An Anthology of Russian Women's Writing, 1777-1992

by Catriona Kelly et al., Catriona Kelly et al. (Translator)

This is the first systematic historical anthology of Russian women's writing to appear in any language. It provides a radically new sense of the development of Russian women's writing over the last 200 years, including important texts by well-known writers such as Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Elena
Shvarts, and Olga Sedakova, as well as introducing outstanding works by lesser-known authors such as Sofya Soboleva, Olga Shapir, Mariya Shkapskaya, Anna Barkova, and Vera Merkureva. All translations have been commissioned for this volume and poetry is presented in the original Russian as well as in
English.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Russian Literature, Anthologies, Short Stories

562 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 1994

Reviews

[Stephen A. Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read Olga Shapir’s “The Settlement” but will read other works in this Anthology.

The Settlement is the poorest part of (St.) Petersburg and here we follow the lives and stresses of Fedya, a young boy studying at a gimnaziya (gymnasium or high school) along with more privileged boys, and his older sister and primary supporter, Dunyasha. Also in the family are a father (often drunk) and a little sister, Lizka. The family led by Dunyasha have invested in and sacrificed for Fedva’s education, and this potentially offers a way out of poverty for the family, and new opportunities for both Fedva and his younger sister in particular. Fedva is struggling while he prepares for his exams. While he studies hard, and frequently late in got the night, he has anxieties about upcoming exams, fearing he will fail and be held back a year. The story focuses on with family dynamics and both the class structure (its rigidity) and class struggles and relationships within the city, and within the Settlement. Very well written and easy to read.