Bunin, I. A.

[FIRST COMPLETE EDITION] Zhizn’ Arsen’eva: iunost’ [The Life of Arseniev: Youth]

New York, NY: Chekhov Publishing House, 1952. Item #1025

387 pages; 22 cm. Text in Russian. First complete edition. The book's cover displays signs of foxing.

This fictional work, rich with autobiographical elements but distinct from an autobiography, is considered a seminal piece by Ivan Bunin, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Crafted during his emigration period, it stands as his sole full-length novel. Composed intermittently over 12 years, from 1927 to 1939, in France, it wasn't until 1952 that the first comprehensive edition of the novel was published by Chekhov Publishers, based in New York.

During the Cold War era, there emerged a significant initiative in the United States to support the dissemination of Russian literary works. Among these efforts, the Chekhov Publishing House in New York, active in the 1950s and 1960s, played a crucial role in making Russian émigré literature accessible to a wider audience.

Price: $120.00