Golden Age Russian Literature
Russian Literature's Golden Age: 1830-1880 (in English) Duels, ghosts, utopias, murders, prostitution, and adultery- these are the raw materials Russian authors turned into some of the world's greatest literature. This course is an introduction to Russian literature of the 19th century, from the short stories of Pushkin and Gogol to the great novels of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. The centrality of literature in Russian society and the interrelations among the authors and texts will be discussed. How do the authors combine reality, fantasy, and philosophy to make these works both uniquely Russian and universal?
I really enjoyed this course. Professor Portice was very passionate about the material and gave tough but very fair feedback on the essays we were assigned. I really liked all of the readings, though Brothers Karamazov was significantly longer than the others.
I really enjoyed this class. Professor Portice isn't an easy essay grader, but taking his class definitely made me a much better writer. There's a lot of reading, but I actually liked all of the books.