Translated from the Russian by Robert & Elizabeth Chandler and Olga MeersonWith notes and an afterword by Robert Chandler and Olga MeersonIn Andrey Platonovâ€™s The Foundation

The Foundation Pit

Translated from the Russian by Robert & Elizabeth Chandler and Olga Meerson
With notes and an afterword by Robert Chandler and Olga Meerson

In Andrey Platonovâ€™s The Foundation Pit, a team of workers has been given the job of digging the foundation of an immense edifice, a palatial home for the perfect future that, they are convinced, is at hand. But the harder the team works, the deeper they dig, the more things go wrong, and it becomes clear that what is being dug is not a foundation but an immense grave.

The Foundation Pit is Platonovâ€™s most overtly political book, written in direct response to the staggering brutalities of Stalinâ€™s collectivization of Russian agriculture. It is also a literary masterpiece. Seeking to evoke unspeakable realities, Platonov deforms and transforms language in pages that echo both with the alienating doublespeak of power and the stark simplicity of prayer.

This English translation is the first and only one to be based on the definitive edition published by Pushkin House in Moscow. It includes extensive notes and, in an appendix, several striking passages deleted by Platonov. Robert Chandler and Olga Meersonâ€™s afterword discusses the historical context and style of Platonovâ€™s most haunted and troubling work.
Country USA
Brand NYRB Classics
Manufacturer NYRB Classics
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber Illustrations, black and white
Color Grey
ReleaseDate 2009-04-21
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781590173053

Country	USA
Brand	NYRB Classics
Manufacturer	NYRB Classics
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	Illustrations, black and white
Color	Grey
ReleaseDate	2009-04-21
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781590173053

The Foundation Pit

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