Literature in Post-Communist Russia and Eastern Europe: The Russian, Czech and Slovak Fiction of the Changes 1988-98 (Basees Curzon Series on Russian & East European Studies)

This book considers Russian, Czech and Slovak fiction in the late communist and early post-communist periods. It focuses on the most innovative trend to emerge in this period, on those writers who, during and after the collapse of communism, characterised themselves as 'liberators' of literature. It shows how these writers in their fiction and critical work reacted against the politicisation of literature by Marxist-Leninist and dissident ideologues, rejecting the conventional perception of literature as moral teacher, and redefining the nature and purpose of writing. The book demonstrates how this quest, enacted in the works of these writers, served for many critics and readers as a metaphor for the wider disorientation and crisis precipitated by the collapse of communism. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 1 The fiction of the Changes: context and reception......Page 14 2 Deaths of authors......Page 36 3 Giving a shape to oneŁs fate......Page 50 4 Subverting realism: TatŁiana Tolstaia, DuŁan Mitana......Page 70 5 Writing as being: Ji’i Kratochvil, Zuzana Brabcová, Daniela Hodrová, Michal Ajvaz, Jáchym Topol......Page 91 6 Empty words: Vladimir Sorokin, Ján Litvák, Ivan Koleni‹......Page 126 7 Learning to live with emptiness......Page 147 Conclusion: to speak or not to speak......Page 174 Notes......Page 179 Bibliography......Page 190 Index......Page 201 The Fiction Of The Changes : Context And Reception -- Deaths Of Authors : Venedikt Erofeev, Bohumil Hrabal, Pavel Vilikovský -- Giving A Shape To One's Fate : Evgenii Popov, Petr Placák, Peter Pišt'anek -- Subverting Realism : Tat'iana Tolstaia, Dušan Mitana -- Writing As Being : Jiři Kratochvil, Zuzana Brabcová, Daniela Hodrová, Michal Ajvaz, Jáchym Topol -- Empty Words : Vladimir Sorokin, Ján Litvák, Ivan Kolenič -- Learning To Live With Emptiness : Viktor Pelevin, Václav Kahuda, Vlado Balla -- Conclusion : To Speak Or Not To Speak. Rajendra A. Chitnis. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [168]-189) And Index. The fiction of the Changes : context and reception Deaths of authors : Venedikt Erofeev, Bohumil Hrabal, Pavel Vilikovský Giving a shape to one's fate : Evgenii Popov, Petr Placák, Peter Pitanek The subversion of realism : Aleksandr Ivanchenko, Tat'iana Tolstaia, Duan Mitana Writing as being : Jirí Kratochvil, Zuzana Brabcová, Daniela Hodrová, Michal Ajvaz, Jáchym Topol Empty words : Vladimir Sorokin, Ján Litvák, Ivan Kolenic Learning to live with emptiness : Viktor Pelevin, Václav Kahuda, Vlado Balla Conclusion : to speak or not to speak. This book considers Russian, Czech and Slovak fiction in the late communist and early post-communist periods, focusing on the most innovative trend in this period, on those writers who characterised themselves as 'liberators' of literature