VOLKHOVSKY FELIKS: (1846-1914)

VOLKHOVSKY FELIKS: (1846-1914) Russian revolutionary, journalist and writer. An interesting L.S., F. Volkhovsky, four pages, 8vo, Hammersmith, London, 22nd May 1894, to Miss. Berkeley. Volkhovsky writes to offer his advice on Russian literature and states, in part, 'I do not know to what extent Russian literature is translated into French, & my general impression is that the French translations are very bad, excepting those of Prosper Merime (sic). I hope you have English translations of the novels of Gogol's contemporaries Pushkin & Lermontov......Of Turgeniev's contemporaries Goncharov must be mentioned as one very famous in his own country......'Oblomov' is unfortunately not yet translated into English. A writer of enormous power ought to be mentioned now [is] the satirist Shchedrin, a man as original as a satirist as a novelist......This unique writer should certainly not be omitted in speaking of Russian fiction, he is partly the Swift, and partly the Thackeray of Russia. As to our younger writers, of course there are plenty of imitators, but there are original talents, of whom four are very prominent, Korolenko.......Garshin, a volume of whose stories was lately published by Fisher Unwin with a preface by Stepniak.....in which he expresses the opinion that Russian fiction has declined since the days of Turgeniev, with this opinion I do not atall (sic) agree. I consider Korolenko, who has not yet said his last word, not only in some ways as powerful an artist as Turgeniev but also is quite original in conception.....there are two others, Potapenko.....& Chekhov from whom hardly anything is translated. Both these writers are writing a great deal and consequently produce things of inferior value, but both, especially Chekhov, show at times great power'. A letter of fine content for its references to some of the greatest figures of 19th century Russian literature. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG