Spade Queen (World Literature Library)

Author: Pushkin (Russia), edited by Li Gangkang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The collection presented to you before is a selection of novels by the renowned Russian poet Pushkin, including the novel "The Captain's Daughter," the six novellas "Dubrovsky," "The Queen of Spades," and the five short stories titled "The Tales of Belkin." Among them, "The Queen of Spades" is one of his masterpieces. Through its depiction of the gambling life of the St. Petersburg aristocracy, the novel portrays the strong character and greedy ambition of the protagonist, Hermann, while foreshadowing the approaching capitalism in Russia.
Pushkin was born on June 6, 1799, in Moscow to an aristocratic family. Like all aristocratic families of the time, he received education from French tutors during his childhood. In 1811, Pushkin entered the Imperial Lyceum, a newly established school by the Tsarist government aimed at training aristocratic students to become administrative officials. Here, he received an excellent education and was influenced by the progressive democratic ideas of some teachers and officers of the nearby Imperial Guard cavalry regiment stationed near the school.
The collection presented to the readers is Pushkin's selection of novels, including the novel "The Captain's Daughter," the six novellas "Dubrovsky," "The Queen of Spades," and the five short stories titled "The Tales of Belkin." It can be said that the essence of Pushkin's prose novels is fully included in this collection. After becoming engaged to Goncharova, Pushkin went to his father's estate in Borkino Village, located in Nizhni Novgorod, to handle property transfer procedures. Unexpectedly, he was stranded there for three months due to an outbreak of plague. These three months became his golden period of creativity, known as "The Autumn of Borkino." "The Tales of Belkin" was written during this time. The five short stories in this collection draw their material mostly from legends, Pushkin's own experiences, and the recollections of his friends. Among them, "The Station Master" tells a harsh and heart-wrenching story, filled with sympathy for the lower-class individuals in society, exposing the inequalities of Russian society at the time and carrying profound social significance. This group of stories is called "The Model of Russian Short Stories" (Encyclopedia of China·Foreign Literature Edition).
"The Captain's Daughter" reflects the peasant uprising led by Pugachev and portrays the image of a flesh-and-blood peasant revolutionary leader. "The History of Goryukhino Village" is based on the reality Pushkin witnessed on his estate in Borkino and truthfully reflects the miserable life of peasants under serfdom. "Dubrovsky" appears to depict the enmity between two landowners and the lonely resistance of the young Dubrovsky, but in reality, it shows the tyranny of the landowners and the dissatisfaction of the peasants. "The Queen of Spades," through its depiction of the gambling life of the St. Petersburg aristocracy, portrays the strong character and greedy ambition of the protagonist, Hermann, while foreshadowing the approaching capitalism in Russia.
In summary, Pushkin's novels are no less accomplished in art than his poetry and have cast an eternal light on the history of Russian literature.