Description

‘Amazingly modern, as easy to devour as a box of chocolates’ Observer

‘Teffi’s brilliance at capturing the dark comedy of her milieu should no longer prevent her from being recognised as an important European writer’ TLS

Teffi’s literary genius made her a star in pre-revolutionary Russia, beloved by Tsar Nicholas II and Vladimir Lenin alike. An extremely funny writer with a scathing critical eye, she was also capable of Chekhovian subtlety and depth of character.

Ranging from humorous sketches of a vanished Russia to ironic, melancholy evocations of post-revolutionary exile, And Time Was No More showcases the full range of Teffi’s gifts. A new selection by the celebrated Robert Chandler, it includes previously untranslated stories alongside more famous work, demonstrating the enduring freshness of one of the great wits of Russian literature.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

Selected and translated by Robert Chandler.

Teffi (1872-1952) was a phenomenally popular writer in pre-revolutionary Russia – a favourite of both aristocrats and revolutionaries. She was born into a prominent St Petersburg family and emigrated from Bolshevik Russia in 1919. She eventually settled in Paris, where she became an important figure in the emigre literary scene, and where she lived until her death.

Robert Chandler is an acclaimed and award-winning translator of Russian literature. As well as translating works by Teffi for Pushkin Press, he has edited three anthologies for Penguin Classics and translated a number of books by Vasily Grossman and Andrey Platonov.