Deserted House - later, Sofia Petrovna [ ]

Paris: Pyat' Kontinentov, 1965. First Edition. hardcover with wrappers bound in. Very good. CHUKOVSKAYA, Lydia, [Deserted House - later, Sofia Petrovna], Pyat' Kontinentov, Paris 1965. 1 blank leaf + front wrapper + TP + 5 - [137] + 3 leaves + rear wrapper + 1 blank leaf. Small octavo. FIRST EDITION.

Based on her experiences during the Great Purge of 1938-39, it was written in 1939-40 but remained unpublished due to the critical and honest nature of the text. Originally written in a school exercise book, it was hidden, as its discovery could have endangered Chukovskaya. The Deserted House/Sofia Petrovna shows how gradually implicit consent with easily excusable political orders eventually swallows up a family. The book was nearly published in 1963, but was pulled before it could be released due to a changing political climate. It finally saw release in France in 1965 in Russian (this edition) but with a changed title ("The Deserted House") and different character names. It was then published in the United States, in Russian (item #5), with the correct title (“Sofia Petrovna”), in Novy Zhurnal (Wikipedia).

CONDITION: Very good or better. Bound in modern red cloth, retaining the original card covers with original spine pasted to cloth spine. Internally bright and clean.

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