Turning from the authoress to the work, I will only add that I hope the American reader may find it to be what it seemed to me as I read it in Spanish,--an epitome of a vast and elaborate subject, and a guide to a clear path through this maze which without a guide can hardly be clear to any but a profound student of belles-lettres; for classicism, romanticism, and realism are technical terms, and the purpose of the modern novel is only just beginning to be understood by even fairly intelligent readers. In the belief that the interest awakened by Russian literature is not ephemeral, and that this great, young, and original people has come upon the world's stage with a work to perform before the world's eye, I have translated this careful, critical, synthetical study of the Russian people and literature for the benefit of my intelligent countrymen. F.H.G. Chicago, March, 1890. CONTENTS. Book I. THE EVOLUTION OF RUSSIA. I. Scope and Purpose of the Present Essay II. The Russian Country III. The Russian Race IV. Russian History V. The Russian Autocracy VI. The Agrarian Communes VII. Social Classes in Russia VIII. Russian Serfdom Book II. RUSSIAN NIHILISM AND ITS LITERATURE. I. The Word "Nihilism" II. Origin of the Intellectual Revolution III. Woman and the Family IV. Going to the People V. Herzen and the Nihilist Novel VI. The Reign of Terror VII. The Police and the Censor Book III. RISE OF THE RUSSIAN NOVEL. I. The Beginnings of Russian Literature II. Russian Romanticism.--The Lyric Poets III. Russian Realism: Gogol, its Founder Book IV. MODERN RUSSIAN REALISM. I. Turguenief, Poet and Artist II. Gontcharof and Oblomovism III. Dostoiëwsky, Psychologist and Visionary IV. Tolstoï, Nihilist and Mystic V. French Realism and Russian Realism Book I. THE EVOLUTION OF RUSSIA. I. Scope And Purpose of the Present Essay. The idea of writing something about Russia, the Russian novel, and Russian social conditions (all of which bear an intimate relationship to one another), occurred to me during a sojourn in Paris, where I was struck with the popularity and success achieved by the Russian authors, and especially the novelists. I remember that it was in the month of March, 1885, that the Russian novel "Crime and Punishment," by Dostoiëwsky, fell into my hands and left on my mind a deep impression. Circumstances prevented my following up at that time my idea of literary work on the subject; but the next winter I had nothing more important to do than to make my projected excursion into this new realm.