A stickler for a dozen years

Eduard Vilde’s Collected Works   

Vilde dedicated the last period of his life to copyediting his work for the publication of collected works. The twelve years (1921-1933) of dull and exacting work did not give the writer time to write anything new and made his weak eyes worse. In addition to problems with his health he was exhausted by conflicts and failures to find a publisher for his colossal project. Finally his collected works were published by the publishing houses Varrak (1923-1926) and Loodus (1929-1935). The collection containing 33 volumes was an extraordinarily giant task, expensive and labour-consuming indeed. It was finally made possible by the state loan to his publishers.

Vilde made a rather strict selection of his work, especially that of his earlier stories and feuilletons. He aimed at modernising the language of his texts, also making the stories more logical. He did not change the peculiarities and colour even if it had become outdated, he expected it to show his development as a writer.

His wife Linda was his best helpmate. Up to 1923 when Vilde lived in Germany, it was his wife who negotiated with the publishers. The spouses kept up a lively and businesslike correspondence. When pressed for time, Vilde asked his wife to help also with correction. At the end of October 1933 Vilde was able to sum up, “I am content that I have achieved as much and can now lay aside the correcting pen. I need to find out how much energy I have retained for new work.” (Collected Works, vol.33, 1935). Two months later the writer died.