Odessa Stories: Tales of Benya Krik, the King of the Odessa underworld, and other Jews - Paperback

by Isaac Babel (Author), Yulia Basharova (Translator)

An edition from the "Golden Tattoo" series. Printed in 12pt type with wide line spacing for maximum readability. Unabridged. Modern translation.

The cycle of stories describes the vivid and daring world of the Moldavanka raiders, led by the legendary Benya Krik, nicknamed the King. Babel portrays the life of Jewish Odessa in the early 20th century, where a gangster code of honor is mixed with humor, grand gestures, and brutality. The plots center around grandiose raids, lavish weddings, and family dramas, showing the decline of this unique world in the fires of the revolution and the Civil War.