Release Date: December, 2003 [Etext #4706] [Yes,
we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This
file was first posted on March 5, 2002]
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The Project Gutenberg Etext of Yama (The Pit), by
Alexandra Kuprin *******This file should be named
ymapt10.txt or ymapt10.zip*******
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TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN
“All the horror is in just this, that there
is no horror ...”
I know that many will find this novel immoral and
indecent; nevertheless, I dedicate it with all my
heart to mothers and youths—A.
K.
I dedicate the labour of translation, in all humility
and sincerity, to K. Andrae. B. G. G.
“With us, you see,” Kuprin makes the reporter
Platonov, his mouthpiece, say in Yama, “they
write about detectives, about lawyers, about inspectors
of the revenue, about pedagogues, about attorneys,
about the police, about officers, about sensual ladies,
about engineers, about baritones—and really,
by God, altogether well—cleverly, with
finesse and talent. But, after all, all these
people are rubbish, and their life is not life, but
some sort of conjured up, spectral, unnecessary delirium
of world culture. But there are two singular
realities—ancient as humanity itself:
the prostitute and the moujik. And about them
we know nothing, save some tinsel, gingerbread, debauched
depictions in literature...”
