From the pen of Walter Benjamin, a major figure in German literature and criticism, comes this revealing diary of his observations of Russian life during December 1926 and January 1927. Not only does he record thoughts on Moscow's cultural crisis and daily life, but he also affords readers a glimpse into his own emotionally unstable life and his relatiosnhips with a reluctant mistress and playwright Bernhard Reich.  (RUS41, $21.50)