Hard Times

This is the first English translation of an important Russian social novel (published in 1865) that enjoyed great popularity in its day, the period of Tsar Alexander's great reforms. Sleptsov deals with complex political issues such as the abolition of serfdom, political repression, women's rights, and the conflict between liberalism and radicalism among intellectuals. as a vibrant and compelling depiction of pre-revolutionary Russian intellectual society, full of lively debates about the possibilities of liberal reform or radical revolution that questioned the viability of a political system facing massive social problems. Expertly and fluidly translated by Michael Katz, and highly readable, it provides important historical insights on the political and social climate of a volatile and transformative period in Russia history.