The Elagin Affair

Graham Hettlinger's brilliant translations of Bunin's stories in Sunstroke (2002) were widely acclaimed. In The Elagin Affair, Mr. Hettlinger continues to acquaint English-language readers with a Bunin they may not have appreciated. Bunin's sensual, elaborate, and highly rhythmic prose has proven deeply resistant to earlier translations. In these new stories, Mr. Hettlinger captures both the music and the grace, as well as the literal meaning, of Bunin's renowned prose. The Elagin Affair contains three of the author's greatest novellas, the title piece, "Mitya's Love," and "Sukhodol" as well as a broad range of stories written between 1900 and 1940 and centered on themes of love, loss, and the Russian landscape, including several of Bunin's most haunting stories from his final collection, Dark Avenues. Praise for Sunstroke, Graham Hettlinger's first translations of Ivan Bunin: "Bunin is, unaccountably, the least translated of the great Russian writers (and his best work ranks with that of Turgenev and Chekhov). This splendid volume takes an important step toward righting a long-standing wrong."Kirkus Reviews "Graham Hettlinger's new translation...gives us a Bunin startling in his vividness, sensuality, and restraint."Virginia Quarterly Review "Vibrant...a fine introduction to Bunin's work and a reminder of its importance."New York Sun