Sang Hyun examines Aleksander Pushkin's artistic intention in his masterpiece and most well-known prose work, The Tales of Belkin (1831). The author explores the trajectories of the puzzle Pushkin created in the Belkin cycle by identifying and elucidating autobiographical, folklorist, and thematic elements. Drawing on both formalist and structuralist approaches to a literary work, Kim's analysis demonstrates how the five tales in the Belkin cycle are interwoven structurally and thematically. Kim's interpretation should help future readers understand the enigmatic meaning of Pushkin's stories created in the Belkin cycle.

"The research is impressive and Kim's work is firmly grounded in a wealth of material. Kim's own readings always take on board extant interpretations. And these readings are interesting and, in part, original." - The Russian Review, July 2009