Post-Soviet Literature and the Search for a Russian Identity

Post-Soviet Literature and the Search for a Russian Identity examines Russian literature’s engagement in the negotiation of a Russian identity after the demise of communism. The book demonstrates that, in the context of growing national assertiveness, Russian writers have claimed more authoritative and politically committed stances in debates on Russia’s character, destiny, and place in the world. The book is unique in its in-depth analysis of works by both playful postmodernist authors and fanatical nationalist writers. It is sensitive to the acute social and political implications of contemporary Russian literature, but it also pays close attention to literary form: it documents the decline of postmodern styles, analyzes shifting metaphors for a “Russian identity crisis,” and traces the emergence of new forms of authorial ethos. For its methodology the study relies on a wide range of recent work on postcoloniality, trauma, and conspiracy thinking, and it endeavors to make these research fields productively available for post-Soviet studies.