My Universities is an important autobiographical work by Maxim Gorky, one of the major figures of Russian literature. It forms the concluding volume of the autobiographical sequence that began with My Childhood and continued with In the World. Together, these works trace the formative experiences that shaped Gorky’s literary and intellectual development.

The title My Universities is deliberately metaphorical. Gorky’s “universities” were not conventional institutions of higher education. Instead, he presents the people he encountered, the jobs he performed, the hardships he experienced, and the social environments through which he passed as his real education. The work therefore places particular emphasis on learning through direct experience.

A major feature of the book is its portrayal of working-class and impoverished life in pre-revolutionary Russia. Gorky had extensive experience of manual labour and life among people from different social backgrounds, and these experiences became important sources for his literary understanding of society.

The book also provides insight into the development of Gorky’s intellectual interests. His encounters with different people and ideas contribute to his growing awareness of literature, philosophy, social conditions, and political questions. The narrative consequently functions both as an autobiography and as a record of intellectual formation.

Gorky’s autobiographical writing is particularly valuable for readers interested in Russian social history and literature. His personal experiences provide a literary perspective on the inequalities, working conditions, cultural life, and social relationships of the period. As with all autobiographical literature, the narrative should be read as the author’s own literary representation of his experiences rather than as a complete historical record.

The work also occupies an important position in the development of Russian literary realism and socially conscious literature. Gorky’s attention to ordinary people, poverty, labour, and social marginalization became characteristic features of much of his writing.

The supplied edition is described as a 1923 hardcover edition published by the Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, with 259 pages and dimensions of approximately 4.5 × 0.5 × 7 inches. Its early date, hardcover format, Russian publishing connection, and association with Gorky’s autobiographical writing make it particularly interesting to collectors.

• Title: My Universities
• Author: M. Gorky / Maxim Gorky
• Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow
• Edition: 1923
• Binding: Hardcover
• Pages: 259
• Size: 4.5 × 0.5 × 7 inches
• Language: English
• Genre: Autobiography / Russian Literature
• Part of: Gorky’s autobiographical trilogy
• Major Themes: Education through experience, poverty, labour, social class, self-development, Russian society
• Literary Context: Russian literature / early twentieth century
• Ideal for: Russian literature collectors, readers of autobiography, historians, and collectors of early Russian and Soviet-era publications

🔹 Collector’s Note

This 1923 hardcover edition of My Universities is an interesting historical-literary volume for collectors of Russian literature, autobiography, and early twentieth-century Russian publications. Gorky’s autobiographical trilogy is important for understanding both his literary development and the experiences that influenced his portrayal of ordinary people and social conditions. The supplied Moscow publishing imprint, early edition date, and hardcover format make this a particularly notable item for a collection of Russian literary works.