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Petersburg

By Andrei Bely
Penguin Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Petersburg by Andrei Bely is a captivating tale set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Russia. The story weaves through the lives of a revolutionary young man and his bureaucrat father, caught in a web of political intrigue, philosophical introspection, and psychological turmoil, capturing the essence of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. Bely masterfully combines elements of symbolism and modernism, creating a rich tapestry of narrative that explores the complexities of human consciousness and societal change.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy intricate narratives that merge surrealism with political intrigue, all set against the vivid backdrop of early 20th-century Russia. The rich, symbolic storytelling and exploration of psychological depth will captivate those who appreciate literary experimentation and historical context.

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St Petersburg, 1905. An impressionable young university student, Nikolai, becomes involved with a revolutionary terror organization, which plans to assassinate a high government official with a time bomb. But the official is Nikolai's cold, unyielding father, Apollon, and in twenty-four hours the bomb will explode.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Petersburg by Andrei Bely is a vivid, memorable, and striking story set at the heart of the 1905 Russian revolution. This colourful evocation of Russia's capital during the short, turbulent period of the first socialist revolution is considered Bely's masterpiece.

The story follows Nikolai Ableukhov's journey as he is caught up in the revolutionary politics of those seminal days. Exploring themes of history, identity, and family, the novel sees the young Russian chased through the misty Petersburg streets, tasked with planting a bomb intended to kill a government official—his own father.

History, culture, and politics are blended and juxtaposed; weather reports, current news, fashions, and psychology jostle together with people from Petersburg in this literary triumph.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Petersburg by Andrei Bely is frequently praised for its significance and impact in Russian literature, being described as a pivotal 20th-century novel. It's also acknowledged for capturing the essence of Russia as a whole, offering a rich, complex narrative that resonates with profound cultural and historical insights.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141191744

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 August 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Adam Thirlwell
  • Translated by David McDuff
  • Introduction by Adam Thirlwell
  • Introduction by Adam Thirlwell
  • Translated by David McDuff

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 432g

Pages: 624

Collections

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About the Author

Andrei Beley (born Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev) was born 26 October 1880. Beley was educated at Moscow University where he studied science and philosophy, before turning his focus to literature. In 1904 he published his first collection of poems, Gold in Azure, which was followed in 1909 by his first novel, The Silver Dove. Beley's most famous novel, Petersburg, was pubilshed in 1916. His work is considered to have heavily influenced several literary schools, most notably Symbolism, and his impact on Russian writing has been compared to that of James Joyce on the English speaking world. Adam Thirlwell (b.1978) studied English at New College, Oxford, and was subsequently elected as a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford in 1999. In 2003 his first novel, Politics, won the Betty Trask Award, and Miss Herbert, published in 2007, won the Somerset Maugham Award. Thirlwell's third novel, The Escape, was published in September 2009.

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