▁dismiss al ▁of ▁a ▁huge ▁bulk ▁of ▁contemporary ▁Russian ▁authors ▁as ▁' s ell - outs '. ▁Bulgar in ▁in ▁his ▁letter ▁addressed ▁to ▁Alexander ▁von ▁Ben ck endor ff ▁( then ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Special ▁Corps ▁of ▁G end arm es ▁in ▁Imperial ▁Russia ) ▁even ▁de pl ored ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁" this ▁M .[ el gun ov ], ▁Ko enig ' s ▁prom p ter , ▁is ▁still ▁safe ▁and ▁well !" ▁ ▁Mel gun ov ▁the ▁pro sa ic ▁deb uted ▁with ▁K to ▁z he ▁on ? ▁( So ▁Who ' s ▁He ? ). ▁The ▁novel ▁published ▁by ▁T eles kop ▁in ▁October – Dec ember ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁was ▁influenced , ▁apparently , ▁by ▁Charles ▁M atur in ' s ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁Goth ic ▁novel ▁Mel m oth ▁the ▁W ander er ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁stories ▁by ▁E . T . A . ▁Hoff mann . ▁Three ▁years ▁later ▁it ▁was ▁included ▁into ▁a ▁two - volume ▁compilation ▁T ales ▁of ▁Tr uth ▁and ▁Fant asy ▁( Р а с ска зы ▁о ▁бы лом ▁и ▁не бы ва лом , ▁ 1 8 3 4 ) ▁which ▁also ▁included ▁short ▁nov els ▁Z im ny ▁ve cher ▁( W inter ▁Even ing ), ▁P ror och es ky ▁son ▁( Pro ph etic ▁Dream ) ▁and ▁Ly ub ov - v osp itat el ▁( L ove ▁the ▁Edu ca or ). ▁These ▁early ▁attempts ▁were ▁well