Russian Literature

Cultural History of Literature (Politiy)

by Andrew Baruch Wachtel, Ilya Vinitsky

For most English-speaking readers, Russian literature consists of a small number of individual writers - nineteenth-century masters such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Turgenev - or a few well-known works - Chekhov's plays, Brodsky's poems, and perhaps Master and Margarita and Doctor Zhivago from the twentieth century. The medieval period, as well as the brilliant tradition of Russian lyric poetry from the eighteenth century to the present, are almost completely terra incognita, as are the complex prose experiments of Nikolai Gogol, Nikolai Leskov, Andrei Belyi, and Andrei Platonov. Furthermore, those writers who have made an impact are generally known outside of the contexts in which they wrote and in which their work has been received. In this engaging book, Andrew Baruch Wachtel and Ilya Vinitsky provide a comprehensive, conceptually challenging history of Russian literature, including prose, poetry and drama. Each of the ten chapters deals with a bounded time period from medieval Russia to the present. In a number of cases, chapters overlap chronologically, thereby allowing a given period to be seen in more than one context. To tell the story of each period, the authors provide an introductory essay touching on the highpoints of its development and then concentrate on one biography, one literary or cultural event, and one literary work, which serve as prisms through which the main outlines of a given period?s development can be discerned. Although the focus is on literature, individual works, lives and events are placed in broad historical context as well as in the framework of parallel developments in Russian art and music.

Genres: Russia, Russian Literature, History

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wachtel and Vinitsky have aimed to provide a full scope of Russian literature and have considered a vast number of authors and works both revered and forgotten. The authors wish to ‘provide a comprehensive challenging history of Russian literature… from medieval Rus’ to the present’.

Both authors cite that Russian literature is part of a ‘complex cultural process’. They believe that contrary to other countries, in Russia ‘the relationship between literature in general and its most significant producers in particular with the state remained close and highly salient’. They stress that ‘literature was frequently the primary medium for political discussion in Russia, as well as the locus for much of the country’s significant philosophical thought’.

Each work which Wachtel and Vinitsky discuss has been placed into the historical context in which it was written. Every chapter begins with a thoughtful introduction explaining the main points of the historical context which is then dealt with in detail during the rest of the chapter. Quotes from sources such as political newspapers which further illustrate points have been included in full. There are also several illustrations throughout which further reinforce the points that Wachtel and Vinitsky make.

The authors included span from the illustrious Pushkin, Tolstoy and Chekhov to the less well-known Viazemsky and Zhukovsky. Biographies of many authors have been included throughout to further emphasise the conditions in which they were writing and how the world around them influenced their work.

Russian Literature is part of Polity Press’ ‘Cultural History of Literature’ series. It includes a chronology which outlines the most important events in Russian history, beginning in the year 862 and continuing to 2006. The book itself is split into different sections which deal with such aspects as Russian culture and national identity in various periods, as well as modernism, the avant-garde and Russian ‘Thaw’ culture.

Overall, Russian Literature is a well written and not too complex account of the wide span of novels and poetry to come out of Russia’s distinct political and social climate. It is an interesting read and is certainly an accessible book for students.

[Inez Bondestam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denna är nu såld och läste inte klart hela...men två tredjedelar var välskrivet och intressant XD

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful! adeptly melds the artistic milieu and russian history.