The Thirteenth Labour Of Hercules
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the sunlit corridors of a Soviet schoolroom, a cunning student discovers that wit and audacity can be mightier than any sword — or any teacher. The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules is Fazil Iskander's celebrated satirical short story, in which a quick-thinking schoolboy orchestrates a masterful distraction during a mathematics lesson, steering his formidable teacher Kharlampiy Diogenovich away from an inconvenient chalk-and-board reckoning by provoking the laughter of the entire class against an unsuspecting classmate. The premise is deceptively simple: one child's shameless, calculated use of humour as a shield against academic embarrassment, framed against the mythological conceit of Hercules' legendary labours. Iskander, one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from Soviet-era Abkhazian literature, wields irony and warmth in equal measure, crafting a narrative that is as much a meditation on cowardice, community, and moral ambiguity as it is a sharply comic childhood anecdote. The story's brilliance lies in its subversive undertone — the hero wins, yet the victory sits uneasily, leaving the reader to question who truly bore the heavier burden. This bilingual edition, presented in both English and Russian, stands as a testament to Iskander's enduring cross-cultural appeal; once you have met Kharlampiy Diogenovich, you will never forget him.
Author: Fazil Iskander
Format: Paperback
Genre: Modern fiction
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the sunlit corridors of a Soviet schoolroom, a cunning student discovers that wit and audacity can be mightier than any sword — or any teacher. The Thirteenth Labour of Hercules is Fazil Iskander's celebrated satirical short story, in which a quick-thinking schoolboy orchestrates a masterful distraction during a mathematics lesson, steering his formidable teacher Kharlampiy Diogenovich away from an inconvenient chalk-and-board reckoning by provoking the laughter of the entire class against an unsuspecting classmate. The premise is deceptively simple: one child's shameless, calculated use of humour as a shield against academic embarrassment, framed against the mythological conceit of Hercules' legendary labours. Iskander, one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from Soviet-era Abkhazian literature, wields irony and warmth in equal measure, crafting a narrative that is as much a meditation on cowardice, community, and moral ambiguity as it is a sharply comic childhood anecdote. The story's brilliance lies in its subversive undertone — the hero wins, yet the victory sits uneasily, leaving the reader to question who truly bore the heavier burden. This bilingual edition, presented in both English and Russian, stands as a testament to Iskander's enduring cross-cultural appeal; once you have met Kharlampiy Diogenovich, you will never forget him.