Thirty-Three Abominations and the Devil

by Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal

Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal (1866-1907) was a Russian prose writer and dramatist. Zinovieva-Annibal was associated with the Silver Age of Russian Poetry. She hosted a literary salon, 'The Tower', with her husband, the poet Viacheslav Ivanov. Her short novel Thirty-Three Abominations was one of the few works of its day to openly discuss lesbianism.

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, Russia, Classics, LGBT, Russian Literature

98 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

Lydia Dmitrievna Zinovieva-Annibal (Russian: Лидия Дмитриевна Зиновьева-Аннибал) (1866–1907) was a Russian prose writer and dramatist.

Zinovieva-Annibal was associated with the Silver Age of Russian Poetry. She hosted a literary salon, 'The Tower', with her husband, the poet Viacheslav Ivanov. Her short novel Tridsat'-tri uroda (Thirty-Three Abominations) was one of the few works of its day to openly discuss lesbianism.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[lena]

lesbians

[Yiorgos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not a masterpiece. But she wrote it with a fierceness that rivals that of her contemporaries, those fiery young men and women who made up what today is called "the Russian Silver Age". I am indeed stunned this early sapphic tale hasn't been discovered in recent years by lgbt groups, what with Russia becoming a leading force in worldwide homophobia. It's worth taking the short time to read it and marvel at the groundbreaking unapologetic tone in those erotically charged diary entries.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the earliest works in Russian literature to discuss lesbianism: It follows a well-trod, path for one of its lovers but manages to feel more defiant than hopeless. Don't recommend it if you're tired of (spoiler alert)

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dead lesbians, but her Tragic Menagerie, another unicorn of early 20th century Russian literature, is a favorite. I hope more of her work is translated in future.

Note: The edition above is in Russian (I mistakenly ordered a copy and was...surprised). I was finally able to track down the only English translation in a 1970s anthology The Silver Age of Russian Literature.

[Bea B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get acquainted to the author's writing style but it works really well nonetheless. Oh my god. I see traces of Carmilla and Dorian Gray here...fantastic. The queer themes here were definitely what drove me to read this short story in the first place and they were so interestingly pulled off in this. So haunting, so beautiful yet violent, tragic, drowning in a feeling of dread and impending doom which haunts the entire narrative. Fantastic give me 14 of those right now.

[Nott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Это не смерть по канону голливудскому, это настоящая русская смерть.

[BakaRena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very bold for its time.

[sasha pohorelov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it casual now?

[kfiwzp · Rating 4 out of 5]

«– Там все не я, потому что в тебе я вся. И больше нигде меня нет.» 💔