Exotic Moscow under Western Eyes

This collection of essays on Turgenev, Goncharov, Conrad, Dos-toevsky, Blok, Briusov, Gor'kii, Pasternak and Nabokov presents a unified vision of diverse voices. Recurring themes in Masing-Delic's work include the distinction between 'culture' and 'civilisation' with Russia as the bearer of culture because it is 'barbaric'. Another deals with the synthesis of 'sense and sensibility' and the vision of 'Apollo' and 'Dionysus' creating a 'civilised culture' together. Voices that delight in the artificiality of civilisation are complemented by those apprehensive of the dangers of barbarism. Adding new perspectives to the much-debated oppo-sition of vital Russia and a declining West, Masing-Delic offers novel interpretations of classics from Oblomov to Lolito and "The Idiot" to "Doctor Zhivago".