A Decayed Family
Encyclopedia
A Decayed Family is an unfinished novel by Nikolai Leskov
, subtitled "The Family Chronicles of Princes Protazanov". Parts one and two of it were first published in the 1874
#7,8 and 10 issues of Russky vestnik to form a trilogy with Old Years in Plodomasovo (1869) and The Cathedral Clergy
(1872).
's disagreement with the author's position as regards Russian dvoryanstvo. At the time of the publication Katkov (while praising the novel's artistic qualities) told members of his stuff: "We've made a mistake, this is not our man, has nothing to do with us, [his departure is] not something to be pitied". Outraged by editorial cuts, Leskov decided against starting upon the third part of the novel, leaving it unfinished.
Leskov himself rated A Decayed Family higher than The Cathedral Clergy and The Sealed Angel
, referring to it as his "most mature work" and being very close to his heart. Upon the magazine publication Ivan Aksakov
and Nikolai Pirogov were among those who assessed the novel very high.
In 1875 A Decayed Family was published for the first time as a book. "Here its second part is presented in my own version, not that of Katkov", Leskov wrote in a letter to Ivan Aksakov on March 23, 1875. As The Complete Leskov started to be published by the Suvorin publishing house, A Decayed Family happened to feature in the Volume 6, the one that also contained Leskov's most radical anti-clerical essays and stories. On July 16, 1889, Leskov learned of the whole issue of Volume 6 being arrested by the police and suffered his first major heart attack. In July 1890 Volume 6 came out in the alternative version, A Decayed Family included.
Nikolai Leskov
Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov was a Russian journalist, novelist and short story writer, who also wrote under the pseudonym M. Stebnitsky. Praised for his unique writing style and innovative experiments in form, held in high esteem by Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky among others, Leskov is...
, subtitled "The Family Chronicles of Princes Protazanov". Parts one and two of it were first published in the 1874
1874 in literature
The year 1874 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Arthur William à Beckett joins the staff of Punch.*Johan Nicolai Madvig loses his sight, forcing him to give up most of his research and writing....
#7,8 and 10 issues of Russky vestnik to form a trilogy with Old Years in Plodomasovo (1869) and The Cathedral Clergy
The Cathedral Clergy
The Cathedral Clergy is a novel by Nikolai Leskov, a series of "romantic chronicles" of the imaginary town of Stargorod....
(1872).
History
The publication of the novel has led Leskov's severing all ties with Russky vestnik, the main issue being the magazine's editor Mikhail KatkovMikhail Katkov
Mikhail Nikiforovich Katkov was a conservative Russian journalist influential during the reign of Alexander III.Katkov was born of a Russian government official and a Georgian noblewoman...
's disagreement with the author's position as regards Russian dvoryanstvo. At the time of the publication Katkov (while praising the novel's artistic qualities) told members of his stuff: "We've made a mistake, this is not our man, has nothing to do with us, [his departure is] not something to be pitied". Outraged by editorial cuts, Leskov decided against starting upon the third part of the novel, leaving it unfinished.
Leskov himself rated A Decayed Family higher than The Cathedral Clergy and The Sealed Angel
The Sealed Angel
-English translations:* from Russian Sketches, Chiefly of Peasant Life. Translated by Beatrix Tollemache- External links :* . The original Russian text....
, referring to it as his "most mature work" and being very close to his heart. Upon the magazine publication Ivan Aksakov
Ivan Aksakov
Ivan Sergeyevich Aksakov was a Russian littérateur and notable Slavophile. He was the son of Sergey Aksakov and younger brother of Konstantin Aksakov. He was born in what is now Bashkortostan....
and Nikolai Pirogov were among those who assessed the novel very high.
In 1875 A Decayed Family was published for the first time as a book. "Here its second part is presented in my own version, not that of Katkov", Leskov wrote in a letter to Ivan Aksakov on March 23, 1875. As The Complete Leskov started to be published by the Suvorin publishing house, A Decayed Family happened to feature in the Volume 6, the one that also contained Leskov's most radical anti-clerical essays and stories. On July 16, 1889, Leskov learned of the whole issue of Volume 6 being arrested by the police and suffered his first major heart attack. In July 1890 Volume 6 came out in the alternative version, A Decayed Family included.
External links
- Захудалый родby Nikolai Leskov. The original Russian text.