The Crocodile

$199.00 CAD

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Dostoevsky: The archetype of the gloomy Russian novelist.

Yet, always sure to feature moments of humour amidst the angst. Experience one of his hidden gems in The Crocodile, an absurdly comic, trenchant satire of 19th century Russian politics and Westernization, whose significance echoes across time into our own geopolitical circumstances.

Limited to 250 copies, Century Press is proud to present a striking new edition of The Crocodile like it's never been seen before.

A brand new translation of Dostoyevsky's "Editorial Preface” that accompanied the original publication of The Crocodile in Dostoevsky’s journal, The Epoch. This preamble to the story will be published in English for the first time in our edition.
An annotated and revised version the English Garnett translation from Dr. Sarah J. Young, a professor of Russian literature at UCL in London, as well as comprehensive introduction of her own.
Illustrated for the first time with four pieces by UK-based illustrator Rohan Eason.

Printing and Bindery Specs

Fully bound in vegetable-tanned, cypress goatskin leather from the Hudson Valley
Two-colour letterpress printed on premium 100% cotton 'Flurry' paper with a 1956 Heidelberg 'Windmill' platen press, typeset in Academy
Italian, tight-weave, cotton ribbon bookmark
Original gold-stamped artwork on front cover, back cover, and spine by Oksana Tarasenko.
Smyth-sewn by hand for maximum durability
Measures 7.5" x 5.25"

July Pre-Order Bonus!

All pre-orders received by the end of July will receive a special edition of The Crocodile with handmade endsheets from master Canadian artist Susan Kristoferson.
Her stunning paste papers were exhibited by the Grolier Club earlier this year, and have been acquired by NYC's Metropolitan Art Museum as part of their Paper Legacy Collection.
Don't miss out on the chance to own one of these special editions! These paste paper end sheets will appear ONLY in books that are pre-ordered in July. (Final version may vary slightly from below image).

Note: Our leather bindings are made from the honest hide of an animal. You're getting the real deal: full-grain leather, considered the best and highest quality leather available. Be aware that this type of leather can be naturally marked with features from each animal like creases, wrinkles, and insect bites. This means that no Century Press book will look exactly the same.

The Crocodile

Absolutely beautiful book. I am very pleased with this purchase.

The Crocodile

This book does not only contain one of the funniest and most underrated stories from on of the most famous Russian authors (and very well translated), but the book itself is simply a work of art. I recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for beautiful things. You can tell all of the work that the team put into making this story come alive in what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful editions that is has ever been published in. Thank you to century press for helping make my shelves look and feel just that much nicer.

Magnifique ouvrage

It is a real beautiful edition; the book’colour, the leather’s scent and texture, the letterpress pages, a work of art.

Amazing value

For the price, you get a goatskin binding, letterpress printing on quality cotton paper, 4 fitting illustrations, a scholarly and well written introduction, all this in a wonderful reading size. The short story itself is a great variation from themes explored in Dostoevsky’s more known works, and its humor is definitely enjoyable. A very good value, I can’t wait to see what’s next from the press!

A real beauty of an edition!

I have all four books by this press and ‘The Crocodile’ took it to the next level! A great design combined with great execution. The endpapers are a wonderful feature that I hope stays around.

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The Crocodile

Customer Reviews