Foolsburg: The History of a Town

New York: Vintage Books / Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. 1st Printing. Trade Paperback. Fine. 5x0x7. First thus. Brand new from publisher. An exceptional copy. 2024 Trade Paperback. x, 289 pp. A new translation of the classic Russian satire, by Richard Pevear and Lariss Volokhonsky, known for their translations of Dostoevsky and other Russian literary greats. A major classic in Russia since its publication, Foolsburg is the farcical chronicle of a fictional town and its hapless inhabitants as they passively endure the violence and lunacy of their rulers. The succession of brutal mayors of the town include such surreal extremes as a man with a music box instead of a brain and one so tall that he snaps in half during a windstorm. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin marries biting satire reminiscent of Jonathan Swift with the fantastical absurdity of Nikolai Gogol, imbued throughout with his own brand of playful wordplay. The award-winning translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have produced the first translation of this work into English that successfully captures its zany humor and enduring relevance.