Unit information: Post Soviet Russian Prose Fiction in 2011/12

Unit name	Post Soviet Russian Prose Fiction
Unit code	RUSS30040
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Chitnis
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Russian
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

In this unit, we shall study five novels and/or short story collections published in Russia following the break-up of the Soviet Union. We shall explore how Russian writers reflect and respond to the changing cultural, social and political situation in both their subject matter and style. We shall read a diverse range of works, from anti-utopias and science-fiction to grim realism to detective fiction and comic writing, written by writers seeking to remain faithful to Russia's literary traditions, to adapt to Western and commercial models or to reflect the latest cultural trends. Students will be encouraged to select texts based on their own interests. Suggested works for study (with English titles in brackets) include: Vladimir Makanin: 'Laz' (The Escape Hatch), Viktor Pelevin: Omon Ra or Chapaev i Pustota (The Clay Machine Gun), Iurii Buida: Don Domino (The Zero Train), Boris Akunin: Azazel' (The Winter Queen), Tat’iana Tolstaia: Kys' (The Slynx), Vladimir Sorokin: Led (Ice).

Aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to final year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.

• To facilitate students’ engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.

• To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.

• To equip students with the skills to undertake postgraduate study in a relevant field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

• be knowledgable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;

• will have advanced skills in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;

• be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at an advanced level;

• be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an advanced level of complexity;

• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including postgraduate study.

Teaching Information

Two seminar hours per week across one teaching block (22 contact hours).

Assessment Information

One of the following:

a) A written assignment of 3000 words and a two hour exam (50% each)

b) A written assignment of 3000 words (25%) and a three hour exam (75%)

c) One written assignment of 6000 words (or equivalent)

d) Two written assignments of 3000 words (50% each)

e) One oral presentation (25%) plus one written assignment of 1500 words (25%) plus one written assignment of 3000 words (50%).

Reading and References

Vladimir Makanin – Laz (translated as The Escape Hatch; available in Russian in any good collection of Makanin’s shorter prose)

Liudmila Petrushevskaia – Vremia-noch’ (The Time is Night)

Viktor Pelevin – Omon Ra

I would like students taking the unit to participate in deciding the other two texts for study, based on their interests and preferences. I therefore include below a longer list of recently translated works, with links to web sites that will give you a sense of what the work is about.

Opinion about the best Russian fiction of the last fifteen years or so has yet to settle, with individual books rather than writers attracting attention. Many commentators are skeptical about the general level of quality, though flawed books are often easier and more interesting to write about. The list below is dominated by fantastic, allegorical, fairy-tale and science-fiction writing, with very little conventional realism, which reflects a general trend in contemporary Russian fiction.

Aleksandr Terekhov – Krysoboi (The Rat Killer)

Vladimir Sorokin – Led (Ice)

Tatiana Tolstaia – Kys’ (The Slynx)

Maria Galina – Givi i Shenderovich (Irramifications)

Dmitrii Bykov – Zh.D. (Living Souls)