For those of us whose knowledge of Russian literary theory and criticism is restricted to a few works by the Russian formalists and Bakhtin, this wide-ranging collection, which treats criticism as both a social institution and intellectual activity, is valuable and revealing.-- "Jonathan Culler, Cornell University"
The absence of 'a comprehensive and methodologically sophisticated history' of Russian theory and criticism has made itself felt over decades, but readers now have this invaluable volume to guide them through a complex period in the development of Russian culture.-- "Journal of European Studies"
The first of its kind, and as such it establishes a canon and illuminates the hereto dimly lit corners of Russian cultural history. A necessary addition to the shelf of every Slavist.-- "The NEP Era"
The greatest strength of 'A History' is the way it brings the subject of criticism back to the fore in Russian literary studies. Modern criticism began in the Slavic world out of a desire to ask different questions with different vocabularies so as to stop knowing only what reason knows. Today, criticism has become an applied field of sorts, similar, in a sense, to pedagogy, geared more towards divining what a text presumably means rather than the making of meaning itself. By bringing the spirit of criticism to life, the essays of 'A History' invite readers to think again about criticism and to actively participate in its renewal and extension into the twenty-first century.-- "Slavic and East European Journal"
This book is a necessary compendium for anyone looking to understand the history of Russian literary scholarship in its international contexts and wanting to experience the intellectual joy of reading Soviet and Russian literary theory. Its brilliantly written contributions destroy old (and often self-serving) mythologies, they reveal unknown facts and new perspectives on their interpretation, and they thus make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Soviet and post-Soviet era.-- "Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Stanford University"
This is a uniquely important book. Unique, because there is no other serious scholarly history that encompasses the whole spectrum of modern Russian literary theory and criticism. Important, because the schools and thinkers who are studied in this anthology have played a crucial role in shaping debates about literature and its relation to society all over the globe. The authors of the different chapters constitute a who's who of contemporary Slavic scholarship, and they cover every significant move from the October Revolution to the post-Soviet present, including emigre developments. No responsible student of modern literary theory can ignore this instant classic.-- "Michael Holquist, Yale University"
What makes this collection of essays so interesting . . . not so much biographical sketches that we see but the back-room politics of literary criticism in a super-heated environment where classic authors are revered or dismissed, per whatever political ideology is in place.-- "The Black Sheep Dances"