The Golden Rooster, Raffi, translated by Donald Abcarian (softcover)

The Golden Rooster is the second and most popular in a trilogy of novels by Raffi, the celebrated Armenian novelist of the nineteenth century, focusing on the ethos and social significance of the traditional Armenian merchant class in the Caucasus. With this trilogy, Raffi sought to “tear away the mask of gold” covering the faces of those powerful merchants and lay bare for all to see the trickery and moral bankruptcy that was at the heart of their success. At the same time, he sought to suggest a more honorable course for a new generation of merchants, young men willing and able to make a genuine contribution to the larger interests of Armenian society. This is the first translation of the novel into English.