A Survey of Russian Literature, with Selections

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

20980

Title

A Survey of Russian Literature, with Selections

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This volume surveys Russian literature from its ancient oral roots to the works of Tolstoy and Gorky. Hapgood presents critical views of major figures like Pushkin, Gogol, and Dostoevsky, highlighting the evolution from religious texts to realistic novels that capture the Russian soul.

Summary up to 500 words

Isabel Florence Hapgood's *A Survey of Russian Literature, with Selections* offers a comprehensive chronicle of Russian literary evolution from the adoption of Christianity in 988 through the late 19th century. The work traces the nation's intellectual journey from oral folk traditions and ecclesiastical manuscripts to the sophisticated secular prose that defined the era. Hapgood details the transition from the ancient period, characterized by the introduction of Church Slavonic and the translation of Scriptures by Byzantine monks Cyril and Methodius, to the emergence of national identity under Prince Vladimir. The narrative highlights key historical periods, including the Romanticism of Alexander Pushkin, who rendered literature national and connected it to everyday life, and the Realism of Nikolai Gogol. Gogol is credited with creating enduring national types, particularly in his masterpiece *Dead Souls* and his Little Russian stories, which blended humor with pathos. The text explores the lives and profound moral inquiries of literary giants such as Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy. Their works are presented as defining the era through deep psychological analysis and social commentary. Hapgood also examines lesser-known writers and the impact of social conditions, such as serfdom and political upheaval, on artistic expression. The volume illustrates how Russian literature evolved from religious traditions into a powerful vehicle for humanistic exploration. Through critical analysis and selected excerpts, the book provides a deep understanding of a culture's spiritual and intellectual development, capturing the voices of figures from the epic singers of old to the philosophical novelists of the nineteenth century.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Russian Literature
• Literary History