Turgenev and Russian Culture

Book excerpt: The present volume has as its central aim a reassessment of the works of Ivan Turgenev for the twenty-first century. Against the background of a decline in interest in nineteenth-century literature the articles gathered here seek to argue that the period in general, and his work in particular, still have much to offer the modern sensibility. The volume also offers a great variety of approaches. Some of the contributors tackle major works by Turgenev, including Rudin and Smoke, while others address key themes that run through all his creative work. Yet others address his influence, as well as his broader relationship with Russian and other cultures. A final group of articles examines other key figures in Russian literary culture, including Belinskii, Herzen and Tolstoi. The work will therefore be of interest to students, postgraduates and specialists in the field of Russian literary culture. At the same time, they will stand as a tribute to the life and work of Professor Richard Peace, a long-standing specialist in nineteenth-century Russian literature, in whose honour the volume has been compiled.