Books in the BCP Russian Texts series

This new student edition of Alexander Pushkin's narrative poem includes an interpretative introduction which seeks to accommodate conflicting critical readings, copious linguistic and literary commentary, and a separate short essay on the poem's St Petersburg background.

Reflecting the author's deep interest in the mystical and the occult, this tale tells of a small boy's involvement with a seemingly harmless toy which has fateful consequences for him and for those he encounters. The text raises questions of a philosophical, moral and social nature.