Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories

The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories (1922) is a collection of short stories by Russian author and Nobel laureate Ivan Bunin. Published in Russian in 1915, The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories was first translated to English in 1922 by D.H. Lawrence, Leonard Woolf, and Samuil Koteliansky, and was published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s storied Hogarth Press. The title story, translated by Lawrence and Koteliansky, is among Bunin’s most famous works and was considered upon publication to be the finest work of Russian literature since the deaths of Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy.

“The Gentleman from San Francisco” is the story of an American millionaire who travels to Italy while on a lengthy vacation with his wife and daughter. Disappointed with the weather in Naples, as well as with the rundown state of the city, the family journeys to the island of Capri where, in the lobby of their luxury hotel, the man dies. The remainder of the story captures the reaction of the hotel’s wealthy clientele, as well as the indifference and hostility with which the staff treat the gentleman’s body. Noted for its cold, critical tone, as well as its subtle critique of wealth and American exceptionalism, “The Gentleman from San Francisco” is a masterpiece of Russian literature and an essential work of short fiction. Included in this collection are the stories “Gentle Breathing,” “Kasimir Stanislavovitch,” and “Son,” all of which capture the breadth and intricacy of Bunin’s literary style. The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories is a compact and compelling collection of stories from one of Russia’s greatest writers, translated by two of the most important figures in early twentieth century English literature.

This edition of Ivan Bunin’s The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.

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