The Complete Works of Isaac Babel Reprint Edition by Isaac Babel, Nathalie Babel, Peter Constantine Read Online Free PDF Page A

in style and presentation—that it is hard to believe (even for the translator who has pored over every word and comma) that they were written by the same writer.
    I have found in translating other authors, such as Anton Chekhov and Thomas Mann, that after a few stories I was steering toward a Chekhovian or Mannian style I felt worked in English. Not so with Babel. Each of the 147 texts in this volume, from the shortest story to the longest play, had to be treated on its own terms. Babel is not only one of the greatest storytellers of European literature, but also one of its greatest stylists.
    Peter Constantine New York March 2001

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    The purpose of this volume is to present in one edition everything  known to have been written by Isaac Babel. In this light, we call the volume Complete Works, even though this term may not include all of Babels literary heritage, since his files of manuscripts were seized by the police upon his arrest. But as there is little hope that any of that material survives or can be recovered, we use the word “complete.”
    The realization of this volume has been a long-term dream and struggle. The struggle has been made easier by my good fortune in working with Peter Constantine, who took it upon himself to translate anew all available original manuscripts and the first publications in Russian—a long and arduous task. As this is the first time that a single person has translated all of Babels work into English, this volume has a unique coherence and consistency that I believe is true to Babels voice in Russian. Peter was not only meticulous in his choice of words and phrasing, but also in his research in order to clarify the text and provide notes where necessary. He also was of great help to me in organizing and editing this large and unwieldy collection of materials, and in supporting me with frequent practical advice and unflagging enthusiasm.
    I approached Gregory Freidin without warning to request that he prepare a biographical and literary chronology of Babels life and works. Gregory s exceptional knowledge allowed us to sort out many conflicting or incomplete items of information. I thank him for his graciousness in completing this task.
    Special thanks are also due to Robert Weil, my editor at W. W. Norton, who embraced the challenge of giving new life to Babels work through what he knew would be a difficult project. His editorial advice and his steadfast guidance have earned my heartfelt gratitude. Without the professional perseverance and affectionate encouragement of my friend and literary agent, Jennifer Lyons, this work would not have been completed. I thank her warmly.
    When it came to my own contribution, I chose to forego writing a traditional introduction in favor of speaking of the connections between Babel and myself, connections that have not been obvious despite his being my father. No research or scholar could help me there. I had only myself, the blank page, and the past. Enter my friend Christine Galitzine. I cannot hope to acquit my debt merely with thanks, or even the feelings of profound gratitude and affection that I feel for her. As she became more and more interested in this project, she also became more indispensable to my being able to advance it. Through her knowledge of English, French, and Russian, as well as her own literary and administrative gifts, she was able to understand my thoughts and sentiments deeply and to help me render them onto the printed page. Indeed, her involvement in this work led her to make a detour while traveling in France, to visit the town of Niort, which occupies a large place in my life and my recollections. Upon arrival there, she went immediately to the information office to ask whether the old jail still existed. Unfazed, the French lady in charge told her that the jail remained in the same location that it had been for the last three hundred years. Christine came back with photos, brochures, maps, and historic and