Asahi Shimbun News SectionBiblio.com
[Irving, Washington; Franklin]Biblio.com
Stories and Literary Excerpts. Part 1. Povesti i Literaturnye Otryvki. Chast' pervaia.
18295523<p><strong>Including a mystification attributed to Benjamin Franklin</strong></p><p>This collected edition of stories includes Russian translations of <strong>Washington Irving</strong>'s novella '<em>The Haunted House</em>' from his book '<em>Bracebridge Hall</em>' Libman #2709 and an essay titled '<em>Journey to Ermenonville</em>' attributed to <strong>Benjamin Franklin</strong>. However the latter is most likely a mystification — a pseudonymous work falsely attributed to Franklin. It is possible that a Russian author used Franklin's name to lend the piece greater authority or intrigue.<br />This conclusion is supported by the content of the essay which describes a visit to the tomb of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. While it is historically accurate that Franklin served as the United States Minister to France from 1776 to 1785 and could have visited Rousseau's tomb Rousseau died in 1778 the text reveals that the travelers were informed during their visit that Rousseau's body was no longer there. In fact Rousseau's remains were transferred to the Panthéon on October 11 1794 — four years after Franklin's death in 1790. This chronological inconsistency strongly suggests that the essay could not have been written by Franklin himself.<br />'<em>Povesti i Literaturnye Otryvki</em>' was published by Nikolai Polevoi a renowned Russian editor writer translator and historian in six parts. Each of the first four parts includes a novella by Washington Irving.</p><p>We couldn't trace any copy in OCLC.</p> Universitetskaia tipografiia hardcover
