En Nihilist

Stepniak, S., 1851-1895Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 420K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.En Nihilist by S. StepniakAuthor: Stepniak, S., 1851-1895,Language: Danish, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jan 28, 2008

Editor's review

This work is a novel presented in Danish by Stepniak, a Russian Narodnik activist and writer, and belongs to the Slavic-language literature category of Project Gutenberg's free e-book collection. For readers interested in nineteenth-century Russian social thought, the Narodnik movement, and the history of Slavic literary transmission, it is a text of both historical and literary significance. The book narrates around the archetypal figure of the "nihilist" in nineteenth-century Russian intellectual culture, helping readers understand the spiritual character and social circumstances of the radical youth of the time. The very existence of the Danish version also illustrates how Russian social issues spread to Northern Europe, making it useful supplementary material for comparative literature and translation studies. A caveat: this is a public-domain e-book, and it should be read alongside historical background materials, without mistaking the novel's narrative for a direct historical record. Overall, it suits readers with some foreign-language reading ability and an interest in Russian intellectual history, who wish to study it slowly, rather than those seeking a plot-driven popular read.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and scholars studying nineteenth-century Russian nihilism and Narodism
Comparative literature readers interested in the transmission and translation history of Slavic literature in Northern Europe
Language learners with Danish reading ability who wish to expand their public-domain e-book reading
Digital collectors of Project Gutenberg's Slavic-language literature titles

Not a good fit for

General readers who read only Chinese, have no Danish, and are unwilling to use dictionaries or translations
Popular fiction fans expecting fast pacing and strong dramatic conflict
Beginners seeking systematic general knowledge of Russian history rather than a literary text

Reading tips

Read Chinese-language background material on the nineteenth-century Russian nihilist movement before approaching the text to lower the barrier to understanding.
Danish readers can go chapter by chapter alongside historical notes, recording how characters' remarks correspond to the social thought of the time.
Read in comparison with Chinese translations of works such as Turgenev's Fathers and Sons to compare how different authors portray nihilists.
When using it as research material, note key phrases and mark chapter locations for later citation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese? Can I read it without knowing Danish?

According to the available information, the book is in Danish, not Chinese. Readers without Danish will find the original difficult to read directly; they may first consult Chinese research materials for background or look for translations in other languages for comparison. If collecting it only as an edition or for research records, they can focus on its bibliographic information and publication background.

Does "nihilist" in this book mean nihilism in the philosophical sense?

In the nineteenth-century Russian context, "nihilist" often referred to young people who embraced radical ideas and rejected traditional authority and social institutions, which is not entirely equivalent to nihilism in the general philosophical or ontological sense. Readers should understand the characters' words and actions in light of the Russian social background of the time rather than directly applying modern philosophical concepts.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Russian history?

Not really. It is a literary work, not a systematic history, and its narrative carries the author's standpoint and literary embellishment. Readers new to history should first read general histories to build a framework, then use this book as supplementary material to sense the intellectual atmosphere and character portrayals of the time.

What should I keep in mind when using the Project Gutenberg edition?

This is a free public-domain e-book, with the available information indicating a 2008 release. Public-domain books may vary in typesetting, punctuation, or edition; when citing, verify the specific page or chapter information. Also comply with Project Gutenberg's terms of use and do not use it for unauthorized commercial profit.

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About the author

Stepniak, S., 1851-1895 Author · Russian · 1851–1895

S. Stepniak (Stepniak, S., 1851–1895) was a Russian revolutionary and writer who later went into exile in Britain, where he devoted himself mainly to propaganda and writing. One work by him is held in this collection, En Nihilist; judging from its title and the author's experience, its subject matter concerns the Russian nihilist movement and the plight of revolutionaries. Because public information is limited, details of his life and the full scope of his work are difficult to establish, but it is clear that in exile he used his pen to introduce the Russian revolutionary movement to English-speaking readers. His writing combines political propaganda with literary narrative and had a certain influence among the exiled community of his time. This entry offers a brief introduction based on the available material for readers' reference.