The Flight by Gaito Gazdanov

The Flight by Gaito Gazdanov

'The Gazdanov revival ... is nothing short of a literary event' TLS

'Gazdanov is a modernist master' Mary O'Donoghue Irish Times

'The Flight is a suave, cosmopolitan human comedy with a twist ... All of Gazdanov's work demonstrates his great gift for characterization. He simply knew human nature, at its best and worst.' Eileen Battersby L.A. Review of Books

A young man's passion for his father's mistress tips into tragedy. The debut novel of the author of modernist classic The Spectre of Alexander Wolf.

While summering on the French Riviera, the young Seryozha secretly becomes the lover of the much older Liza - who is also his father's mistress. As autumn approaches, they reluctantly part: Liza to return to Paris, Seryozha to take up his studies at university in London. When he finds out about their affair, Seryozha's father attempts to convince Liza to leave his son, for the sake of the boy's own happiness. She finally gives in - but a sudden, fatal catastrophe changes everything.

Gazdanov's third novel is proof of his wide-ranging talents: originally written before his celebrated noir experiments The Spectre of Alexander Wolf and The Buddha's Return, The Flight blends psychological drama, illicit romance and moments of both comedy and lyricism. It is a modernist take on the traditional Russian nineteenth-century realist novel epitomised by Tolstoy, and a devastating, sun-soaked romance.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

Translated by Bryan Karetnyk

Gaito Gazdanov (1903-1971) joined the White Army aged just sixteen and fought in the Russian Civil War. Exiled in Paris from the 1920s onwards, he earned a living as a nocturnal taxi-driver and quickly gained prominence on the literary scene as a novelist, essayist, critic and short-story writer, and was greatly admired by Maxim Gorky, among others. Pushkin Press also publishes the celebrated The Spectre of Alexander Wolf and The Buddha's Return.

Bryan Karetnyk is a British writer and translator. His translations for Pushkin Press include works by Ichiyo Higuchi, Irina Odoevtseva, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki and Ryunosuke Akutagawa. He is also the editor of the Penguin Classics anthology Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky.

"Gazdanov has his own utterly distinctive voice.. Pushkin Press is to be congratulated on reviving an author who is as relevant now as ever." — Spectator

"The Gazdanov revival... is nothing short of a literary event... Gazdanov's thrillers offer a truly original vision, distinguished by profound existential and metaphysical concerns, a peculiar sense of humour, and enchanting prose, which Bryan Karetnyk has once again reproduced with impeccable grace." —Times Literary Supplement

"A fascinating writer." — Irish Times

"His writing has been described as 'if Nabokov wrote thrillers'. I’m hooked." — Charlotte Mendelson, The Guardian Best Books of 2016

(Praise for The Buddha's Return) "An excellent novel by any standard, and especially remarkable for joining the philosophical underpinnings of the Russians with the intrigue of a French thriller." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

(Praise for The Spectre of Alexander Wolf) "A compulsive read, playful yet sinister, meandering yet impressively trim, old-world and modern. It is to Pushkin Press's great credit that this gorgeously restored relic... has been revived from untimely oblivion." — Daniel Levine, The Millions

(Praise for The Spectre of Alexander Wolf) "Truly troubling, a weird meditation on death, war, and sex... Bryan Karetnyk's new translation makes you believe in the power of the original." — Lorin Stein, Paris Review

(Praise for The Spectre of Alexander Wolf) "Splendidly translated... a mini-masterpiece." — Star Tribune

Gaito Gazdanov (1903-1971) joined the White Army aged just sixteen and fought in the Russian Civil War. Exiled in Paris from the 1920s onwards, he earned a living as a nocturnal taxi-driver and quickly gained prominence on the literary scene as a novelist, essayist, critic and short-story writer, and was greatly admired by Maxim Gorky, among others. Pushkin Press also publishes the celebrated The Spectre of Alexander Wolf and The Buddha's Return. Bryan KaretnyK is a British writer and translator. His trans lations for Pushkin Press include works by Ichiyo Higuchi, Irina Odoevtseva, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki and Ryunosuke Akutagawa. He is also the editor of the Penguin Classics anthology Russian Émigré Short Stories from Bunin to Yanovsky.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781805332091
ISBN 10	1805332090
Title	The Flight
Author	Gaito Gazdanov
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pushkin Press
Year published	2026-07-30
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.