{"product_id":"lower-depths-book-maxim-gorky-9780486411156","title":"Lower Depths","description":"The first of Russia's great proletarian writers, Alexey Maximovich Peshkov (1868-1936) adopted the pen name of Gorky, meaning bitter. Drawing on his own experiences in the lowest social echelon, Gorky portrayed the wretched lives of down-and-outers, instilling his tales with heartfelt protest against a world that both tolerated and fostered the miseries of the underclass.\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Lower Depths, \u003c\/i\u003e his dramatic masterpiece of 1902, Gorky presents a grimly realistic view of a desperate circle of lost souls. The play unfolds in a derelict boarding house, where a cast of despairing characters argue, play cards, tell stories, and debate the merits of two opposite worldviews: a self-reliant existence free of illusions, or a romanticized outlook that softens the pain of daily life. A revealing look at the atmosphere that led to the 1917 Russian Revolution, the drama abounds in shrewd observations, lifelike characters, and compelling dialog that make it a work of enduring vitality.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49659272823057,"sku":"GOR004129429","price":11.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49660597600529,"sku":"GOR003892039","price":16.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50282228580625,"sku":"CIN048641115XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50354436702481,"sku":"CIN048641115XA","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50694898385169,"sku":"CIN048641115XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/048641115X.jpg?v=1751261429","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/products\/lower-depths-book-maxim-gorky-9780486411156","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}