The Queen of Spades and Other Stories

Alexander Pushkin's short tales explore thoughts that take hold. They also deal with revenge and the poet's role. The book starts with The Queen of Spades. Young Hermann watches his friends gamble. He hears of an officer's grandmother. Rumour says she can name three cards that will win. Her power takes hold of his mind. He seeks her secret at any cost.

In Dubrovsky, a man seeks revenge. A noble has taken his land with no just cause. The Negro of Peter the Great draws on Pushkin's grandfather on his mother's side. The unfinished Egyptian Nights looks at verse and the poet.

This book suits those who seek Pushkin's short prose in English. Some works are less well known and hard to find in English. The book forms part of a series of Pushkin's complete works in English.