The book does not follow the decline model often used in accounts of the. Literature, area studies, european literature, european studies. The blossoming of russian culture in the 18th century. This course explores masterpieces at all levelscharacters, plots, scenes, and sometimes even single sentences.
Though they differ in style, together they bring accessibility to one of the most complex countries in the world. Yet, one should not forget about the riches of folk creativity, the vivid source of primordial knowledge and inspiration for men of letters and thinkers of all times. Ignat solzhenitsyn renowned conductor and pianist, and son of the late russian novelist aleksandr solzhenitsyn will speak at the university of notre dame for the launch of the first english translation of his fathers memoir, between two millstones, book 1. Each of the ten works of fiction below is an acknowledged classic of russian literature. Svetlana alexievich, nobel laureate of russian misery, has. Book appeared in russia in the form of a sacred scripture, thus determining the place and role of literature in the history of russian culture. Lolita is a 1955 novel written by russianamerican novelist vladimir nabokov. Great works of russian literature everyone should read. Gorevs essay russian literature and the jews by v le vovrogachevskiii and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Waliszewski 2010, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. A superb history of russian literature, one that surely will reign as the standard history for years and decades. It belongs in the library of every teacher and every serious student of russina literature. Svetlana alexievich, the 2015 winner of the nobel prize in literature, whose book secondhand time, an oral history of postsoviet russia, is being released in english.
The history addresses major continuities and discontinuities in the history of russian literature across all periods, and in particular bring out transhistorical features that contribute to the notion of a national literature. A digital companion to russian literature read russia online is a curated hypermedia resource for the discovery and study of russian literature. A compilation of mirskys a history of russian literature from the earliest times to the death of dostoyevsky combined with the first two chapters of his contemporary russian literature, 18811925. V kuskov and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The decade beginning with stalins ascendancy in the late 1920s was one of unprecedented repression. An odd characteristic of russian literature is that the first novel to appear in the vernacular was not an original work but a translation from the french and not until the 18th century. Five chronological parts by design unfold in diachronic histories. Professor irwin weil, a passionate and illuminating teacher, has chosen a rich sampling of russias greatest writers, based on his 50year love affair with the language and its literature. The first work of sixteenthcentury russian polemics was a book written at the very beginning of the century that. Russian literature, the body of written works produced in the russian language, beginning with the christianization of kievan rus in the late 10th century the unusual shape of russian literary history has been the source of numerous controversies. Which 19thcentury poet, novelist, and playwright is widely considered the father of modern russian literature. The russian and eastern euro literature book club of dc. Terras divides russian literature after the revolution into emigre and soviet writing, and he demonstrates how the latter acted as a propaganda tool of the. The 18th century was the golden age for russian literature. Though they differ in style, together they bring accessibility to one of the most complex countries in. The volume covers the entire span of russian literature, from the middle ages to the postsoviet period, and explores all the forms that have made it so famous.
Russian literature, japanese mediation, and the formation of modern korean literature harvard university asia center, 2016. Translations forgotten history investigates the meanings and functions that translation generated for modern national literatures during their. The routledge companion to russian literatureis an engaging and accessible guide to russian writing of the past thousand years. Buy this book this encyclopedic, invaluable survey captures the full sweep of russian. This remains the best history of russian literature. Oct 12, 2018 the history addresses major continuities and discontinuities in the history of russian literature across all periods, and in particular bring out transhistorical features that contribute to the notion of a national literature. The volumes timerange has the merit of identifying from the early modern period a vital set of national stereotypes.
Russian literature has always been inseparable from russian history. Behind the diverse landmark works such as the poem ruslan and ludmila, the play boris godunov, and the novel in verse yevgeny onegin, pushkin launched russian literature into its golden era during the 1800s. Sound in judgment, luminescent, and exquisitely written, mirskys book is essential reading for anyone interested in one of the worlds great literatures. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Fictionwriting in russia has always been serious business. A history of russian literature, from its beginnings to. The main type of old russian historical literature were chronicles, most of them anonymous. What makes the russian literature of the 19th century so distinctive. A history of russian literature from its beginnings. Ivan fyodorov and pyotr mstislavets printed the first exactly dated book, apostle, in 1564. Cizevskij, dmitrij, history of russian literature, from the eleventh century to the end of the baroque the hague, 1960.
Russian literature 371 russian literature from its. Existing web resources russian and english read russia. Lolita is a 1955 novel written by russian american novelist vladimir nabokov. A history of russian literature northwestern university press. Ideals and realities in russian literature, and russian literature. May 19, 2016 assistant professor heekyoung cho published a book, translations forgotten history.
