Deceit : a novel

“This is . . . real literature, pure & honest.”—Vladimir Nabokov"The scintillating English-language debut from Felsen . . . [is] a fittingly volatile record of ruinous desire. —Publishers WeeklyTranslated from the Russian by Bryan KaretnykOnce considered the ‘Russian Proust’, Yuri Felsen tells the story of an obsessive love affair set in interwar Europe in Deceit, an experimental novel in the form of a diary that is an as-yet-undiscovered landmark of Russian émigré literature.We meet our unnamed narrator in Paris in the 20s, where he finds himself an expat after the Russian Revolution. At a friend’s request he meets the beautiful, clever socialite Lyolya, also a recent exile from Russia. What begins as casual friendship quickly turns into fascination & obsession, as Lyolya gives mixed signals & pursues other men. Our narrator, emerging from a depression, is soon overwhelmed by the very idea of her, which begins to contour all of his observations, thoughts, & feelings. While Lyolya continues to live a life unencumbered by the forces of social convention, & history, our narrator’s revelations, written in diary form, grow increasingly painful, familiar, & rich with psychological introspection.Quite unlike any other writer in the Russian canon, Felsen evokes in poetic & idiosyncratic prose not only the Zeitgeist of interwar Europe & his émigré milieu, but also the existential crisis of the age.With a Foreword by Peter Pomerantsev & an Afterword by Bryan KaretnykYuri Felsen was the pseudonym of Nikolai Freudenstein. In France, he became one of the leading writers of his generation, alongside the likes of Vladimir Nabokov; Bryan Karetnyk is a British writer & translator. “This is . . . real literature, pure and honest.” —Vladimir Nabokov "The scintillating English-language debut from Felsen . . . [is] a fittingly volatile record of ruinous desire. — Publishers Weekly Once considered the 'Russian Proust', Yuri Felsen tells the story of an obsessive love affair set in interwar Europe in Deceit, an experimental novel in the form of a diary that is an as-yet-undiscovered landmark of Russian émigré literature. We meet our unnamed narrator in Paris in the 20s, where he finds himself an expat after the Russian Revolution. At a friend’s request he meets the beautiful, clever socialite Lyolya, also a recent exile from Russia. What begins as casual friendship quickly turns into fascination and obsession, as Lyolya gives mixed signals and pursues other men. Our narrator, emerging from a depression, is soon overwhelmed by the very idea of her, which begins to contour all of his observations, thoughts, and feelings. While Lyolya continues to live a life unencumbered by the forces of social convention, and history, our narrator’s revelations, written in diary form, grow increasingly painful, familiar, and rich with psychological introspection. Quite unlike any other writer in the Russian canon, Felsen evokes in poetic and idiosyncratic prose not only the Zeitgeist of interwar Europe and his émigré milieu, but also the existential crisis of the age. "We meet our unnamed narrator in Paris in the 20s, where he finds himself an expat after the Russian Revolution. At a friend's request he meets the beautiful, clever socialite Lyolya, also a recent exile from Russia. What begins as casual friendship quickly turns into fascination and obsession, as Lyolya gives mixed signals and pursues other men. Our narrator, emerging from a depression, is soon overwhelmed by the very idea of her, which begins to contour all of his observations, thoughts, and feelings. While Lyolya continues to live a life unencumbered by the forces of social convention, and history, our narrator's revelations, written in diary form, grow increasingly painful, familiar, and rich with psychological introspection."--Publisher's website "Set in interwar Paris and taking the form of a diary, the novel relates the complex and fraught relationship between an unnamed narrator and his love interest and muse, the beguiling Lyolya Heard. Subtle and profound in its exploration of love, deceit and betrayal, Felsen's novel is a daring and highly original work of psychological fiction"-- Provided by publisher