Balzaminov's Marriage

The novel “The Wedding of Balzaminov” presents “pictures from Moscow life” about the adventures of a minor official dreaming of a wealthy bride. The amusing and awkward inner world of the protagonist is built from his naive and guileless reasoning—an entire life philosophy of “God-offended” people, deprived of talents “ordinary” folk. He is almost the folklore-like Ivan the fool from a Russian fairy tale. According to his loving mom, “God offended him a lot with his mind—didn’t give him abilities ‘neither for service, nor to anything.’” Three times Balzaminov is almost close to fulfilling his wishes, and three times fate laughs at him.

In the first part, his fiancée’s household throws him out with the words: “Come in! We’re bored without fools.” In the second part, when kicking him out, they remind him of the somewhat rude proverb about “our” and “other” dogs. And in the third—“Such a fool was placed on him that, it seems, it would be easier to fall straight through the ground.” By the proverb “fools are happy,” luck finally favors the poor Balzaminov at the end…