Аннотация: MMMCDXLII. Valery Bryusov. The last pages of a woman's diary. A talented innovative literary work (1910). A literary essay. - February 7, 2024.
Valery Bryusov. The last pages of a woman's diary. A talented innovative literary work (1910). A literary essay.
1. "A Women's theme". Bryusov - in the row of Ostrovsky and Tolstoy. Drama and comedy, grotesque and farce.
How hard it was for a woman to live in pre-revolutionary Russia! This is what a school student might think after getting acquainted with Alexander Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" ("The Storm") (1859).
What should a school student think after reading "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy (1873-1877)?
Already in "Anna Karenina" the reader does not find the Kabanikha. It was Kabanikha (a woman - elder member of family) who oppressed the main character of "Thunderstorm" (a young woman)!
There is no Kabanikha in the Valery Bryusov's story "The Last Pages of a Woman's Diary" (1910) [The last pages from a woman's diary], too.
The beginning of the 20th century in Russia was "marked" by several widely known, noisy, high-profile trials with participation of women.
Readers of court information (in newspapers) learned a lot about a love (aspiration) to money, about criminal and detective details.
Some events were not known to the general public (in detail). But Valery Bryusov was better informed about some events than the general public. For example, Maria Fyodorovna Andreyeva lived quite successfully in Capri, Italy, with Maxim Gorky for several years (from 1906 to (approximately) 1913). Her name was, also, associated with millionaire Savva Morozov, who insured his life for a large sum and handed the insurance policy (document to get money) to Andreeva. Savva Morozov committed suicide under unclear, foggy circumstances (1905).
The main character of Valery Bryusov's story is a grotesque, farcical, tragicomic image (in 1910). This character partly futuristic, if you look at her from the 21st century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the heroine of Valery Bryusov's story was not a typical figure. It is enough to recall famous women of that period - Ekaterina Peshkova, Nadezhda Krupskaya and many others.
A different, another situation can be found in the 21st century.
In 2024, in Russia, due to the almost complete destruction of the national book market, in connection with the purposeful promotion of a criminal and a zombial subcultures, society and the state are trying to counter certain social trends not with a cultural activity, but with repressive measures.
Paragraphs and officials take the place of writers, artists and other cultural figures.
2. Between Lermontov and Arthur Conan Doyle. Narration in the first person.
Russian literature is characterized by the creation of literary works with a third-person narrative. Who was writing in the first person? Alexander Radishchev ("Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" (1790))? Mikhail Lermontov ("Hero of Our Time" (1837-1839))?
Let's also recall Arthur Conan Doyle, with his narration on behalf of Dr. Watson (works about Sherlock Holmes were created in the period from 1891 to 1900).
In a certain sense (a detective content, a first-person narration), Valery Bryusov's story is close to the works (by Arthur Conan Doyle) where criminal events are told on behalf of Dr. Watson.
3. Between Yuri Trifonov and Vladimir Bogomolov. A lasting (long) culmination.
The story by Valery Bryusov begins with the murder of the husband of the main character (woman of a noticible beauty).
The events between the murder, the investigation, the trial and the departure of the main character abroad can be called a lasting (long) culmination.
Following Arthur Conan Doyle and Valery Bryusov, Yuri Trifonov ("The House on the Embankment" (1975)) and Vladimir Bogomolov ("In August of the Forty-fourth (The Moment of Truth)" (1974)) wrote their works (but in a more complex version).
For example, the main events of Vladimir Bogomolov's novel fit into one day. The narration is conducted in the first person. Although there are several such first persons.
The main content of "The House on the Embankment" fits into the period between the middle of the day, when the main character met his school friend in a furniture store, and the phone call of this school friend late at night. Before and after the night call, the main character recalls own childhood, a school time. Much of the memoirs are told in the first person. There are several such persons. In the final pages, it's as if the protagonist is replaced by the author of the book, who visits some of the book's characters (and talks about those meetings).
4. The transition into the psychology of the other sex. An exclusive feature of the story by Valery Bryusov.
As a rule, the men authors - if they write a fiction prose literary work in the first person - they write on behalf of a man. There is enough information for such a estimation.
Perhaps this estimation is also correct for women authors of fiction prose literary works (there is less information for analysis).
Valery Bryusov made a great, a noticeable step: a "transition" into the psychology of the other sex.
His story is written on behalf of a woman.
Such a "transition" into the psychology of the other sex can be considered an exclusive feature of Valery Bryusov's story.
5. A few common words about Valery Bryusov and his story.
I have known some of Valery Bryusov's poetic lines since childhood, but I did not feel much interest in his poems and his prose works.
In one of the radio broadcasts, it was mentioned that Valery Bryusov in 1921 organized the Higher Literary and Artistic Institute, the predecessor of the Literary Institute founded by Maxim Gorky in 1933.
Having decided to familiarize myself with the details of the creation of the Higher Literary and Artistic Institute (1921), I discovered the story by Valery Bryusov "The Last Pages of a Woman's Diary". I have read this story. And I think that Valery Bryusov, even nowadays, in the 21st century, is not ashamed of this story, written in 1910.
February 7, 2024 07:21
Translation from Russian into English: February 7, 2024 16:07
Владимир Владимирович Залесский ' Валерий Брюсов. Последние страницы из дневника женщины. Талантливое инновационное литературное произведение (1910). Литературный очерк '.
{3471. Валерий Брюсов. Последние страницы из дневника женщины. Талантливое инновационное литературное произведение (1910). Литературный очерк. - February 7, 2024.
MMMCDXLII. Valery Bryusov. The last pages of a woman's diary. A talented innovative literary work (1910). A literary essay. - February 7, 2024.
Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского. }