The Wives
The Women Behind Russian Literary Giants
Published on 18. October 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-1-60598-504-6 (ISBN)
Description
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year
Many readers are aware that writers such as Fitzgerald, Joyce, and Lawrence used their marriages for literary inspiration. In Russian literary marriages these women did not resent taking a secondary position, although to call their position secondary underscores the vital role these women played in the creation of some of the greatest literary works in history. From Sofia Tolstoy to Vera Nabokov and Elena Mandelshtam and Natalya Solzhenitsyn, these women ranged from stenographers and typists to editors, researchers, translators, and even publishers. Living under restrictive regimes, many of these women battled censorship and preserved the writers' illicit archives, often risking their own lives to do so. They established a tradition all their own, unmatched in the West.
Many readers are aware that writers such as Fitzgerald, Joyce, and Lawrence used their marriages for literary inspiration. In Russian literary marriages these women did not resent taking a secondary position, although to call their position secondary underscores the vital role these women played in the creation of some of the greatest literary works in history. From Sofia Tolstoy to Vera Nabokov and Elena Mandelshtam and Natalya Solzhenitsyn, these women ranged from stenographers and typists to editors, researchers, translators, and even publishers. Living under restrictive regimes, many of these women battled censorship and preserved the writers' illicit archives, often risking their own lives to do so. They established a tradition all their own, unmatched in the West.
Reviews / Votes
"The Wives invites us to perceive both symmetries and incongruities among the couples and reveals distinctions between the czarist and Soviet periods. This collection about the companions of great Russian authors buzzes with both literary insight and gossipy intrigue, exploring the wives' relationships not just with their husbands but also with their husbands' books." -- The Wall Street Journal "Popoff's extensive research provides insight into the dynamic, albeit complex, relationships between these devoted women and the authors. Through their ingenuity, self-sacrifice and courage, their husbands' works were able to see the light of day, and the world was enriched by their publication." -- The Washington Post "Popoff's compassionate treatment reminds us of the wives' integral role in the creation of Russia's astonishingly rich literature." -- Publishers WeeklyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 221 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
368 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60598-504-6 (9781605985046)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Person
Alexandra Popoff is the author of the award-winning biography Sophia Tolstoy: A Biography and The Wives: The Women Behind Russia's Literary Giants, a Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year. She lives in Canada.