Overview

In the early twentieth century, a group of writers banded together in Moscow to create purely original modes of expression. These avant-garde artists, known as the Futurists, distinguished themselves by mastering the art of the scandal and making shocking denunciations of beloved icons. With publications such as A Slap in the Face of Public Taste, they suggested that Aleksandr Pushkin, the founder of Russian literature, be tossed off the side of their ""steamship of modernity."" Through systematic and detailed readings of Futurist texts, James Rann offers the first book-length study of the tensions between the outspoken literary group and the great national poet. He observes how those in the movement engaged with and invented a new Pushkin, who by turns became a founding father to rebel against, a source of inspiration to draw from, a prophet foreseeing the future, and a monument to revive. Rann's analysis contributes to the understanding of both the Futurists and Pushkin's complex legacy. The Unlikely Futurist will appeal broadly to scholars of Slavic studies, especially those interested in literature and modernism.

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9780299328108

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Reviews

"Elegantly written and convincingly argued. The Unlikely Futurist provides for the first time a comprehensive account of the complex relationship between Russian Futurism, on the one hand, and Pushkin and his myth, on the other."" - Daria Khitrova, Harvard University ""An extremely intelligent, well-polished study of Russian Futurism's treatment of Pushkin as both a historical burden to be thrown from the 'steamship of modernity' and a source of inspiration for the Futurist, avant-garde project of reinvigorating Russian and Soviet poetry. The Unlikely Futurist dazzles."" - Tim Harte, Bryn Mawr College"

Elegantly written and convincingly argued. The Unlikely Futurist provides for the first time a comprehensive account of the complex relationship between Russian Futurism, on the one hand, and Pushkin and his myth, on the other. - Daria Khitrova, Harvard University An extremely intelligent, well-polished study of Russian Futurism's treatment of Pushkin as both a historical burden to be thrown from the 'steamship of modernity' and a source of inspiration for the Futurist, avant-garde project of reinvigorating Russian and Soviet poetry. The Unlikely Futurist dazzles. - Tim Harte, Bryn Mawr College

Elegantly written and convincingly argued. The Unlikely Futurist provides for the first time a comprehensive account of the complex relationship between Russian Futurism, on the one hand, and Pushkin and his myth, on the other."" - Daria Khitrova, Harvard University ""An extremely intelligent, well-polished study of Russian Futurism's treatment of Pushkin as both a historical burden to be thrown from the 'steamship of modernity' and a source of inspiration for the Futurist, avant-garde project of reinvigorating Russian and Soviet poetry. The Unlikely Futurist dazzles."" - Tim Harte, Bryn Mawr College

Author Information

James Rann is a lecturer at the University of Glasgow.

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