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  CONTEMPORARY
  RUSSIAN NOVELISTS


  Translated from the French of Serge Persky
  By FREDERICK EISEMANN


  JOHN W. LUCE AND COMPANY
  BOSTON 1913


  _Copyright, 1912_
  BY C. DELAGRAVE

  _Copyright, 1913_
  BY L. E. BASSETT


  To
  THE MEMORY OF
  F. N. S.

  BY
  THE TRANSLATOR




PREFACE


The principal aim of this book is to give the reader a good general
knowledge of Russian literature as it is to-day. The author, Serge
Persky, has subordinated purely critical material, because he wants
his readers to form their own judgments and criticize for
themselves. The element of literary criticism is not, however, by
any means entirely lacking.

In the original text, there is a thorough and exhaustive treatment
of the "great prophet" of Russian literature--Tolstoy--but the
translator has deemed it wise to omit this essay, because so much
has recently been written about this great man.

As the title of the book is "Contemporary Russian Novelists," the
essay on Anton Tchekoff, who is no longer living, does not rightly
belong here, but Tchekoff is such an important figure in modern
Russian literature and has attracted so little attention from
English writers that it seems advisable to retain the essay that
treats of his work.

Finally, let me express my sincerest thanks to Dr. G. H. Maynadier
of Harvard for his kind advice; to Miss Edna Wetzler for her
unfailing and valuable help, and to Miss