A Serendipitous Error and An Evil Malady

On a chilly winter night, Yegor Aduyev, the privileged son of a wealthy landowning family, quietly enters the home of Baron Neyleyn with a heart full of hope. He plans to propose to Yelena, the baron’s captivating eighteen-year-old daughter. But Yelena is elusive—a flirt who sometimes seems to return his affection, yet whose lingering glances at two charming princes during a recent ball cast doubt on her sincerity. Will Yegor’s romantic gamble end in joy or heartbreak?

Written in 1839 when Ivan Goncharov was still a young man, A Serendipitous Error is paired here with An Evil Malady, another early novella, and a short fictional fragment. Collected and translated into English for the first time, these works showcase the early talent and storytelling range of the famed author of Oblomov.