18th-century popular novel

[Matthew Herrington]

Dear all,

I am searching for some info. on a popular novel, Guak, ili nepreoborimaia
vernost', rytsarskaia povest', first published in Moscow in 1789. The book was
apparently quite popular throughout the 19th century and was reprinted many
times.  Despite the book's popularity I'm having a hard time finding anything out
about it's origins.  I've check Svodnyi Katalog, Sipovskii, etc. and have
come up with no more than codicological info.  Jeffrey Brooks discusses it very
briefly in When Russia Learned to Read and groups it with several other novels
with Western origins.  Does anyone have any idea if this tale is a
translation, adaptation, or pure invention?  Does the character Guak appear in other
works of the 18-19th century?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Matthew Herrington

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