The Company
Walking Back the Cat
The Visiting Professor
An Agent in Place
The Once and Future Spy
The Revolutionist
The Sisters
The Amateur
The Debriefing
Mother Russia
The October Circle
Sweet Reason
The Defection of A. J. Lewinter
NONFICTION
For the Future of Israel (with Shimon Peres)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Littell is the author of eighteen previous novels, most recently A Nasty Piece of Work and the nonfiction book For the Future of Israel, written with Shimon Peres, former president of Israel. He has been awarded both the English Gold Dagger and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for his fiction. His novel The Company was a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a television miniseries, and his novel Legends has been adapted into a television series. He lives in France. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraphs
Prelude
First Session
Second Session
Third Session
Interlude
Fifth Session
Postlude
Postlude Bis
Also by Robert Littell
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
THE MAYAKOVSKY TAPES. Copyright © 2016 by Robert Littell. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
“Hamlet” by Boris Pasternak is translated by Lydia Pasternak Slater.
“New Year’s Letter” by Marina Tsvetaeva is reproduced from Phaedra: with “New Year’s Letter” and Other Long Poems and translated with an introduction and notes by Angela Livingstone (Angel Books, London, 2012, distributed in North America by Dufour Editions, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania).
“Jubilee Year” by Vladimir Mayakovsky is reproduced from Mayakovsky: A Biography, by Bengt Jangfeldt and translated by Harry D. Watson (The University of Chicago Press, 2007). Permission of Bengt Jangfeldt and Harry D. Watson.
“My University” by Vladimir Mayakovksy is reproduced from Selected Poems by Vladimir Mayakovsky (Northwestern University Press, 2013) and translated by James H. McGavran III.
“Christopher Columbus” by Vladimir Mayakovsky and “Goodbye, my friend, goodbye” by Sergei Yesenin are reproduced from Mayakovsky: A Poet in Revolution by Edward James Brown and translated by Edward James Brown (Princeton University Press, 1973). Permission of Princeton University Press.
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Cover design by Olga Grlic
Cover photographs: Mayakovsky © Mary Evans Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo; paint stroke © Foxie/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Littell, Robert, 1935– author.
Title: The Mayakovsky tapes: a novel / Robert Littell.
Description: First U.S. edition. | New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016010551 | ISBN 9781250100566 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250100573 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Mayakovsky, Vladimir, 1893–1930—Fiction. | Authors, Soviet—20th century—Fiction. | Soviet Union—Politics and government—20th century—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Espionage. | GSAFD: Biographical fiction. | Suspense fiction. | Spy stories.
Classification: LCC PS3562.I7827 M39 2016 | DDC 813/.54—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016010551
e-ISBN 9781250100573
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First Edition: November 2016