In "To the Stars and Other Stories," Fyodor Sologub, a lesser-known yet deeply influential figure in Russian Symbolist literature, crafts a world where the mundane and the mystical intertwine in unsettling ways. This collection, elegantly translated by Susanne Fusso, brings together some of Sologub’s most evocative short stories, each exploring the often bizarre lengths to which individuals will go to escape the banalities of everyday life.

The stories in this collection frequently center on children and adolescents, whose vivid imaginations and feelings of alienation from the adult world lead them to create alternative realities. In the titular story, "To the Stars," a boy yearns to ascend beyond the ordinariness of his existence to the cold, majestic heights of the stars—a yearning that resonates with anyone who has ever felt stifled by the constraints of daily life. Sologub's protagonists often find themselves teetering on the edge of reality and fantasy, as in "Beauty," where a character’s desire for aesthetic perfection leads to a haunting conclusion.

Sologub’s writing is both beautiful and chilling, blending realistic detail with fantastical elements in a way that feels almost like a fever dream. His style, marked by a limpid clarity and an undercurrent of darkness, creates a sense of unease that lingers long after you’ve finished reading. Susanne Fusso’s translation captures this balance perfectly, preserving the eerie beauty of Sologub’s prose while making it accessible to an English-speaking audience.

One of the standout stories for me was "The Saddened Fiancée," where Sologub delves into the emotional turmoil of a young woman grappling with the societal expectations of marriage and love. The story is both poignant and unsettling, reflecting Sologub’s ability to capture the complexity of human emotions in a few, carefully chosen words.

Another highlight is the collection’s inclusion of Sologub’s “little fairy tales,” which are ambiguous parables written in a deceptively simple, childlike language. These tales, which anticipate the later works of Russian absurdist Daniil Kharms, are whimsical on the surface but reveal deeper, often darker, truths upon closer inspection.

"To the Stars and Other Stories" is a must-read for fans of Russian literature, especially those interested in the Symbolist movement. Sologub’s blend of the real and the surreal, the beautiful and the grotesque, makes for a reading experience that is as unsettling as it is captivating. Whether you’re new to Sologub or a seasoned reader of Russian classics, this collection offers a unique glimpse into the mind of a writer who deserves to be more widely known.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

It's the first (translated) Russian-literature that I've read, I picked it up because of the blurb/description of the book. I'm glad that I did it.

This book consists of short stories written by Fyodor Sologub, the lesser known Russian symbolist poet and prose writer and translated by Susanne Fusso. Reading this makes me realize the weight of translating a literature piece, and I want to applaud Fusso for did such a great job on capturing the beauty of Sologub's story that could be enjoyed by more people.

Sologub's stories collection in this book mainly focused on the mundane lives that centered in children or adolescence age, on how they look up at the world and the adults around them. Though it has fairytale-like vibe, the stories mainly are dark, daunting, and hauntingly beautiful. I enjoyed it a lot, especially for "Beauty" and "The Saddened Fiance".

If you're interested in reading Russian literature, this might be a good starter for you!

Sologub's collection of remarkable short stories takes readers on a journey to transcend the mundane. With a masterful command of language, he intertwines realist and fantastic storytelling, exploring the depths of human imagination and the gritty realities of late imperial Russian society. Fusso's elegant translation brings these artful tales to life for English-speaking readers.

To The Stars and Other Stories is a collection of thirteen short stories and a sampling of fairy tales written by Sologub that are translated by Susanne Fusso. Sologub is not a writer who is read widely today though he was so popular in his times that collection of his complete works was published twice in his lifetime. Fusso, being a Sologub enthusiast, wants him to reach his deserved audience and that is the motivation behind this collection.

I came to this not I knowing very much of Russian literature before delving into these stories.
Some beautiful writing, strange and dark short stories translated well from the original. Realist and fantastic storytelling.

I've read a good amount of Russian lit, including short stories, but nothing quite like this! This collection of Sologub's stories are totally bonkers! I had a visceral reaction to the story, In the Crowd, especially, and I loved the ghostly and deathling stories. The book ends with a handful of very tiny little stories that were brilliant.

The notes about the translation anI've read a good amount of Russian lit, including short stories, but nothing quite like this! This collection of Sologub's stories are very dark, eery, and a sort of weird intentional awkwardness. I had a visceral reaction to the story, In the Crowd, especially, and I loved the ghostly and deathling stories. The book ends with a handful of very tiny little stories that were brilliant.

