{"product_id":"2026200017464-secondhand-nervous-people-and-other-satires","title":"Nervous People And Other Satires","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Yellowed\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the chaotic aftermath of the Russian Revolution, one writer captured the absurdity of Soviet life with an unmatched, razor-sharp wit — and Nervous People and Other Satires by Mikhail Zoshchenko stands as the most comprehensive English-language collection of his brilliance. This anthology chronicles the misadventures of ordinary Soviet citizens — bumbling bureaucrats, quarrelsome neighbours, and hapless everyman figures — as they navigate a world of grinding poverty, petty indignities, and farcical social contradiction. Each tale presents a miniature tragicomedy, rendered in a deceptively simple, colloquial style that mirrors the voice of the barely literate narrator Zoshchenko perfected as his literary trademark.\n\nWidely regarded as one of the great satirists of the twentieth century, Zoshchenko wielded humour as a scalpel, dissecting the gap between Soviet revolutionary idealism and the grim, often grotesque reality of daily life. This landmark volume, edited and introduced by Hugh McLean, gathers newly translated works that illustrate the author's genius for irony, his empathy for the downtrodden, and his dangerously subversive social commentary — a combination that would eventually make him a target of Stalin's cultural purges. For readers who have yet to encounter Zoshchenko, this collection is not merely an introduction; it is a revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49210269466843,"sku":"2026200017464-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/eb9706b4-b5c6-43a7-911f-e3f9657a7982.png?v=1788268453","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200017464-secondhand-nervous-people-and-other-satires","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}