{"product_id":"9781805331650","title":"The Friend of the Family : or, The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Fyodor Dostoyevsky\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eClassic fiction (pre c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 26 March 2026 by Pushkin Press (Pushkin Press Classics) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 304 pages\u003cbr\u003e131 x 197 x 25 | 268g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A magnificent comic novel' \u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn exuberant farce from a treasure of world literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the country estate of kindly Colonel Rostanev, parasitic houseguest Foma Opiskin has brought everyone under his sway. Now Opiskin plans to marry off his host to a wealthy widow. Will the Colonel give way to Opiskin's bullying and sacrifice the love of his life, Nastasya? Or will he finally resist the petty tyrant's demands?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFarcical and effervescent with absurdity, this short novel is a sparkling example of Dostoyevsky's comic side - and a microcosmic portrait of Russia on the verge of upheaval and transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated by Ignat Avsey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) trained as an engineer and began his literary career with translations. As punishment for engaging in pro­gressive political discussion, he was subjected to a mock execution and sent into exile in Siberia in his twenties. Subsequently he worked exclu­sively as a writer, touring Europe and publishing novels and journalism. Addicted to gambling, he was often near starvation. His second, very happy marriage to typist Anna Snitkina helped to stabilize his manner of living, and with her practical assistance he went on to write several masterpieces of psychological and existential fiction. Novels such as \u003ci\u003eCrime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eNotes from Underground\u003c\/i\u003e have earned him a lasting reputation as one of the dominant figures of world literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIgnat Avsey (1938-2013) was born in Latvia to Russian parents, who relocated the family to Britain after the Second World War. He taught Russian language and literature at the University of Westminster. He translated several other works by Dostoyevsky, including \u003ci\u003eThe Karamazov Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Idiot\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as Alexander Lernet-Holenia's novel \u003ci\u003eI Was Jack Mortimer\u003c\/i\u003e, also published by Pushkin Press.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Far From The Madding Crowd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47896462557443,"sku":"9781805331650","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0404\/3207\/4914\/files\/9781805331650.jpg?v=1775046912","url":"https:\/\/www.maddingcrowdlinlithgow.com\/products\/9781805331650","provider":"Far From The Madding Crowd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}