The notes about the translation and inspiration for some of the stories were really helpful. I appreciated where the translator lamented how "punny" Sologub was that just doesn't translate into English, as well as her explanations for a few cultural things I didn't understand til reading her notes.

This collection would be perfect for Russian classic lit fans who have read stories from other big names. Trigger warning for a story about abortion; I found that one very difficult to read.

Thanks to netgalley and Columbia University Press for a copy to read and voluntarily review.d inspiration for some of the stories were really helpful. I appreciated where the translator lamented how "punny" Sologub was that just doesn't translate into English, as well as her explanations for a few cultural things I didn't understand til reading her notes.

This collection would be perfect for Russian classic lit fans who have read stories from other big names. Trigger warning for a story about abortion; I found that one very difficult to read.

Thanks to netgalley and Columbia University Press for a copy to read and voluntarily review.

This is a collection of short grim stories told from the point of view of children living in historical Russia, for an adult audience.
The collection portrays mournful, melancholic subjects and dreamlike, surreal tales of beauty, love, and loneliness.
Perhaps symbolism is not for me but these were good stories, well written and translated.

Sologub's storytelling is beautiful, and Fusso's translation is clearly very thoughtful. I am not often someone who will pick up a short story collection, but I am delighted that I chose to read this one. My personal favorite in the collection is "Beauty". I intend and am excited to read more of Sologub's work.

“To the Stars and Other Stories” is a gratifying collection of Fyodor Sologub’s early 20th century short stories and novellas, translated by Susanne Fusso. Highly imaginative storylines explore delightfully absurdist premises with minimalist prose that nonetheless paints vivid pictures of life in Russia before the outbreak of WWI. A time capsule for quotidian pleasures and innocent narcissism; Sologub’s characters are often self-centred and entirely consumed by their own desires - both the physical and the metaphysical. There is a theme of existentialism as characters fight against the constraints of family, society, and themselves, often finding their release in death. Sologub’s main characters are mostly children or newly minted adults, allowing him to play with their metamorphic nature; questions on the nature of being, on beauty, on life, and on death are all the more natural in their presentation. Unconcerned by the need for lengthy explanations, Sologub achieves a surreal landscape that is unconcerned with accuracy: a fantasia at times as in “The Sixty-Seventh day: A Novella” and “In Captivity”, wonderfully speculative in his proposition of oddly realistic scenarios as in “Death by Advertisement” and “The Saddened Fiancée,”, and haunting with the mania extending from senseless murder in “The Youth Linus.” A well-curated collection of stories that span more than a decade of Sologub’s career, each story a curious delight, I highly recommend “To the Stars and Other Stories.”

The stories of the book depict human pain and an imagination of the mind. Some stories may have a sad ending where a reader is left intrigued. Beautifully translated.

5/5 if Dostoyevsky wrote children's stories - Yes it's that good, yes it's that heartbreaking.

This is a collection of short stories told from the point of view of children living in historical Russia, for an adult audience. If you love short stories, if you love magical realism, if you love Russian symbolism, this book is for you.

I fell in love with Russian stories in AP English class reading Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Chekov, but the writing of Fyodor Sologub showed that there is this amazing unexplored gap in my reading. While many of this collections' stories are set among children, they are written for adults in such a clever way. We put ourselves in the place of children, feeling their alienation from adult society, while also being drawn towards the unknowing parts of nature (stars, forests, birds).

Get your highlighters ready because the way Susanne Fusso has translated these stories keeps the prose beautiful and startling. Sologub's stories are rooted in a specific time and place, but with Fusso's help we are able to straddle the line between existing in a dacha (Russian cottage), and in our own neighbourhood.

I recommend reading this book to your childhood stuffed animal, outside under a canopy of stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for an advanced reader copy.

This is a good collection of mostly rather grim short stories. They're well-translated, which must have been a challenging task--wordplay is difficult to convey between languages.

Sologub is not one of the better-known Russian writers in the English-speaking world, and even for readers with an interest in Russian literature, little of his work aside from The Petty Demon tends to be readily available in translation. This collection does a good job of making his short stories more accessible to an anglophone audience.

Like the other books I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing in the Columbia University Press Russian Library, the introduction is interesting, engaging, and does an excellent job of presenting the background and context for Sologub and his work.