In a society without freedom, the great writers were the truthtellers, the voice of the voiceless, and the conscience of a nationa second government, as alexander solzhenitsyn once put it. During his lifetime, he was a soldier, a lecturer at kings college, london. Russia received christianity from byzantium rather than from rome, a fact of decisive importance for the development of russian culture. If you want to know which writers you may want to read based on the ones you already like, try our interactive graph on who is who in the russian literature. By presenting works of prose and poetry within networks of images, videos, audio files, historical documents, and scholarly commentary, our website offers the englishspeaking audience a dynamic. History of russian literature yale university press. This book club is for anyone interested in reading and discussing russian authors contemporary and classic. Russian literature refers to the literature of russia and its emigres and to russianlanguage. Clancy, laurie, the novels of vladimir nabokov new york, 1984. Russian literature is devoted to the description of unsuccessful love affairs. Mirsky was born in russia and died in siberian prison camp in the late 1930s. Russian literature is a great way to discover more about the russian culture and learn about the russian ways of thinking, feeling, fighting and loving. Francine prose and benjamin moser discuss the great russian writers. Russian literature refers to the literature of russia and its emigres and to russian language.
Russia possesses one of the richest and most admired literatures of europe, reaching back to the eleventh century. Mirskys book is essential reading for anyone interested in russian literature. Well begin with the origins of modern russian lit in the 19th century and move through key works of russian imperial, soviet, and contemporary literature as well as some lesserknown gems by writers that include. A history of russian literature paperback january 26, 1994 by victor terras author visit amazons victor terras page. Jun 19, 2018 russia possesses one of the richest and most admired literatures of europe, reaching back to the eleventh century. Three major and sudden breaks divide it into four periodsprepetrine or old russian, imperial, postrevolutionary, and postsoviet. Nov 30, 2014 an odd characteristic of russian literature is that the first novel to appear in the vernacular was not an original work but a translation from the french and not until the 18th century.
As of 2011, russia was the fourth largest book producer in the world in terms of published titles. Notre dame to launch first english translation of solzhenitsyn memoir at fall conference. The kievan period so called because kiev was the seat of the grand princes extends from the christianization of russia in 988 to the conquest of russia by the tatars mongols in the th century. Mirsky constantly keeps in mind the evercolorful and everchanging aspects of the. Russian literature history and great russian writers. Assistant professor heekyoung cho published a book, translations forgotten history. Waliszewski english hardcover book free sh history of russian literature by k. From early mongol invasions to tsarist regimes to ages of enlightenment and industrialization to revolutions and wars, russia is known not. From its beginnings to 1900 contains all of the authors history of russian literature and the first two chapters of his contemporary russian literature. The invention of book printing was an important development for russia. Their translation of chekhov stories even recommends mirskys section on checkhov. Terras traces a rich literary heritage that encompasses russian folklore of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, medieval literature that in style and substance drew on the byzantine tradition, and literature of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when russia passed through a succession of literary schoolsneoclassicism.
The novel is notable for its controversial subject. For example, the leading translators of russian literature, pevear and volokhonsky, make use of mirskys history. Mirsky was, indeed, a contemporary historian of some of the greatest writers of fiction. Each week in bookends, two writers take on questions about the world of books. This book originated in a series of eight lectures on russian literature during the nineteenth century which i delivered in march, 1901, at the lowell institute, in boston. Russian literature and history archives notre dame. Russian literature russian literature the stalin era.
A leading russian literary critic of the 20th century viktor shklovsky, in his book, zoo, or letters not about love, wrote, russian literature has a bad tradition. Russian literature custom designed book set juniper books. The cambridge history of russian literature edited by. Russian literature russian literature the kievan period. Here we introduce the most prominent and interesting russian writers. Surprisingly, terras history turns out to be an enjoyable bedside booknot a volume to be consulted for reference, but rather a leisurely tour through russian literature from its beginnings. What makes the russian literature of the 19th century so. History of russian literature dimitris cizevskij, dmitrij. The cambridge history of russian literature edited by charles moser. Oct 16, 2014 fictionwriting in russia has always been serious business. Pushkin, goncharov, gogol, tolstoy, dostoevsky, babel, bulgakov, and nabokov. Picador october 17, 2003 nikolai vasilevich gogol, the complete tales of nikolai gogol volume 1 paperback tr.
This books is a classic exploration of russian literature that has had a great deal of impact on the teaching and understanding of russian literature. Kahn, andrew, lipovetsky, mark, reyfman, irina, sandler, stephanie. Heekyoung cho publishes translations forgotten history. A history of russian literature provides a comprehensive account of russian writing from its earliest origins in the monastic works of kiev up to the present day, still rife with the creative experiments of postsoviet literary life. Russian history is rife with tension between politics and culture, and there are no better historians of these struggles than the authors who risked censorship and exile to create the nations literary canon. In the sixteenth century in russia a new type of literature became widespread, namely, works dealing with current political issues, or, to use a later term, polemical works. A history of russian literature covers the beginning of russian fiction, the age of classicism, the age of gogol, and the poets, journalists, novelists, and playwrights of the age of realism. The history of russian literature provides a comprehensive account of russian. The history of russian literature provides a comprehensive account of russian writing from its earliest origins in the monastic works of kiev up to the present day, still rife with the creative experiments of postsoviet literary life. Russian literature famously probes the depths of the human soul. Victor terras this magisterial work, written by one of the worlds foremost slavic scholars, presents a survey of russian literature from its beginnings in the eleventh century to modern times. The war in the countryside to enforce the collectivization of agriculture cost more than 10 million lives, about half of them by starvation.