Moscow Tales translated by Sasha Dugdale – review

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/22/moscow-tales-sasha-dugdale-review

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Moscow now joins Madrid, Paris, Berlin and Rome in the OUP's series of anthologies. The earliest story in this collection, edited by Helen Constantine, dates from 1792 (Nikolai Karamzin's sentimental and folksy "Poor Liza"), while the most recent was written especially for the collection (Igor Sutyagin's cold-eyed account of his imprisonment in the notorious penal colony of Lefortovo for alleged spying in 2004). The intervening two centuries are ably covered by stories that range in setting from suburban dachas to the coffee bars of the modern-day city centre – and include a behind the scenes look at the Salamonsky Circus through the eyes of a lost family pet; a contemporary fairytale about a domestic witch able to charm household objects into working; and (of course) the story of an ageing Don Juan who surprises himself by falling in love with his latest conquest (Chekhov's classic, "Lady with a Little Dog"). With extensive notes on each story, a suggested further reading list, and a map of the Moscow subway, this is a nice crash course for would-be Muscovites – whether travelling literally or literately.

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