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Necropolis
Necropolis | Vladislav Khodasevich
1 post | 1 read | 11 to read
Necropolis is an unconventional literary memoir from Vladislav Khodasevich, hailed by Vladimir Nabokov as "the greatest Russian poet of our time." In each of the book's nine chapters, Khodasevich memorializes a significant figure of Russia's literary Silver Age, and in the process writes an insightful obituary of the era. Written at various times throughout the 1920s and 1930s following the deaths of its subjects, Necropolis is a literary graveyard in which an entire movement, Russian Symbolism, is buried. Recalling Fyodor Sologub, Sergey Esenin, and others, Khodasevich tells the story of how their lives and artworks intertwined, including a notoriously tempestuous love triangle among Nina Petrovskaia, Valery Briusov, and Andrey Bely. He testifies to the seductive and often devastating power of the Symbolist attempt to turn one's life into a work of art and, ultimately, how one man was left to deal with the task of memorializing his fellow artists after their deaths. Khodasevich's portraits deal with revolution, disillusionment, emigration, suicide, the vocation of the poet, and the place of the artist in society. One of the greatest memoirs in Russian literature, Necropolis is a compelling work from an overlooked writer whose gifts for observation and irony show the early-twentieth-century Russian literary scene in a new and more intimate light.
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batsy
Necropolis | Vladislav Khodasevich
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My obsession with Russian lit led me to request this on #netgalley. There are nine micro-biographies here of the writers of Russia's literary Silver Age during the 1920s & 30s, & these figures include Blok, Gorky, & Bely. Although I know little about this period, this literary memoir is written with intelligence & tenderness; there is much compassion for its subjects in the attempts to understand them. I felt immersed in a different time & place.

batsy The publisher's blurb sums it up best: "[Khodasevich] testifies to the seductive & often devastating power of the Symbolist attempt to turn one‘s life into a work of art &, ultimately, how one man was left with the task of memorializing his fellow artists after their deaths. [His] portraits deal with revolution, disillusionment, emigration, suicide, the vocation of the poet, & the place of the artist in society." Great translation by Sarah Vitali. 5y
Cathythoughts Wonderful review... you are seeking out extraordinary books ... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
Billypar I really like the multiple microbiography approach- it's a great way to quickly become familiar with historical figures with a common thread. My current read does that with a variety of artists that all dealt with loneliness in their work and life in one form or another. 5y
See All 19 Comments
Lindy @Billypar A recent read that reminded me of The Lonely City is 5y
Lindy @batsy This sounds really interesting, even though I don‘t have a particular interest in Russian literature. 👍 5y
Billypar @Lindy Funny you should mention it- I just placed a hold on the Figuring audiobook the other day 😀 Sounds really good! 5y
BarbaraBB Sounds good! 5y
batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! It's amazing to have access to these books via Net Galley; I'd probably never be able to access these via local bookshops. 5y
batsy @Billypar That's the kind of literary biography/memoir I enjoy best, too. The Lonely City has long been in my TBR! As well as Figuring, recently added :) @Lindy 5y
batsy @BarbaraBB A very intriguing read and different from the kind of books I've been reading lately! 5y
QuintusMarcus This looks incredible! What is netgalley? 5y
batsy @QuintusMarcus It's a website where readers and reviewers can sign up and request for e-galleys and digital proofs https://www.netgalley.com/ 5y
QuintusMarcus Wow thanks! 5y
batsy @QuintusMarcus No problem! The more you review books and give feedback the more you will be approved for future books, and I'm terrible at that, but some publishers are very kind regardless and I've discovered some great new books :) 5y
Sunraven What type of Netgalley member are you? I keep eyeing Netgalley but I feel like I don‘t have enough current reviewer/reader cred to be approved, alas... 5y
batsy @Sunraven I used to review books for some places when I joined, and still do so for a local paper sometimes 5y
Sunraven Nice, that sounds perfect for everyone! ☺️👍 5y
GatheringBooks if i am unfamiliar with most of the authors discussed, will it diminish my enjoyment of the narrative, you think? 🧐 5y
batsy @GatheringBooks I'm not familiar with these authors either but I think if you enjoy reading about writers and the milieu in which they work, this might be of interest. 5y
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