This Norton will appeal to readers new to Babel but also to those who have read his creative fiction and want to know more.
Freidin offers in the volume a wonderfully lively introduction describing Babel's place in Russian literature--not really the most un-intense of traditions. The intro likewise shows how the intensity of Babel's stories, and the personal myth they projected, intertwined with the author's life. From war reporter to loverboy to buffoon to gulag prisoner, Babel lived stories as mind-blowing as his writings.
The bold and original organization of the volume reflects this intertwining of life and art. Freidin moves from fictional stories to actual war reportage to diary and back to fiction again. The order works smoothly as it is arranged both by chronology and theme. He ends the volume with a few letters and foundational critical pieces.
Intros to entries and sections are brief but give just enough context and background to whet the appetite even further. Notes are minimal but useful. The more you read, the more you get caught up in the drama and fate of Babel's life and works.