How Gogol*Explains the Post-Soviet World
Here is an intriguing notion from a political science wonk: in order to understand the former Soviet Union, you need only go back to the 19th century and immerse yourself in the masters of Russian literature. Forget those poli sci textbooks - you will find no insight there. Instead, view a production of The Cherry Orchard, dust off your copies of Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov. And pay special attention to that brilliant satirist, Nikolai Gogol. In the March/April issue of Foreign Policy, Thomas de Waal, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, shows how modern day life in Russia, Georgia and Ukraine imitates art in How Gogol*Explains the Post-Soviet World. It is a thought provoking premise, and totally true.
Which brings me to Elif Batuman’s fine book of essays (referenced in the article) The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them, which I’d been meaning to blog about. Really it’s more of a love letter to Russian literature, and a very funny one at that. If you love Russian literature (and who doesn’t?!) I urge you to read Batuman’s book.
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