false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172523825m/184915.jpg 184915 5 Steeped in the social and religious culture of prerevolutionary Russia, Andrey Bely's first novel is inspired by theosophy, the myth of Dionysus, and the author's own thoughts on the relationship between artistic and religious creation. The story of an idle intellectual who pursues transcendence, The Silver Dove is also Bely's study of the unbridgeable chasm between his country's Westernized intelligentsia and the mysterious, apocalyptic passions of its peasants.<p>Dissatisfied with the life of the intellectual, the poet Daryalsky joins a rural mystic sect, the Silver Doves. The locals, and in particular the peasant woman Matryona, are fascinated by the dashing stranger. Daryalsky is taken in by the Doves' intimacy with the mystical and spiritual -- and by Matryona. Under the influence of the cult leader, the carpenter Kudeyarov, Daryalsky is ruthlessly used in a bid to produce a sacred child -- a dove who will "descend on silvered plummage" and usher in a new age.<p>Bely, fascinated by the theosophical beliefs of the nineteenth century, places his hero at the center of a cycle in which elements of the past are eternally present, suggesting a parallel between Daryalsky and the figures of Dionysus and Christ. In time, Daryalsky disappoints the Doves and must face their all-too-mortal suspicions and jealousies, as well as his own doubts. As the story concludes, Bely invokes the primitive rituals of the bacchanals -- and the symbols of the Crucifixion -- to reveal Daryalsky's dire fate. 2463017 1974 The Silver Dove total:13|5:4|4:4|3:3|2:1|1:1| 13 48 24 2 2 0 false false Thu Jun 05 13:14:27 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 14 14:36:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 1976 Sat Aug 04 18:52:45 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 04 20:08:21 -0700 2007 St. Petersburg. A Russian intellectual falls under the spell of what you might call a peasant savant. (There seemed to be a lot of them about in prerevolutionary Russia, the most famous, of course, being Rasputin.) Unfortunately, I haven't a great deal ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jul 17 09:35:29 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 09:35:29 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sat May 09 08:37:18 -0700 2009 Sat May 09 08:37:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Mar 25 01:05:45 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 01:05:45 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Feb 28 04:06:27 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 28 04:06:37 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Feb 09 09:55:16 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 09:55:16 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Jan 27 22:26:48 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 22:26:48 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Fri Jan 09 13:02:57 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 09 13:02:57 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Jan 02 12:26:35 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 02 12:26:38 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 12 20:45:04 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 12 20:45:04 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sun Mar 30 16:20:00 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 30 16:20:00 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Mon Mar 24 10:46:44 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 06 10:42:08 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed Mar 12 02:54:09 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 07 22:12:48 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed Jan 30 22:06:47 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 30 22:06:51 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Mon Jan 28 10:56:14 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 10:56:25 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Mon Dec 31 01:37:02 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 31 01:37:02 -0800 2007 5 0 false false Thu Dec 20 17:41:29 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 20 17:41:29 -0800 2007 0 0 false false Sat Nov 10 07:52:29 -0800 2007 Sat Nov 10 07:52:35 -0800 2007 3 0 false false Tue Jun 26 08:40:30 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 26 08:40:30 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=184915