"Simon Franklin, Rebecca Reich and Emma Widdis provide a multifaceted account of the 'contested space' of Russian literature that is up-to-the-minute both chronologically and theoretically - an account no current student of the subject can do without, and no future historian can ignore" - Boris Dralyuk, Times Literary Supplement
This is the essential new guide to Russian literature, published in December 2024, combining authority and innovation in coverage ranging from medieval manuscripts to the internet and social media. With contributions from thirty-four world-leading scholars, it offers a fresh approach to literary history, not as one integral narrative but as multiple parallel histories.
The book presents a groundbreaking model for writing literary history, following four parallel strands that tell a story of Russian literature according to a defined criterion: Movements, Mechanisms, Forms and Heroes. At the same time, six clusters of shorter themed essays suggest additional perspectives and criteria for further study and research. In dialogue, these histories invite a multiplicity of readings, both within and across the narrative strands, displaying a polyphony of diverse perspectives and challenging monolithic notions of literary history. In an age of shifting perspectives on Russia, and on national literatures more widely, this open but accessible and easily navigable volume enables readers to engage with both traditional literary concerns and radical re-conceptualisations of Russian history and culture.
Hardback