Contents: Introduction; Chapter One: The Evolution of the Lyric Hero; Stone; Tristia; Verses 1921-25; From Poetry to Prose; The End of the Novel; Westernizing Buddhism; The Nature of the World; Chapter Two: The Noise of Time: Literary Reminiscences of Russian Childhoods; Music and Memory; Thematic Patterns; Chapter Three: The Egyptian Stamp: Towards a New Prose; The Fire of Time; Associative Chains; Reading, Writing, Delirium; The Implicit Author; The Design of The Egyptian Stamp; Chapter Four: "Fourth Prose" And "Journey to Armenia": "Fourth Prose"; "Journey to Armenia"; Conclusion; Notes; Works Cited.

"...Isenberg has done Mandel'shtam scholarship a service." (SR)

"...his discussion of the structures, themes and problems of the prose remains balanced, lucid and accessible throughout... it (a future study) could not afford to neglect Isenberg's sensitive, important readings of Mandel'shtam's literary prose." (SEEJ)

"...tragt Wesentliches zum Verstandis einer schwierigen, experimentellen Prosa bei..." (KL)