Subtly Worded and Other Stories

By Teffi

A selection of the finest stories by this female Chekhov, now available in a striking new Pushkin Blues format. Teffi's genius with the short form made her a literary star in pre-revolutionary Russia, beloved by Tsar Nicholas II and Vladimir Lenin alike. These stories, taken from the whole of her career, show the full range of her gifts. Extremely funny-a wry, scathing observer of society-she is also capable, as capable even as Chekhov, of miraculous subtlety and depth of character. There are stories here from her own life (as a child, going to meet Tolstoy to plead for the life of War and Peace 's Prince Bolkonsky, or, much later, her strange, charged meetings with the already-legendary Rasputin). There are stories of émigré society, its members held together by mutual repulsion. There are stories of people misunderstanding each other or misrepresenting themselves. And throughout there is a sly, sardonic wit and a deep, compelling intelligence.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1782277307
• ISBN13: 9781782277309
• Release Date: June 2021
• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.7"