Patrick Maxwell

The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a profound meditation on mortality and the meaning of a well-lived life. The novella delves into the existential crisis of a seemingly ordinary man, Ivan Ilyich Golovin, as he confronts his impending death. The narrative chronicles his pursuit of societal success and conventional happiness, which ultimately lead him to a life devoid of authenticity and meaning. As Ivan grapples with the excruciating pain of a terminal illness, his gradual realization of the emptiness of his existence forces him to confront the lies he has been living and the genuine emotional connections he has neglected.

As enigmatic as he was influential, Nikolai Gogol is commonly referred to as the father Russian realism. Selected Stories of Nikolai Gogol draws from stories set in Ukraine and St. Petersburg. Included are "The Fair at Sorochints ," first published in Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, the short story collection that launched Gogol's career and made him famous overnight; "The Viy," a horror novella; "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," one of Gogol's most humorous stories; and his most well-known tales: "The Diary of a Madman," "The Nose," and "The Overcoat," which Nabokov called "the greatest Russian short story ever written." This unique Warbler Press edition includes an illuminating afterword by Patrick Maxwell and a biographical timeline.

The Eternal Husband, one of Dostoevsky's lesser-known novels, is thought by many critics to be among his most powerful and perfect works. Pavel Pavlovitch is the "eternal husband," which Velchaninov, his wife's former lover, defines as a buffoon doomed to be nothing more than an appendage to his wife. The psychological duel at the heart of the story drives this tale of obsession, revenge, and the search for redemption. A brutal slow-boiler of escalating confrontation, The Eternal Husband pulses with Dostoevsky's dark brilliance and insight into the human heart. This Warbler Classics edition includes an afterword by Patrick Maxwell and a detailed biographical timeline.