The Brothers Karamazov
London: William Heinemann, 1912.
The Brothers Karamazov
London: William Heinemann, 1912. First English language edition. One of the towering classics of Russian literature. First translated into English in the 20th century by Constance Garnett, as the first book in her series "The Novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky." Constance Garnett is responsible for introducing many works of Russian literature to English readers for the first time, including books by Tolstoy and Turgenev. "[her] translations read easily... her versions were in many cases pioneering versions.”(Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translations).
A quick search on Americana Exchange reveals a single copy of this London edition offered by Scribners in 1939. The American edition put out by Macmillan using British sheets and with a canceled title page, appears much more frequently.
A Near Fine copy of the book, without repair or work of any kind. Gilt dulled on the spine, a few white blemishes to the cloth and minor foxing on the end-papers, but feeling like it's never been read. We have yet to see another copy of this edition. With many so-called "rare" books one of several listed online, this one truly deserves the designation.
One of the great works of world literature. Dealing with questions of belief and faith in a seemingly ambivalent world, "The Brothers Karamazov" has influenced countless writers and thinkers. Freud called it “the most magnificent novel ever written” and Nietzsche ironically said Dostoyevsky was "the only psychologist ... from whom I had something to learn; he ranks among the most beautiful strokes of fortune in my life." The book took over two years for Dostoyevsky to write – he died months after its publication. “What makes [you] read it too, is sheer breathless interest in the people and the drama… every man, woman, and child introduced in these 840 pages is human - convincingly and horribly human.” (Contemporary New York Times Review.) Near Fine (Item #1434)
