J.Leatherbarrow's latest contribution toDostoevsky studies, the demonic inDostoevsky's fiction, may seem likean obvious and oft-examined one, but Leatherbarrow has produced a fine, thorough volume that not only draws together and consolidates existing scholarship but also elaborates on andmoves beyond it with some strong assertions of itsown. (Northwestern University Press Studies inRussian Literature and Theory) Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL HELEN GALBRAITH A Devil's Vaudeville: The Demonic in Dostoevsky's Major Fiction. This book will be of interest to awide range ofRussian cultural scholars, offeringboth a valuable introduction to the subject of Pushkin's legacy and also detailed insights in specific areas, particularly with regard tovisual culture. In her discussions of both thegeneral and the specific, Sandler displays a superla tive knowledge of a broad subject area, drawing on a wealth of both primary and secondary sources and presenting research which is both scrupulous and thorough. There is also little about thewider political and social contexts inwhich these tributeswere written, which might have revealed much about their significant impact on the creation (and re-creation) of thePushkin myth. Although these three chapters are rich in detail and analytical comment, it seems disappointing thatSandler does not reflect in any detail on what the reactions of these particular writers reveal about the remembrance and legacy ofPushkin more generally. The final three chapters then focus on literary reactions to Pushkin, consi dering Pushkin-inspired works byMarina Tsvetaeva, Anna Akhmatova, and Andrei Bitov. Five filmsare considered in detail, all from the I980s and i99os: Little Tragedies (i 980), The Last Road (1986), Keep Me Safe, My Talisman (I986), My Favourite Time (I987), and Side Whiskers (I990). The fourth chapter focuses on themedium of film, examining its 'potential to buttress but also critique officialPushkin myths' (p. Sandler examines theways inwhich Pushkin's image was used to foster a sense of national identity,as the organizers of each celebration sought tomould Pushkin into a rolemodel appropriate to the contemporary climate. Chapter 3 focuses on anniversary commemorations, although itprovides a rather distorted view by focusing only on Soviet and post-Soviet events.
Sandler looks at theways in which artefacts and Pushkinian lyrics are used tobring visitors closer to the 'spirit' of Pushkin, and thus facilitate theact of remembrance. Chapter 2 considers themuseums which memorialize Pushkin, with par ticular emphasis on those atBoldino andMikhailovskoe. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Ģ96 Reviews of people who actually knew and loved Pushkin, and thus provide an interesting con trast to later case studies, which all arise frommore 'artificial' and distant memories of thepoet.
0 kommentar(er)
