“Evolution of Desire: A Life of René Girard” – it’s #6 at Moscow’s leading bookstore!

Summertime is slow in Russia, but fortunately that hasn’t been the case for sales of Evolution of Desire: A Life of René Girard. Reviews of the brand-new Russian edition, out with the eminent Moscow publisher New Literary Observer last spring, have been slow in reaching sunny California (though we excerpted a terrific article by Alexey Zygmont here, which concluded “it’s hard to wish for a better biography of Girard”).

Hence, I’m reliant on my Russian friends for news. One of them is the eminent poet and publisher Maria Stepanova, who reassured me. “Yes, it is a big hit here – and there have been rave reviews,” she wrote. “I’m so glad it has such a good following.”

One data point, she said, is Moscow’s leading bookstore, Falanster (Фаланстер) – where it’s the #6 bestseller. Note the photo above that is featured on Falanster’s Facebook page. Count six from the left – there. That’s me, with the grey-and-orange spine.

Don’t believe me still? Check out the list below, and find out the other books Muscovites are reading, too. I hope my reviews for my book on the French theorist create a larger worldwide audience for the man who wrote about human nature, human history, and human destiny.

I’d love to visit Falanster in person – it’s been too many years since I’ve been in Russia. Meanwhile, I send my love to Moscow, and, as Maria wrote: “Moscow loves ya back!”

Tags: Alexey Zygmont, Maria Stepanova

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 18th, 2021 at 6:20 pm by Cynthia Haven and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.