Febris Erotica

Febris Erotica is a fine, well-researched, and lucidly written examination of representations of lovesickness in eighteenth- and nineteenth century Russian literature, with a brief excursion into the seventeenth century. -- Ilya Vinitsky, University of Pennsylvania Deftly weaving together literary, intellectual, cultural, and medical history, Sobol makes a convincing case that the 'lovesickness' topos is an important and exceptionally productive prism for exploring a whole constellation of thorny issues and debates that were played out in fascinating detail in Russian literature and culture from the late eighteenth century through the nineteenth century. -- Thomas Newlin, Oberlin College

Aims to probe beyond the perception of 'love and death' as a constant theme of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Russian literature, examining what underlies the stereotype about the destructive power of romantic love and why Russian writers so willingly employ this cliche.

The destructive power of obsessive love was a defining subject of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Russian literature. In Febris Erotica, Sobol argues that Russian writers were deeply preoccupied with the nature of romantic relationships and were persistent in their use of lovesickness not simply as a traditional theme but as a way to address pressing philosophical, ethical, and ideological concerns through a recognizable literary trope. Sobol examines stereotypes about the damaging effects of romantic love and offers a short history of the topos of lovesickness in Western literature and medicine.

Read an interview with the author: http://www.rorotoko.com/index.php/article/valeria_sobol_interview_febris_erotica_lovesickness_russian_literary_imagin/