Here is Chapter VI and the Conclusion to Pushkin’s famous novelette, “The Queen of Spades”. I’ve appended a brief afterword. —JLW THE QUEEN OF SPADES by Alexander Pushkin VI “Attendez!1” “How dare you say ‘attendez’ to me?” “Your excellency, I said ‘attendez, sir.’”2 Two fixed ideas can no more exist together in the moral world […]

Here are Chapters IV and V of “The Queen of Spades”. Since there are more than the usual number of footnotes, in the interest of brevity I have forborne from making the usual general comments at the column’s end — in any case, I’m sure the Gentle Reader is perfectly capable of interpreting things for […]

Here is Chapter III of Alexander Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades”. As before, I’ve made some comments on the story at the end of the column. —JLW THE QUEEN OF SPADES by Alexander Pushkin III Vous m’ecrivez, mon ange, des lettres de quatre pages plus vite que je ne puis les lire.1 A Correspondence. Lizaveta […]

Here is Chapter Two of Pushkin’s famous story of greed and corruption, “The Queen of Spades”. I have made some comments at the end of the column. The illustration shows Placido Domingo in the rôle of Hermann in a production of Tchaikovsky’s opera, Pique Dame, which was based on Pushkin’s story. —JLW THE QUEEN OF […]

I had intended to write another screed for today, but on second thought decided that I would demonstrate what it is I love about mystery short stories by pointing out the things I admire about a great story. Alexander Sergeievich Pushkin (1799-1836) is the greatest poet of Russia, a genius known for his romantic lyricism […]

What follows is generally considered to be the earliest American short story, first published in 1793 — it is, of course, about a murder. —JLW SOMNAMBULISM, A FRAGMENT. by Charles Brockden Brown (The following fragment will require no other preface or commentary than an extract from the Vienna Gazette of June 14, 1784. “At Great […]

Rob Lopresti introduced us to Henry Lawson here on CB a couple of weeks ago, on Tuesday, July 21. To take another look at it, click here. Through no fault of his, nor of the intrepid Leigh Lundin, who took the reins as editor under the most challenging circumstances imaginable during my sojourn abroad, the […]