Russian literature

My Universities

“Life is always better where people are fighting for their rights.” My Universities is the third and final installment of Maxim Gorky’s autobiographical trilogy, following My Childhood and […]

Russian literature

My Apprenticeship

“Life is always surprising us—not by its rich, seething complexity, which is inexhaustible, but because, in spite of all its squalor and monotony, it sometimes throws up something […]

Russian literature

My Childhood

“In the dense and motley crowd of my childhood, I stand out like a sore thumb—a stranger to all.” Chapter 1: The Death of Alexei’s Father The story […]

French literature

Promise at Dawn

“I had a mother who believed in me—that was enough to make a man of me.” Early Years and Childhood The book opens with Romain Gary’s childhood in […]