TRANSLATED BY ROBERT & ELIZABETH CHANDLER & OLGA MEERSONPlatonov&s dystopian novel describes the lives of a group of Soviet workers who believe they are laying the foundations for a radiant future As they work harder & dig deeper their optimism turns to violence & it becomes clear that what is being dug is not a foundation pit but an immense grave This new translation by Robert & Elizabeth Chandler & Olga Meerson is based on the definitive edition recently published by Pushkin House in Leningrad All previous translations were done from a seriously bowdlerized text Robert Chandler is also the translator of Vasily Grossman&s Life & Fate The American scholar Olga Meerson has written extensively on Pushkin Dostoevsky Platonov & many other Russian authors