The New Cambridge History of Russian Literature

Authoritative yet innovative, this is the essential new guide to Russian literature from medieval manuscripts to social media.

The essential, authoritative new guide to Russian literature, this innovative volume considers literature's multiple parallel histories ranging from the medieval period to the internet age. The open but easily navigable structure enables engagement with both traditional literary concerns and radical re-conceptualisations of Russian culture.This is the essential new guide to Russian literature, combining authority and innovation in coverage ranging from medieval manuscripts to the internet and social media. With contributions from thirty-four world-leading scholars, it offers a fresh approach to literary history, not as one integral narrative but as multiple parallel histories. Each of its four strands tells a story of Russian literature according to a defined criterion: Movements, Mechanisms, Forms and Heroes. At the same time, six clusters of shorter themed essays suggest additional perspectives and criteria for further study and research. In dialogue, these histories invite a multiplicity of readings, both within and across the narrative strands. In an age of shifting perspectives on Russia, and on national literatures more widely, this open but easily navigable volume enables readers to engage with both traditional literary concerns and radical re-conceptualisations of Russian history and culture.