Description: BRADBURY, RAY. First Russian Edition of Fahrenheit 451. Moscow, Russia: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1956. First Edition in Russian. 150 pages, paperbound. Near fine copy in printed wrappers. Fahrenheit 451 is a classic dystopian science fiction novel by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published in 1953. Bradbury’s most famous work, the novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found. The book's tagline explains the title: “Fahrenheit 451 — a temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns..." After the death of Josef Stalin in 1953, there were major changes in the translation of foreign literature in the USSR. At this time, the processes of liberalization began in domestic and foreign policy, so this period went down in history under the name of the Khrushchev thaw. The ideological pressure on the work of cultural figures was eased, and this also had a positive impact on the translation field. Thanks to the strengthening of cultural ties between the USSR and foreign countries, a huge number of foreign classical and modern works were translated, and the circle of translated authors expanded. An important role in this was played by the Publishing House of Foreign Literature, established in 1946. Since 1955, the magazine "Foreign Literature" began to be published, in which many translations were published. This translation into Russian was made by Tatiana Shinkar, and was published by the Publishing House of Foreign Literature. Why did the publisher choose this novel for the first translation, and not the much safer The Martian Chronicles taking place on a planet far in space? After all, Fahrenheit 451 condemns the totalitarian regime, very similar to the one that prevailed in the Soviet Union. Ray Bradbury, himself, said in an interview: "In the end, the story "Fahrenheit 451" is all about Russia and China. It is all about any adherents of totalitarianism, whoever they are and wherever they live: both about the left and the right... " [Prashkevich 2014, p. 168]. A reasonable question arises, why publish such a "seditious" book? Probably, the situation of the Cold War played its role, when anti-American propaganda in the USSR (as well as anti-Soviet propaganda in the United States) became the leading direction in politics. Bradbury's book was recognized in this context in Russia as another evidence of cruelty and lack of spirituality of the American way of life. Immediately after the publication of Ray Bradbury's first book in Russian, he became a very popular author in the Soviet Union. Some of his stories were translated, as were "The Martian Chronicles" (1965) and "Dandelion Wine" (1967).
Price: 745.5 USD
Location: Santa Barbara, California
End Time: 2023-10-10T18:17:13.000Z
Shipping Cost: 6 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Year Printed: 1956
Topic: Science Fiction
Binding: Softcover, Wraps
Author: Ray Bradbury
Subject: Literature & Fiction
Original/Facsimile: Original
Language: Russian
Place of Publication: Moscow, Russia
Special Attributes: First Edition in Russian
