Letter to Anna Ulyanova, March 9, 1909

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March 9, 1909

Dear Anyuta,

I arrived in Paris yesterday evening (after a splendid holiday in Nice) and read your letter of the 16th.

I am sending corrections to signatures 10 and 11 of the made-up pages. Only two are of importance. The title of Bogdanov’s book is Empiric-monism and not Empirio-criticism. This misprint mustbe given special prominence in the list of errata if it is too late to correct it[1] (I do not know whether you received my postcard from Nice—I sent two from there—in which I mentioned this misprint). The other is on page 170, line 9 from the top—in the quotation from Plekhanov the word “amy” is unnecessary.

As regards giving the proofs to someone else—you are right, of course, to take all the necessary steps, because it would have been extremely difficult to combine such painstaking and tedious work with the job of nursing Mother. I can only express my amazement that the last proofs could be exemplary under such working conditions.

It is most important to me to get the book out as quickly as possible. There has been a very great delay. It will be unfortunate if it does not come out by March 15 (O.S.)! As far as breach of contract is concerned, I don’t know whether you can make a claim. I doubt it. And is it worth while spoiling relations with the publisher irrevocably? It is not.

Is the absence of proofs in recent days due partially to your having stopped sending them on account of my trip? I hope that, and not a delay in setting and printing, is the reason. Please send everything now.

I see from Mitya’s letter that Mother’s health is improving. At last! Many kisses for Mother and very best regards to all.

Yours,

V. U.

P.S. Please do not tone down the places against Bogdanov and against Lunacharsky’s popovshchina. We have completely broken off relations with them. There is no reason for toning them down, it is not worth the trouble.

P.S. Give the “writer” a thousand thanks for consenting to help. It seems, after all, he is a real Marxist and not a “Marxist for an hour” like some others. Immediately present him with a copy of my book in my name.[2]

  1. ↑ The misprint was corrected in a list of errata at the back of the book.—Ed.
  2. ↑ There follows, in the original, a list of the misprints.—Ed.