The Captain's Daughter

Robert and Elizabeth Chandler's translation reads wonderfully ... and captures the plot's wildness, cruelty, and touching romance. Jonathan Mirsky, The Spectator Oh, how thoroughly is that classical book-magical. How thoroughly-hypnotic ... Pushkin has brought Pugachev on us ... the way you bring on sleep, a fever, a spell. Marina Tsvetaeva, ""Pushkin and Pugachev"" In any language, The Captain's Daughter would be a miniature masterpiece. T. J. Binyon, The Daily Telegraph Time has done nothing to dull the excitement of the story, which, for all its romantic coincidences, is something more than a mere tale of adventure because its characters are something more than cardboard. The New York Times One brilliant feature of The Captain's Daughter is that you don't know what sort of narrative is unfolding... It is a baffled reflection, from the position of political enlightenment, on the extraordinary hold exercised by violence and fanaticism upon the human race. A. N. Wilson, The Daily Telegraph The Captain's Daughter is one of the stories in which Pushkin created Russian prose... It is true poet's prose, absolutely clear, objective, unpretentious and penetrating. Robert Conquest, The Spectator Pushkin's greatest stories include the famous supernatural tale 'The Queen of Spades' and the thrilling historical novel about the Pugachev rebellion, The Captain's Daughter. Everyone should read these. Michael Dirda, The Washington Post ""[I]n any language, The Captain's Daughter would be a miniature masterpiece."" T. J. Binyon, The Daily Telegraph ""One brilliant feature of The Captain's Daughter is that you don't know what sort of narrative is unfolding... It is a baffled reflection, from the position of political enlightenment, on the extraordinary hold exercised by violence and fanaticism upon the human race."" A. N. Wilson, The Daily Telegraph ""First published in 1836, this novella shows Alexander Pushkin's mastery of almost any form... Evocative, swashbuckling, romantic and sentimental, The Captain's Daughter centres on the peasant rebellion, 1773-75, of the Cossack Yemelyan Pugachov... Robert and Elizabeth Chandler's translation reads wonderfully (caution: I know no Russian), and captures the plot's wildness, cruelty, and touching romance."" Jonathan Mirsky, The Spectator ""Oh, how thoroughly is that classical book-magical. How thoroughly-hypnotic (for Pugachev, all of him, in spite of our reason and conscience, is forced upon us by Pushkin-breathed into us: we don't want to, but we see him; we don't want to, but we love him), so much is that book like sleep, like dreaming. All [of Grinyov's] encounters with Pugachev are from that same region of his dream about the killing and loving peasant. A dream prolonged and brought to life. It is because of that, perhaps, that we do give ourselves over to Pugachev, because it is a dream, that is, we are in the complete captivity and complete freedom of a dream. The commandant, Vasilisa Egorovna, Shvabrin, Catherine-all that is bright day and we, reading, remain of sane mind and memory. But as soon as Pugachev enters the scene-all that is over: it is black night. Not the heroic commandant, nor Vasilisa Egorovna who loves him, nor Grinyov's love affair, no one and nothing can overcome in us Pugachev. Pushkin has brought Pugachev on us...the way you bring on sleep, a fever, a spell..."" Marina Tsvetaeva, Pushkin and Pugachev ""The Captain's Daughter is one of the stories in which Pushkin created Russian prose... [I]t is true poet's prose, absolutely clear, objective, unpretentious and penetrating."" Robert Conquest, The Spectator ""Although revered as a poet, Pushkin is also a major prose writer, and during his last years even made himself into a journalist of sorts. Pushkin's greatest stories include the famous supernatural tale 'The Queen of Spades' and the thrilling historical novel about the Pugachev rebellion, The Captain's Daughter. Everyone should read these."" Michael Dirda, The Washington Post ""Pushkin, the father of them all: he is the one great Russian whom, to our embarrassment, we have to take on trust."" V. S. Prichett, The New Statesman ""It is well known that The Captain's Daughter was conceived through the example of Scott's historical novels; it is worth knowing that, even in translation, it reads far better today than all but the best of Scott. Utterly free of the turgidity, the long-windedness, the decoration of that passe romantic school which inspired it... Pushkin is one of the first writers to have treated romantic material with a realistic hand. Rather than profusion of background, his method is the sharp detail, the rapid stroke. When he makes use of incident to fill out a character, it is not melodramatic (except in the case of the villain of the piece), but conversational, humorous, matter-of-fact. Even the most conventionally romantic or melodramatic crises are lacking in florid gestures and told without special striving after effect. Pushkin, we may be sure, realized the inadequacies of the old technique in dealing with romance; indeed, he even says in one place: 'The reader will learn from the following chapter what [an idea] was-as the old-fashioned novelists put it.'...Time has done nothing to dull the excitement of the story, which, for all its romantic coincidences, is something more than a mere tale of adventure because its characters are something more than cardboard."" The New York Times