Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Critical models, committed readers, and three Russian ideas; 2. Heroes and their plots; 3. Traditional narratives; 4. Western eyes on Russian realities: the eighteenth century; 5. The astonishing nineteenth century: Romanticisms; 6. Realisms: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov; 7. Symbolist and modernist world-building: three cities, three novels, and the devil; 8. The Stalin years: socialist realism, anti-Fascist fairy tales, wilderness; 9. Coming to terms and seeking other terms: from the First Thaw (1956) to the end of the millennium; Postscript: the Russian word in a fluid world; Notes; Pronunciations and definitions of Russian words, proper names, and place names occurring in the text (with first occurrence noted); The Russian literary canon in English; Guide to further reading.

Promotional Information

An engaging overview of the Russian literary tradition, with a glossary and guide to further reading.

About the Author

Caryl Emerson is A. Watson Armour III Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University.

Reviews

'Apart from the advanced beginner, there are many other categories of reader who will derive profit and enjoyment from this book. … you will embark on a literary tour … that challenges preconceived notions and liberates the imagination.' Modern Language Review