The Seven Days of Creation - Monday: A Traveler in Search of Himself

Jul 30, 2026

A biographical preface traces Vladimir Maximov’s life from his 1932 birth in Moscow to hardship after his father’s Stalin-era imprisonment and wartime death. It outlines his upbringing in children’s homes, early vocational training, and years as an itinerant worker across Russia. After settling in the Kuban, Maximov’s career in verse, short stories, novels, and theater is summarized, including later persecution and exile, before transitioning to the book’s Monday chapter framing: a traveler in search of himself.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages484

Reading Time12 h 25 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

MONDAY A Traveler in Search of Himself

TUESDAY The Cattle Drive

WEDNESDAY The Yard at the Midpoint of Heaven

THURSDAY Late Light

FRIDAY The Labyrinth

ADIM RIMOYThe seven Dayse ① # Penguin BooksThe Seven Days of Creation Vladimir Maximov,the son of a Moscow worker,was bornin 1932.His father was imprisoned under Stalin and laterkilled during the war and so he was forced to fend forhimself when only twelve.He was brought up in children'shomes and borstals,learning his first trade-bricklaying-in a school attached to a factory.From the age of eighteenhe travelled all over Russia as an itinerant worker,onceworking in the Taimyr diamond fields prospecting forprecious stones. In 1952 Maximov settled down in the Kuban and startedto write.His first book of verse was published in 1956 andhis first short story appeared in Pages from Tarusa,thefamous collection edited by Konstantin Paustovsky in1961.Four years later his novel Man Alive was made intoa play and produced by the Pushkin Theatre in Moscow.At this time Maximov moved to Moscow and published asuccession of stories,novels and plays,chiefly in the journal October,of which he was an editor,until in 1967 hisname was suddenly removed from the list of editorialboard members.Thus,Maximov sent his main novels,The Seven Days of Creation,The Quarantine and Farewellfrom Nowhere-the last two shortly to appear in English -for publication abroad.In 1973 he was expelled from theSoviet Writers'Union and in 1974 was unexpectedlypermitted to visit France,and then deprived of Sovietcitizenship. He is now living in Paris with his wife and daughter,working on his next novel and editing the journalKontinent. Vladimir Maximov # The Seven Daysof Creation Penguin Books Penguin Books Ltd,Harmondsworth,Middlesex,England Penguin Books,625 Madison Avenue,New York,New York 10022,U.S.A.Penguin Books Australia Ltd,Ringwood,Victoria,Australia Penguin Books Canada Ltd,2801 John Street,Markham,Ontario,Canada L3R 1B4 Penguin Books(N.Z.)Ltd,182-190 Wairau Road,Auckland 10,New Zealand Sem dnei tvoreniia first published in Germany 1971This translation published in Great Britain byWeidenfeld and Nicolson 1975Published in Penguin Books 1977 Copyright Possev-Verlag,V.Gorachek K.G.,1971Translation copyright Alfred A.Knopf,Inc.,1974All rights reserved Made and printed in Great Britain by C.Nicholls &Company LtdSet in Monotype Times Except in the United States of America,this book issold subject to the condition that it shall not,byway of trade or otherwise,be lent,re-sold,hired out,or otherwise circulated without the publisher's priorconsent in any form of binding or cover other thanthat in which it is published and without a similarcondition including this condition being imposed onthe subsequent purchaser Contents MONDAY A Traveler in Search of Himself 7 TUESDAY The Cattle Drive 85 WEDNESDAY The Yard at the Midpoint of Heaven 157 THURSDAY Late Light 251 FRIDAY The Labyrinth 333 # MONDAYA Traveler in Search of Himself

FAQs

Who is Vladimir Maximov, and what is his background?

Vladimir Maximov, born in 1932 in Moscow, faced severe hardship after his father was imprisoned and later killed in the war. He grew up in children’s homes and trained in bricklaying before working across Russia.

How does the document introduce The Seven Days of Creation?

It provides publication and copyright details for the Penguin Books edition and then lists the book’s contents by weekday, beginning with Monday.

What does the Monday chapter title indicate?

The chapter is titled “A Traveler in Search of Himself,” signaling a thematic focus on self-discovery through a journey narrative.

Jul 30, 2026

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