Viktor Nekrasov. In the Trenches of Stalingrad. Stories, Short Stories

The works included in this collection reflect the remarkable life of Viktor Platonovich Nekrasov (1911–1987)—writer, architect, military sapper, and émigré. His novella "In the Trenches of Stalingrad" was published almost immediately after the war, in 1946, quickly gaining acclaim and becoming one of the first examples of "lieutenant's prose"—literature that honestly, without pathos or false pathos, tells the story of a man in the inhumane conditions of war. His book "In My Hometown" (1954) explores the difficulty of truly returning from war and rediscovering oneself. Written in exile, "A Little Sad Story" (1985) explores the loss of illusions, the fragility of friendships and life principles, and the temptations of fame. Nekrasov's mastery as a prose writer is fully evident in his psychologically precise and masterfully written stories.