Clarity, precision, laconism, and a rejection of stylistic embellishments are undoubtedly the hallmarks of Pushkin's prose. Yet, this apparent simplicity conceals such a rich semantic potential that literary scholars have tirelessly deciphered Pushkin's masterpieces for nearly two centuries. He only turned to prose, which he had previously called 'despicable,' in the late 1820s, after having already achieved fame and recognition as a poet. This turn proved exceptionally fruitful—diverse in terms of themes and genres, rich in narrative devices. 'Are there really such things as Russian novels?... Come, my dear fellow, please come,' the old countess in The Queen of Spades clearly conveys the author's irony. Pushkin's experiments in prose charted new paths for the development of Russian literature. This edition includes the novel Dubrovsky (1832–1833), the stories The Queen of Spades (1833) and Egyptian Nights (1835).