I know that current events have changed the funding available for this series of translations; I sincerely hope that the project will continue to provide such high-quality translations of works that haven't been widely available in English despite these challenges.

If you like Russian literature, then this book should appeal. This collection of short stories, written in the early 1900s by Russian writer, Sologub are quite dark, despite being centred around children. Sologub is known as a symbolist poet, who referred to himself as the bard of death. His pessimism is evident in this collection of stories and made me want ro read more about the writer.

It is due to be published by @columbiauniversitypress on 28 February. 4⭐️

Okay, so this is a unique collection of lesser known Russian (children's) stories. Although I didn't really find the stories very interesting, as they seem monotonous; nothing striking to offer, however the writing is beautiful, poetic even. It's a translated work and the translation is smooth and seamless.

There's a fairly tales section in the last section ―those are sweet, thoughtful micro tales.

I'd recommend it for its writing. Read if you are interested in translated works.

Thank you, Netgalley.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was intricate and beautifully written, and I learned a lot since I have very little knowledge of Russian literature, so I went into this knowing basically nothing. The problem, however, was that it took me quite some research and effort to understand what was going on in the book at many points.

By far, my favorite story was "Death by Advertisement". It begins with a woman desperate for money and ends up being an allegory to the inevitable essence of death. Sologub's characters are all incredibly real and unique, being faced with problems such as body image, bullying, etc. I thought they way these problems were all portrayed in a very smart way, which is something I admire about Sologub's writing.

All in all, I had a wonderful time reading this. It was a well done translation!

I did not finish the book on account of the many editorial issues in the book. It should be better structered.

This book collection of, lesser known, Russian author Fyodor Sologub’s translated short stories; starting with to the starts (1896) a story of a young boy who wishes to join the stars. They are beautifully written with so much detail put into every sentence, the passion that went into these stories emanates of the pages.

Yet, however wonderfully written they were none of the stories drew me in, I felt although it was a short story there was sometimes to much ambiguous, unneeded description (that you sometimes do get in classics books) kept clashing with my enjoyment. I feel like everyone should give these a try, although I did not enjoy it, the morals of the story hold important messages and these stories hold pieces of history.

One of the lesser known Russian writers, Fyodor Sologub (1863-1927) was a Symbolist poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright and essayist, celebrated in his own time but now largely neglected. On the basis of this wonderful collection, it’s certainly time to bring him to a wider audience. All the stories are pretty dark, with a mix of realism and the fantastic, sometimes quite quirky, with some startling imagery on occasion, and often tragic. I particularly enjoyed the ones focussing on children, however disturbing. There’s an excellent introduction, which is pretty much essential and extremely helpful. I’m very happy to have discovered Sologub and recommend these stories, especially to Russophiles who may not have read him before.

I've been wanting to read more translated literature lately and I'm glad this book was an opportunity to do that as well as read more short stories.
I didn't know who was Fyodor Sologub as I know next to nothing about russian literature. Perhaps symbolism isn't really my cup of tea but these were good stories, although not happy ones. Well written and well translated.

Thank you for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A boy who longs to join the stars. A man advertises for lady Death to haunt him. A club of young women poses as grieving fiancees. These are just a few iconic stories from Russian author Fyodor Sologub’s translated collection, “To the Stars and Other Stories.” Imaginative with a dash of darkness, his stories are essential for anyone interested in diving into Russian literature.

With a wide variety of short stories, Sologub’s stories range from the fantastical, strange, saddening, haunting, and unconventional. Many of his stories are focused on children experiencing isolation from the world and creating their own alternate reality filled with child-like wonder. Some of the later stories take a darker or more provocative turn to examine the sociopolitical climate of imperialist Russia. There’s no doubt that Sologub’s writing style is as fantastical as his stories. Still, he somehow bridges the gap between reality and fantasy with surprising clarity and wonder.

Sologub weaves themes of life, death, isolation, fantasy, delusion, nihilism, suffering, and peace into these stories. Although these stories are centered around children, they tackle difficult and saddening topics in an adult but the easy-to-read manner that a kid could read and easily understand the author’s intentions.

“To the Stars and Other Stories” is the perfect introduction to Russian literature for readers without the time commitment of Tolstoy. Steeped in fantasy, magical realism, and surprises, Sologub’s stories will transport you to your own imaginative world.