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.
