 First edition | |
| Author | Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin |
|---|---|
| Original title | Исторiя одного города |
| Language | Russian |
| Genre | Satirical novel, political novel |
| Publisher | Otechestvennye Zapiski |
Publication date | 1870 |
| Publication place | Russia |
The History of a Town (pre-reform Russian: Исторiя одного города; post-reform Russian: История одного города, romanized: Istoriya odnogo goroda), also translated as Foolsburg: The History of a Town, is a 1870 novel by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. The plot presents the history of the town of Glupov, which may be translated as the "town of fools", a grotesque microcosm of the Russian Empire. Written during the period of the "Great Reforms" in the 19th century Russia, it was neglected for a long time and rediscovered only in the 20th century.[1] It is regarded by critics as the author's masterpiece and sometimes even compared to Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.[2]