Petersburg

"One of the four most important works of 20th century literature." --Vladimir Nabokov Intertwining the worlds of history and myth, and parading a cast of unforgettable characters, Petersburgis a story of apocalypse and redemption played out through family dysfunction, conspiracy and murder. After enlisting in a revolutionary terrorist organization, university student Nikolai Apollonovich Ableukhov is entrusted with a highly dangerous mission: to plant a bomb and assassinate a major government figure. But the real central character of the novel is the city of Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century, caught in the grip of political agitation and social unrest.

Andrey Bely is the pseudonym of Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev (1880–1934), a novelist, poet, theorist, and literary critic considered to have influenced several literary schools, in particular Symbolism. His influence is often compared to that of James Joyce in the English-speaking world. John Elsworth's work includes books and articles about Andrey Bely, as well as a translation of Bely’s first novel The Silver Dove.