Short Fiction - Vladimir Korolenko (easy books to read in english txt) 📗

Short Fiction

By Vladimir Korolenko.

Translated by Aline Delano, Sergius Stepniak, William Westall, Thomas Seltzer, Marian Fell, Clarence Manning and The Russian Review.

Table of Contents Titlepage Imprint Foreword Short Fiction Easter Night A Saghálinian I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX Sketches of a Siberian Tourist I: The Cormorants II: “The Hollow Below the Devil’s Finger” III: “The Slayer” IV: A Voltairian of Siberia V: The Exterminator VI: Yevséyitch VII: The Inspector VIII: “Iván, Aged Thirty-Eight Years” IX: The Investigation Continued The Blind Musician I: The Blind Infant—The Family I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX II: The Sources of Musical Feeling—The Blind Boy and the Melody I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X III: The First Friendship I II III IV V VI VII IV: Blindness—Vague Questions I II III IV V VI V: Love I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX VI: The Crisis—An Attempt at Synthesis I II III IV V VI VII: Intuition I II Epilogue In Two Moods I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV The Shades, a Fantasy I II III IV V Lights The Last Ray I II III The Old Bell-Ringer Makar’s Dream The Murmuring Forest I II III In Bad Company I: The Ruins II: Queer Characters III: My Father and I IV: I Make Some New Acquaintances V: My Acquaintanceship Is Continued VI: Among the “Grey Stones” VII: Tiburtsi Appears on the Scene VIII: Autumn IX: The Doll X: Conclusion The Day of Atonement I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI Birds of Heaven I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Isn’t It Terrible? I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX “Necessity” I II III IV V VI On the Volga I II III IV The Village of God I II III IV V Endnotes Colophon Uncopyright Imprint

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Foreword

This edition of Vladimir Korolenko’s Short Fiction was produced from various translations. “Easter Night,” “A Saghálinian” and “Sketches of a Siberian Tourist” were translated by Aline Delano and originally published in 1887. “The Blind Musician” was also translated by Aline Delano and originally published in 1890. “In Two Moods” was translated by Sergius Stepniak and William Westall and originally published in 1891. “The Shades, a Fantasy” was translated by Thomas Seltzer and originally published in 1907. “Lights,” “The Last Ray” and “The Old Bell-Ringer” was translated for The Russian Review and originally published in 1916. “Makar’s Dream,” “The Murmuring Forest,” “In Bad Company” and “The Day of Atonement” were translated by Marian Fell and originally published in 1916. “Birds of Heaven,” “Isn’t It Terrible?,” “ ‘Necessity,’ ” “On the Volga” and “The Village of God” were translated by Clarence Manning and originally published in 1919.

Robin Whittleton

Malmö, Sweden, April 2020

Short Fiction Easter Night

It was Holy Saturday in 188-⁠ ⁠…

Evening had long since enfolded the silent earth. The ground, warmed during the day by the rays of the sun, was now cooling beneath the invigorating influence of the night-frost. It seemed like one sighing, while its breath, forming a silvery mist, rose glistening in the rays of the starlit sky, like clouds of incense, to greet the approaching holiday.

All was still. In the cool night-breeze the small provincial town of N⁠⸺ stood silent, waiting to hear the first stroke of the bell from the high cathedral-tower. But the town was not sleeping; a spirit of expectancy brooded beneath the veil of darkness, breathing through