Leskov s stories of Russian life are explosions of imagination. Peopled by outsized characters including serfs, princes, Gypsy girls, horse dealers, nomadic Tartars and garrulous storytellers, Leskov s writing exuberantly fables the national character of his age. For the first time, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky s translation brings Leskov s original storytelling and irresistible voice to life.