The Shape of Apocalypse in Modern Russian Fiction [Hardcover]

David Bethea examines the distinctly Russian view of the end of history in five major works of modern Russian fiction.

Originally published in 1989.

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Bethea sees as his tasks: to trace the theme of the Apocalypse...in five Russian novels: Dostoevsky'sThe Idiot, Bely'sPetersburg, Platonov'sChevengur, Bulgakov'sThe Master and Margarita, and Pasternak'sDoctor Zhivago; to show how generalizations about the time-honored 'messianic' and 'eschatological' impulse in the Russian historical character shed light on the narrative structure of these works; and to demonstrate that 'apocalyptic' fictions ... countermand Socialist realism and its vision of secular paradise. He does an excellent job with all three. ---Thomas Gaiton Marullo,Modern Fiction Studies It is not often one comes across a book that is not only a major contribution to the field, but whose appearance calls for a celebration. David Bethea'sThe Shape of Apocalypse in Modern Russian Fictionis such a book. ---Laura D. Weeks,The Russian Review The terrifying enormity of the apocalyptic theme in Russian literature fails to daunt Bethea, author of the acclaimed Khodasevich. His present book is brilliant, elegantly presented, and invaluable to anyone from undergraduate to specialist.