Rosamund Bartlett is steeped in Chekhov's writings, having worked as a translator and lecturer on the culture and history of nineteenth-century Russia. She has written not simply another biography of Chekhov but brought new understanding to the writings and character of the man, set amidst the formidable landscape of the Russia he loved. This is a book of enormous detail about the places Chekhov visited and lived in, which is vital for a good understanding of the character of this unusual and complex man. The author examines with careful precision Chekhov's genius, and shows that he is not simply the gloomy writer of popular myth but one with profound humanity and humour.

In November 1910, Count Lev Tolstoy died at a remote Russian railway station attended by the worlds media. He was eighty-two years old and had lived a remarkable and long life during one of the most turbulent periods of Russian history. Born into a privileged aristocratic family, he seemed set to join the ranks of degenerate Russian noblemen, but fighting in the Crimean war alongside rank and file soldiers opened his eyes to Russias social problems and he threw himself into teaching the peasantry to read and write. After his marriage he wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina, both regarded as two of the greatest novels in world literature. Rosamund Bartletts exceptional biography of this brilliant, maddening and contrary man draws on key Russian sources, including the many fascinating new materials which have been published about Tolstoy and his legacy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In November 1910, Count Lev Tolstoy died at a remote Russian railway station attended by the worlds media. He was eighty-two years old and had lived a remarkable and long life during one of the most turbulent periods of Russian history. Born into a privileged aristocratic family, he seemed set to join the ranks of degenerate Russian noblemen, but fighting in the Crimean war alongside rank and file soldiers opened his eyes to Russias social problems and he threw himself into teaching the peasantry to read and write. After his marriage he wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina, both regarded as two of the greatest novels in world literature. Rosamund Bartletts exceptional biography of this brilliant, maddening and contrary man draws on key Russian sources, including the many fascinating new materials which have been published about Tolstoy and his legacy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons explores the ageless conflict between generations through a period in Russian history when a new generation of revolutionary intellectuals threatened the state. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from the Russian by Peter Carson, with an introduction by Rosamund Bartlett and an afterword by Tatyana Tolstaya. Returning home after years away at university, Arkady is proud to introduce his clever friend Bazarov to his father and uncle. But their guest soon stirs up unrest on the quiet country estate - his outspoken nihilist views and his scathing criticisms of the older men expose the growing distance between Arkady and his father. And when Bazarov visits his own doting but old-fashioned parents, his disdainful rejection of traditional Russian life causes even further distress. In Fathers and Sons, Turgeneve created a beautifully-drawn and highly influential portrayal of the clash between generations, at a time just before the end of serfdom, when the refined yet vanishing landowning class was being overturned by a brash new breed that strove to change the world. Peter Carson's elegant, naturalistic new translation brings Turgenev's masterpiece to life for a new generation of readers. In her introduction, Rosamund Bartlett discusses the novel's subtle characterisation and the immense social changes that took place in the 1850s Russia of Fathers and Sons. This edition also includes a chronology, suggested further reading and notes.

Five masterful dramatic works from one of the world's best-loved playwrights, including The Seagull-now a major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Moss, and Annette Bening At a time when the Russian theatre was dominated by formulaic melodramas and farces, Chekhov created a new sort of drama that laid bare the everyday lives, loves and yearnings of ordinary people. Ivanov depicts a man stifled by inactivity and lost idealism, and The Seagull contrasts a young man's selfish romanticism with the stoicism of a woman cruelly abandoned by her lover. With 'the scenes from country life' of Uncle Vanya, his first fully mature play, Chekhov developed his own unique dramatic world, neither tragedy nor comedy. In Three Sisters the Prozorov sisters endlessly dream of going to Moscow to escape the monotony of provincial life, while his comedy The Cherry Orchard portrays characters futilely clinging to the past as their land is sold from underneath them. In this edition Peter Carson's moving translations convey Chekhov's subtle blend of comedy, tragedy and psychological insight, while Richard Gilman's introduction examines how Chekhov broke with theatrical conventions and discusses each play in detail. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own life, including his obsessive plans to exact revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute.

The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own life, including his obsessive plans to exact revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute.

From treasure maps to shipwrecks and life below deck, bring the swashbuckling world of pirates to life in this exciting activity book. There are over 200 transfers of pirates, ships, treasure and more to decorate scenes including life at sea, a raid and a ghost ship. There's lots of information about life on board a pirate ship, too.

One of the foremost dramatists of the 19th century, Russian author Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) created a body of work noted for its realistic dialogue and keen insights into human relationships. This collection of five one-act plays -- in the celebrated Constance Garnett translations -- shows Chekhov at his witty best. The Anniversary takes a lively look behind the frenetic scenes at a bank: a man overburdened with errands from friends and family gives a nearly maddened but ludicrous account of his chores and obligations in An Unwilling Martyr; and The Wedding depicts scenes from a wedding reception in which the mother of the bride assumes affected airs and deals with quarrelsome guests. In The Bear, a virtuous, spirited widow is pressed to repay a debt and ends up receiving an offer of marriage. The Proposal depicts the trauma of a would-be suitor who winds up in a wrangle over property. Theater lovers, students of drama and literature, and other readers, as well as amateur and professional groups performing these popular works, will welcome this convenient, inexpensive collection of comic gems by one of the masters of modern drama.

Bring the British Museum to life with spectacular civilisation scenes and amazing objects from the collection to colour! There’s a whole world to explore inside the British Museum, and with this beautiful colouring book, readers can take a tour around each civilisation and get creative at the same time! Aspiring artists can pick up their colouring pencils and bring the scenes and objects to life, whilst learning about life in different cultures. Each brilliantly busy black and white scene includes introductory information about each culture and fascinating facts about amazing objects from the Museum’s collection. From a bustling ancient Greek marketplace to a traditional dragon parade around China’s Forbidden City, and many more spectacular scenes in between, this book is a fantastically fun way to explore different cultures. And with four pages of colour photographic stickers to have fun with too, this is the ideal book to get young readers excited about the British Museum – and indeed the world!

Rose Tremain (or Rosie as she was then) grew up in post-war London – a city still partly in ruins, where both food and affection were fiercely rationed. But when she is ten years old, everything changes. She loses her father, her house, her school, her friends and is dispatched to a freezing boarding-school in Hertfordshire. Slowly though, the teenage Rosie escapes from the cold world of the Fifties, into a place of inspiration and friendship, where a young writer is suddenly ready to be born.

One magical Christmas night, a little girl’s Nutcracker doll comes to life! Little children will love pressing the pages to hear special arrangements from Tchaikovsky’s famous Nutcracker ballet. With simple text and stunning illustrations by Olga Demidova throughout and a QR code to watch scenes from the Nutcracker ballet online.

Fifteen stories from Russia's greatest city. A writer recalls his time in an infamous high-security prison, a woman amazes her friends with her supernatural gift for repairing household devices, a pitiful lost dog joins a Moscow circus... Through these varied and intriguing tales, whose authors range from Chekhov to Yury Koval, Larisa Miller and Marina Boroditskaya, we travel from the city centre to the outer rings, to desolate estates, dachas, and tumbledown shacks. This volume of stories, many of which have never been translated before, is a vivid portrait of life in Russia's capital from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century.

See the classic fairy tale spring to life in this beautiful pop-up book. Scenes include the Wicked Queen and her mirror, the seven dwarfs emerging from their cottage, Snow White taking a bite of the apple and the prince's rescue. Ingenious pop ups combine movement with detailed scenes. A beautiful book to give and to treasure. Retold by Susanna Davidson.

The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own life, including his obsessive plans to exact revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute. Seen by many as the first existentialist novel and showcasing the best of Dostoevsky's dry humour, Notes from Underground was a pivotal moment in the development of modern literature and has inspired countless novelists, thinkers and film-makers.

Relax on a cruise ship, catch a flight at the airport or travel on a canalboat in this sticker book full of bustling travel scenes. There are over 150 stickers to bring each scene to life, from cars, buses, planes and trains to tourists, passengers and much more. A perfect activity for a journey or holiday.