Turgenev wrote Mumu with such vivid images and reflections of the state
of the tsarist Russia that this piece together with his other stories
was credited with having influenced public opinion in favour of the
abolition of serfdom in 1861. Turgenev was the first of the great
Russian novelists to win fame abroad. One of his great admirers was
Henry James, who wrote that "Turgenev's merit of form is of the first
order" The story featured in this release is relatively unknown in
English speaking markets despite being a school texbook classic back in
Russia. This revised edition of Mumu was first published in London in
English in as audio book in 2010. The audio book produced very strong
response from listeners. "A story great in emotion and meaning that
makes you want to read his other books. What a successful introduction
to a great writer", wrote Philippe Felsenhardt (USA) in his review.
"This edition has whet my appetite for Turgenev on the page", wrote
another reviewer Joseph Belliveau (Canada). Other reviewers wrote that
the story brought them close to tears and that they would very much
enjoy reading it in paper format. So the paper edition of this story
with annotations in both original Russian and English languages is
hereby produced to satisfy demand of enthusiastic readers. It is
remarkable how new media such as audio book extends life of original
paper book. New does not have to mean the end of traditional, at least
for now.
