Four Russian Plays (Penguin Classics)

Literature & Fiction

GÓGOL, NIKOLÄI

Griboyedov, Alexander

Fonvizen, Denis

Ostrovsky

Dramas & Plays

Penguin Classics

The Woes of Wit: A Comedy in Four Acts

Hermitage

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF RUSSIAN PLAYS, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture. Presented here in bilingual format (English and accented Russian on facing pages), Griboyedov’s masterpiece becomes newly accessible to Russophiles of all levels and abilities. “Winged phrases” are highlighted throughout; archaic words and important historical references are footnoted; and a thorough biographical introduction prefaces the play. You will never regret any time spent reading, learning, and understanding Woe from Wit – few works of Russian literature have had such a lasting impact on the Russian mindset and soul.

Woe from Wit: Bilingual Edition (Russian-English)

Russian Information Services

Chatsky & Miser, Miser! Two Plays by Anthony Burgess

Molière, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin

Salamander Street Ltd.

Anthony Burgess was an energetic writer and composer, whose work 
for the stage is widely admired. In Two Plays, we see him tackling 
major monuments of French and Russian theatre: The Miser by 
Molière and Chatsky by Alexander Griboyedov. 
Miser, Miser! is a bold reworking of Molière’s classic comedy of 
1668. Harpagon the miser is hoarding a pile of gold, which he has 
buried in his garden. As he tries to sell off his daughter, catch himself 
a beautiful young bride and outwit his scheming household of clever 
servants, the comedy of errors intensifies. 
Although the original French play is written in prose, Burgess 
remakes it in a mixture of verse and prose, in the style of his famous 
adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. This translation, discovered in the 
author’s archive, is the work of a writer at the height of his powers, 
reinventing Molière for modern audiences. 
Chatsky, subtitled ‘The Importance of Being Stupid’ is another verse 
comedy. The theme is that of the intellectual hero who rebels 
against the smug, philistine society in which he finds himself. First 
performed in 1833, Griboyedov’s play was so heavily cut by Russian 
censors that it was barely recognisable. The play is a virtuoso vehicle 
for male actors, and the source of many famous quotations. It is 
also notoriously difficult to translate. In Chatsky, Burgess remakes a 
classic Russian play in the spirit of Oscar Wilde. It is a great feast of 
language and invective. 
The complete texts of both plays are published here for the first time. 
Two Plays confirms Anthony Burgess’s reputation as a gifted writer 
for the stage, and as a translator of great wit and sophistication.\nMISER, MISER! CASTING: 7 men, 3 women 
CHATSKY CASTING: 9 men, 7 women

The Yiddish translation of Alexander Griboyedov's classical play Woe from Wit burned in the flames of World War II, was restored from memory by its translator Nison Levin, and was highly regarded by the great theater director Solomon Mikhoels. The translation survived the 1948 murder of Mikhoels and the subsequent destruction of the Jewish culture that came to be de-facto banned in the U.S.S.R. Now, after almost 200 years since play was written and 75 years after its Yiddish translation was completed, the play is on its way to the Jewish reader.

Woe From Wit (Yiddish Edition)

Virtue Partnership

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Griboyedov, Alexander. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Griboyedov, Alexander