Dostoevsky's Afterlives

Few modern writers have been as adored, reviled, translated, or adapted as Fyodor Dostoevsky. In this seminar, we explore the “afterlife/survival” (Überleben) of Dostoevsky’s writings, with a particular emphasis on his reception and transformations during the decades of global modernism. We will ask: when and how was the dominant 20th-century image of Dostoevsky made? How is this image reflected, and refracted, in the later theory and practice of the novel? What resonances has it found across the political spectrum, from the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire through interwar Europe, the mid-century United States, and our present era of resurgent technocracy, imperialism, and nationalism? The first half of the course focuses on the Silver Age writers who did most to frame Dostoevsky’s legacy and artistic persona for an international readership. In the second half, we turn to a range of historical, literary, and theoretical contexts where this legacy comes into play. Students will take an active role in researching and shaping the story about Dostoevsky’s uncanny “survival” that our course tells, engaging with a range of readings in modernist literature, criticism, and novel theory. Midway through the course, each student will be responsible for a reception case study, researching either a place and time where Dostoevsky was widely influential or (by permission) a single author whose work comes into close dialogue with his.

Note: Russian-language readings will be provided in the original; many are also available in translation. Other readings will be provided and discussed in English translation, though reading in the original is always encouraged. The course is open to all graduate students by permission.