Gorky’s play Na dne [The Lower Depths], first performed in 1902, is universally known in the English speaking world by this translated title, now rather dated and misleading in its connotations. In German it was rendered as the Nachtasyl [Night Shelter, 1903], while the versions in English and French [Les Bas-fonds, 1936] are evidently linked. Gorky toyed with several titles, some of which have surfaced in various American translations, including “Without the Sun” [Bez solntsa], “On the Bottom of Life” [Na dne zhizni], before finally settling, on Leonid Andreev’s advice, for the …
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Citation: Marsh, Cynthia. "Na dne". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 April 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=20674, accessed 21 November 2024.]