"A Norton Library edition of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground, translated by Michael R. Katz"--

In 2018, a former Russian secret agent and his daughter were poisoned with a lethal neurotoxin that left them slumped over on a British park bench in critical condition. The story of who did it, and how these horrendous contaminants were developed, captivates and terrifies in equal measure. It has inspired acclaimed author Sergei Lebedev's latest page-turning novel. At its center is a scheming chemist named Professor Kalitin, obsessed with developing...

"The Idiot: Illustrated" is a classic novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that delves into the complexities of human nature and societal norms. The story follows Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, a young nobleman known for his innocence, honesty, and compassion, who returns to Russia after spending several years in a Swiss sanatorium for treatment of his epilepsy. As Prince Myshkin navigates the treacherous waters of St. Petersburg society, he encounters...

"In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders guides the reader through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for twenty years as a professor in the prestigious Syracuse University graduate MFA creative writing program. Paired with stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. Saunders approaches...

Set against the serene backdrop of the Russian countryside, Fathers and Sons is the story of Arcady Kirsanov, a young man who returns from college to his father's country manor with his radical friend Bazarov in tow. Behind Bazarov's chilling intellect hides a heart of compassion and kindness -- a heart that will unwittingly change the Kirsanovs' lives forever.

Mikhail Zoshchenko's Sentimental Tales are satirical portraits of small-town characters on the fringes of Soviet society in the first decade of Bolshevik rule. The tales are narrated by one Kolenkorov, a writer not very good at his job, who takes credit for editing the tales in a series of comic prefaces. Yet beneath Kolenkorov's intrusive narration and sublime blathering, the stories are genuinely moving. They tell tales of unrequited love and amorous...

Three Sisters (1900) is a drama in four acts by Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov. It was first performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1901, directed by acclaimed actor Konstantin Stanislavski-who also played the role of Aleksandr Ignatyevich Vershinin, a philosophizing artillery officer in love with middle Prozorov sister Masha. Reviews were mixed at first, but as the play continued to run, Three Sisters became a popular success,...