TuTh 9:30-10:45am

In contrast to the dominant realist tradition in its literature,
Russia has also produced a rich literature of the fantastic, in
which imaginary realms encroach on or replace ordinary existence.
This course will examine works that present psychological, esthetic,
mythic, and social alternatives to reality.  Works will range from
the early nineteenth century to the present. Authors will include
Pushkin, Gogol, Nabokov (Pale Fire), Bulgakov (Master and
Margarita), Zamiatin (We) , Pelevin (Life of Insects), and others.
Associate Professor Andrew Durkin studies 19th and 20th century
fiction and the pastoral in Russian fiction. His current project
involves the short stories of Chekhov.