter seines Chef in ihn. Wird er jemals Chicago, wird er Drudschin erreichen?§
Autobiografie známé ruské básnířky, prozaičky, literární kritičky a profesorky princetonské univerzity Niny Berberovové, jež emigrovala z revolučního Ruska spolu s básníkem Chodasevičem v r. 1922 do Berlína, přináší nejen rekapitulaci autorčina života, ale též „neočarovaný pohled“ na každodenní život a přežívání ruské literární emigrace v Berlíně, Paříži a USA. Čtenáři nabízí nečekaně nesentimentální a kritické portréty autorčiných současníků, spisovatelů, básníků i politiků – Gorkého, Bunina, Bělého, Gippiusové, Cvětajevové, Achmatovové, Nabokova, Zajceva, G. Ivanova, Kerenského, Merežkovského ad.
" Sacha sentit soudain qu'il était seul et cette découverte le troubla. Ce n'était pas cette "fière solitude", livresque et sans âme, dont il lui arrivait parfois de rêver. Solitude sans fierté, solitude sans grandeur [...], il se sentait pareil à une ombre délaissée de tous, malheureuse et triste. " Jeune émigré russe des années vingt, Sacha vit à Paris avec Ivan, son frère aîné. Ses proches, tous fiancés, lui font sentir toute la pesanteur de sa solitude. Subissant le bonheur indécent de ceux qui l'entourent, il se sent plus que jamais exclu du manège amoureux. Du moins jusqu'à cette nuit passée avec une femme de haute condition. Une simple nuit qui suffit à bouleverser sa façon d'être. Mais cette nuit, loin de lui permettre de se retrouver, menace au contraire de l'isoler davantage et de lui faire connaître le sentiment définitif d'un échec fatal.
Traduzione di Patrizzia Deotto. A cura di Julija Dobrovol'skaja . 8vo pp. 174 Brossura (wrappers) Ottimo (Fine)
Set against the backdrop of post-Revolution Russia and the vibrant life in Paris, the story follows three sisters—Dasha, Sonia, and Zai—each navigating their unique paths shaped by their father's influence and their personal aspirations. Dasha seeks a bourgeois life in Africa, Zai dreams of the arts, while Sonia faces a tragic turn after her academic pursuits. Opening with a harrowing scene of violence, the narrative shifts in mood and perspective, culminating in the impending threat of war, showcasing Berberova's literary prowess and emotional depth.