Essays from the award-winning Dostoevsky biographer
In this book, acclaimed Dostoevsky biographer Joseph Frank explores some
of the most important aspects of nineteenth and twentieth century
Russian culture, literature, and history. Delving into the distinctions
of the Russian novel as well as the conflicts between the religious
peasant world and the educated Russian elite, Between Religion and
Rationality displays the cogent reflections of one of the most
distinguished and versatile critics in the field.
Frank's essays provide a discriminating look at four of Dostoevsky's
most famous novels, discuss the debate between J. M. Coetzee and Mario
Vargas Llosa on the issue of Dostoevsky and evil, and confront
Dostoevsky's anti-Semitism. The collection also examines such topics as
Orlando Figes's sweeping survey of the history of Russian culture, the
life of Pushkin, and Oblomov's influence on Samuel Beckett.
Investigating the omnipresent religious theme that runs throughout
Russian culture, even in the antireligious Chekhov, Frank argues that no
other major European literature was as much preoccupied as the Russian
with the tensions between religion and rationality. Between Religion
and Rationality highlights this unique quality of Russian literature
and culture, offering insights for general readers and experts alike.
