Keys to Happiness : A Novel

One of the most sensationally popular and influential of all pre-Revolutionary novels, Keys to Happiness is set against a panorama of Russian society on the eve of World War I. It tells the stormy tale of Manya Yeltsova, a Russian "new woman" who pursues her dreams and passions as a dancer and free spirit who captivates, among others, a Jewish socialist tycoon and a reactionary Russian nobleman. At the time of its publication, the novel crossed the boundaries of both gender and class to define a new type of literature in Russian society. The editors’ informative introduction places the novel within its cultural, political, and social context and makes clear for today’s readers its literary and historical importance.