Confronting Dostoevsky's Demons: Anarchism and the Specter of Bakunin in Twentieth-century RussiaAlthough criticized at one time for its highly tendentious spirit, Dostoevsky's Demons (1871-1872) has proven to be a novel of great polemical vitality. Originally inspired by a minor conspiratorial episode of the late 1860s, well after Dostoevsky's death (1881) the work continued to earn both acclaim and contempt for its scathing caricature of revolutionists driven by destructive, anarchic aims. The text of Demons assumed new meaning in Russian literary culture following the Bolshevik triumph of 1917, when the reestablishment and expansion of centralized state power inevitably revived interest in the radical populist tendencies of Russia's past, in particular the anarchist thought of Dostoevsky's legendary contemporary, Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876). Confronting Dostoevsky's 'Demons' is the first book to explore the life of Dostoevsky's novel in light of disputes and controversies over Bakunin's troubling legacy in Russia. Contrary to the traditional view, which assumes the obsolescence of Demons throughout much of the Communist period (1917-1991), this book demonstrates that the potential resurgence of Bakuninist thought actually encouraged reassessments of Dostoevsky's novel. By exploring the different ideas and critical strategies that motivated opposing interpretations of the novel in post-revolutionary Russia, Confronting Dostoevsky's 'Demons' reveals how the potential resurrection of Bakunin's anti-authoritarian ethos fostered the return of a politically reactionary novel to the canon of Russian classics. |
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Contents
Dostoevskys Demons | 9 |
Demons and the Bakuninist Context | 33 |
Bakunins Legacy in Revolution 19051921 | 42 |
Bakunin Prostrate | 50 |
Leonid Grossmans Art of Scholarly Provocation | 65 |
Aleksei Borovoi | 101 |
Liberating Bakunin from Demons | 109 |
The Bakunin Jubilee of 1926 | 116 |
Bakunin as Revolutionary Romantic O | 136 |
At the Gates of the Bolshevik Pantheon | 147 |
Suppressing Demons in Stalins Russia | 157 |
Late Soviet Analysis | 175 |
Toward New Confrontations | 183 |
Notes | 189 |
Index | 243 |
Viacheslav Polonsky and the Marxist Struggle | 129 |
Common terms and phrases
According activity analysis anarchism anarchist appeared argued association attempt Baku Bakunin Bakuninist became began believed Bolshevik Borovoi cause Chapter character collection Communist complete Confession Congress conspiracy continued criticism culture defended Demons demonstrated described destruction discussion Dostoevsky earlier early edition elements evidence example explained fact final followed Grossman Herzen historical ideas included insisted inspired interest International issue journal later legacy letter literary literature Marx Marxist means meeting Mensheviks merely Moscow movement nature Nechaev Nechaev affair Nikolai noted novel official organization original period political Polonsky Polonsky's Press prototype publication published question readers reading recalled referred remained remarks represented revolution revolutionary revolutionists Russian served significance social Soviet Speshnev Stavrogin Steklov suggested thesis thought throughout Verkhovensky writings wrote Бакунин Гос Достоевский Достоевского изд изд-во ред
Bibliographic information
| Title | Confronting Dostoevsky's Demons: Anarchism and the Specter of Bakunin in Twentieth-century Russia Volume 33 of G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series Volume 33 of Middlebury studies in Russian language and literature, ISSN 0888-8752 |
| Author | James Goodwin |
| Publisher | Peter Lang, 2010 |
| ISBN | 1433108836, 9781433108839 |
| Length | 251 pages |
| Subjects | › Literary Criticism / Middle Eastern Literary Criticism / Russian & Former Soviet Union |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |