A Russian Gil Blas, or The Adventures of Prince Gavrila Simonovich Chistyakov

Vasily Narezhny’s novel “A Russian Gil Blas, or The Adventures of Prince Gavrila Simonovich Chistyakov” is one of the earliest Russian novels of manners. The work was inspired by Alain-René Lesage’s celebrated novel “The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane,” but transposed to Russian characters and realities. The narrative traces the adventures and life journey of the protagonist — Prince Gavrila Simonovich Chistyakov — through which the author satirically portrays the morals and vices of early nineteenth-century Russian society.