In October, after the departure of the summer residents, in Balaklava becomes fresh, cozy and at home in a businesslike manner. All the ancient Greek population of the city creeps out onto the street. Now all the residents’ interest is focused on the fish. In the coffee houses fishermen gather and the ataman is elected. … Read more
Alfredo Traps, the only representative of the company “Hephaeston” in Europe, drives through a small village and thinks about how he will work off with his business partner, who wants to draw from him an extra five percent. His car, a brand new Studebaker, stalls near the car repair shop. He leaves the car to … Read more
JR Kipling The light went out Dick Heldar, an orphaned boy, lives with his guardian, Mrs. Janet’s vicious widow. After six years of staying with her, Dick gets acquainted with Maisie, a long-haired, gray-eyed girl, a new widow’s foster child. Between them there is friendship. For several years they live in the same house, but … Read more
AP Platonov Kotlovan “On the day of the thirtieth anniversary of his personal life, Voshchev was given a calculation from a small mechanical factory where he was earning funds for his existence.” In the dismissal document he was told that he was being eliminated from production due to the growth of weakness in him and … Read more
ST Aksakov Family chronicle In the 60’s. XVIII century. Stepan Mikhailovich Bagrov, the grandfather of the narrator (it’s easy to guess that Aksakov talks about his own grandfather), “he began to live closely” in the different Simbirsk “step-father.” Stepan Mikhailovich was not educated, but “his natural mind was healthy and bright”, he is certainly just … Read more
In the prologue Machiavelli says that everyone considers him dead, but his soul flew across the Alps and he arrived in Britain to his friends. He considers religion a toy and asserts that there is no sin, but there is only stupidity, that power is affirmed only by force, and the law, like the Dragon, … Read more
Three friends: George, Harris and Jay (shortened by Jerome) plan to take an amusing boat trip up the Thames. They intend to have a great time, relax from London with its unhealthy climate and merge with nature. Gathering their last much longer than they originally expected, because every time with great effort on the part … Read more
The demon looks at the world from an unearthly height. He sees the wonderful world of the Caucasus. Kazbek, Terek and the winding river Dariala lead him to despise and yearning. It all ceased to please, even the authorities ceased to inspire him. He flies around his possessions, the landscape changes slowly. All the beauties … Read more
Mark Easterbrook, a scholarly man of rather conservative views, once observes in one of the Chelsea bars the scene that struck him: two girls dressed sloppy and too warm, having quarreled because of the gentleman, clung to each other’s hair, so much so that one of them, red, parted with whole bunches. The girls are … Read more
Thirty-seven-year-old Mattis, from the point of view of others, a foolish fool, lives on the shore of a forest lake with his 40-year-old sister Hege. Lately relations between them are not going well. Tired of the daily need to think about how to feed themselves and their brother, from morning till night, engaged in knitting, … Read more