Young Pushkin

Yury Tynyanov's novel Young Pushkin was first published in serial form between 1935 and 1943 and has made a huge impact in Russia ever since. Although the author did not live to accomplish his full epic scheme 'on the origins, development and death of our national poet', he did complete the first part, his fictional masterpiece on Pushkin's formative years. This is the first English translation. Tynyanov pioneered a new kind of historical-biographical novel in Russia. In a blend of encyclopedic knowledge and creative imagination, Tynyanov thrillingly brings early 19th-century Russia to life - Napoleonic invasion, rapid political change, and a vast gallery of characters, all representations of real life persons. Those who had a significant impact on Pushkin's life include his unusual family, with its African blood stemming from his great-grandfather Abram Hannibal, Peter the Great's protege who became a distinguished engineer general; leading figures of state and Tsar Alexander I...