"The Stereoscope" and Other Mystical Tales from St. Petersburg - (Cultural Syllabus) by Dan Ungurianu

About the Book

This is the first translation into English of several mystical and fantastic tales from the early twentieth century set in Russia's splendid imperial capital of St. Petersburg. The centerpiece of the collection--Alexander Ivanov's "Stereoscope"--a forgotten gem of fantastic literature and a pioneering museum adventure tale, is also an early example of fiction about photography.

Book Synopsis

The tales in this annotated collection share three common characteristics. They were written in the early twentieth century, during the so-called Silver Age, a period of artistic renaissance in Russia and an important part of the larger European Belle Époque. Their action takes place in St. Petersburg, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a splendid imperial capital, which, in addition to being the cradle of modern Russian culture, became its major subject and theme. And finally, all of them belong to the mystical or fantastic genres. The centerpiece of the collection--Alexander Ivanov's "Stereoscope" (1909), a forgotten gem of fantastic literature and a pioneering museum adventure tale, is also an early example of fiction about photography. None of these stories have been published in English before.

Review Quotes

"A valuable contribution to the canon of Russian literature in English translation, 'The Stereoscope' and Other Mystical Tales from St. Petersburg gathers a rich selection of seven short stories from the twilight of imperial Russia, reflecting the era's psychological intensity, Symbolist aesthetics, and haunting fusion of myth and modern life. Expertly edited by Dan Ungurianu and translated with elegance and precision by Elena Ungurianu, the volume revives neglected texts that open a window onto the imaginative life of early twentieth-century Petersburg.

Wonderful period illustrations accompany each tale, evoking the visual culture of the time. With illuminating annotations, contemporary reactions, and a masterful essay by the editor tracing the literary and cultural crosscurrents of the age, this volume is also a most welcome addition to scholarship on the period.

Of interest to general readers as well as specialists, it is an inviting entry into one of the most vibrant periods of Russian literary culture."

--Vladimir Alexandrov is B. E. Bensinger Professor Emeritus of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Yale University. He is the author, most recently, of The Black Russian and the Serpent's Sting.

"This book is a cause for celebration in our era of Russian lit branding 'blahs': a scholarly anthology that is as entertaining and fun to read as it is prodigiously informed and educational. Beautifully illustrated, meticulously translated by Elena Ungurianu, and masterfully introduced and contextualized by Dan Ungurianu, 'The Stereoscope' and Other Mystical Tales from St. Petersburg is a volume that will be as appealing in undergrad survey courses as in grad seminars and adult reading groups. Ungurianu's essay at the end of the volume, presenting Alexander Ivanov's little-known but soon-to-be-classic 'The Stereoscope, ' a highly layered tale drenched in Symbolist 'alternative realities, ' is one of the best introductions to Silver Age poetics I have ever seen. Other authors with their spooky storylines - Alexander Izmailov's 'The Antiquarian, ' Sergei Auslender's 'The Night Prince, ' Alexey Tolstoy's 'The Satyr, ' A. Bezhetsky's (Alexey Maslov's) 'The Wax Museum, ' Alexander Grin's 'The Club Sponger, ' and Ivan Lukash's 'Hermann's Card' - are also expertly presented and analyzed. A must read."

--David Bethea, Vilas Research Professor Emeritus of Slavic Languages, University of Wisconsin-Madison

About the Author

Dan Ungurianu has a degree in history from Moscow State University and in Slavic languages and literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Professor of Russian Studies at Vassar College.

Elena Ungurianu studies art history and linguistics at Yale University.