The Trial Begins/On Socialist Realism

by Andrei Sinyavsky, Abram Tertz (pseud.), Max Hayward (Translator)

Abram Tertz, one of the most important writers to emerge in the Soviet Union since World War II, came to prominence in 1959 when On Socialist Realism was published in the West. It was the first important critique of the central dogma of Soviet literature. It arrived with a novel. The Trial Begins , which was published in 1960. Other books followed these into the West, until in 1965 a respected literary scholar at the Gorky Institute, Andrei Sinyavsky was arrested, revealed to be Abram Tertz, tried, and sentenced to seven years in a forced labor camp.

Genres: Nonfiction, Russian Literature, Russia, 20th Century, History, Literary Criticism, Politics

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Andrei Donatovich Sinyavsky was a Russian writer and a literary critic. He was a Soviet dissident known as a defendant in the Sinyavsky–Daniel trial of 1965.

Russian: Андрей Донатович Синявский
Pen name: Абрам Терц
Pen name in English: Abram Tertz

Reviews

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re The Trial Begins:

When I read fiction, I try to bear in mind the time and place, the circumstances, and the conditions under which the story was written. I try to ask myself, "where does this book fall in the continuum of literature?" or something heady like that. Sometimes this serves to augment my appreciation (see: The Stranger, Camus - brilliant!). Other times, taking these into account still can't salvage the work in my humble opinion (sorry, Tropic of Cancer, pure rubbish!).

As an admitted Russophile, I don't try to hide my bias here. But I have to say I truly enjoyed The Trial Begins, based simply on the story and the writing. The language, the cadence of the prose, the characters and dialog - all delightful, if not mind-blowing. When adding whatever limited appreciation (admittedly, not genuine) I can try to invoke for the circumstances under which the author worked and lived, it only enhances the experience for me. Reading The Trial Begins is time well spent.

Re On Socialist Realism:

This is not light commentary, nor the casual take of some hack trying to put down a few thoughts on the life of a would-be novelist in Soviet Russia. It's an in-depth study by an academic working well above my pay grade. There is no shortage of names, styles, epochs, and literary tools of which I have, in some cases, only a cursory understanding or appreciation. But that's okay. If you have an interest in Russian literature, Russian history, Soviet history, or.... wait for it... Soviet literature, it's also time well spent, if more of an effort than The Trial Begins.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

"On Socialist Realism" is a critique of socialist realism and defense of fantasy by a Soviet writer during the Kruschev thaw. "The Trial Begins" is an example of his work.
Cf. my notes elsewhere re "On Socialist Realism".

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s essay on socialist realism is one of the best treatments of this influential totalitarian artistic formula. The Trial Begins is, as I recall, a thinly veiled novel about someone who suffers a sustained, state-sanctioned legal attack not unlike the one the author suffered.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a little bit of Russian literature, enough to notice the common thread that runs through the work of Gogol, Bulgakov, Zamyatin and Tertz, that being a tendency to include elements of the fantastic in their works and that is something I've enjoyed in each of the aforementioned authors' work but what I struggled with with Tertz is his presentation of Russian politics. On the whole politics don't interest me but, if they don't dominate a story, they have their place. If that wasn't the case why would I keep rereading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and Nineteen Eighty-Four?

The story, which is essentially a tragic farce revolves around the attempts of a Soviet Public Prosecutor (Globov) to put a local Jewish doctor on trial for performing illegal abortions, and as an anti-communist. We also get to meet his wife (a client of the abortionist), her lover (a radical teacher) and his students (who cannot reconcile Soviet ideals with the state they see around them).

Where this book struggles by comparison to Solzhenitsyn is in the development of the characters. It doesn't help than none of them are especially likeable but I found their existence in the book nothing more than excuses to examine the workings of Communism. I wasn't rooting for any of them, not even the doctor. It was a book to be got through and I'm already finding it hard to remember most of what I read. This is my second go at this book. I first read it about twenty-five years ago and nothing came back to me as I reread it this time.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

On socialist realism: If you are a liberal and want all the points you need to hate Soviet art without engaging with it, here you go. This is the most terse compilation of stereotypes and intellectual rage at revolutionary art, and contains all that will ever be expected of you.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

kheili ziba ,harchand behtar ham mitoonest bashe:)

[Eamonn Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is for On Socialist Realism - haven't been able to find a copy of The Trial Begins within my price range.

One of the best and most concise explanations of Soviet Russia's literary situation after the formation of the Writers Union that there is. Sinyavsky smuggled this essay out of Soviet Russia, and published it abroad in a journal in France as Abram Tertz. The hoops that he had to go through to see this important piece of writing are explained nicely by Czeslaw Milosz (A Polish poet best known in the west for winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, and for a non-fiction book named The Captive Mind).

Sinyavsky identifies "The Purpose" (his capitalisation) as the guiding force behind Socialist realism - which is to say that literature and culture (according to state institutions) ought to serve the Purpose of building Communism ideologically. He talks about the literary forebears of Socialist Realism (Gorky, Mayakovsky, Furmanov) as well as the then current practitioners (stooges of the Writers Union). He goes into great detail about positive heroes - the idea that protagonists are figures that ought to be emulated, and that they are therefore not allowed to have flaws or doubts. He also goes into detail about the conflict-less-ness of Soviet novels themselves and the need to conform to bureaucratic literary tastes. Sinyavsky proposes that authors turn to something very similar to magical realism in order to revitalise Soviet Literature. Sinyavsky peppers his essay with lyrical flourishes and sarcasm - this is a young writer who is incredibly dissatisfied with the prevailing system.

It's worth a read if you're into 20th century Russian Literature. If you're only mildly interested I'd recommend starting with Katerina Clark's The Soviet Novel: History as Ritual - it cites this essay.

[john callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and some other short literary works got the author imprisoned for seven years in a Soviet labor camp. The author, a literary scholar in Moscow, arranged to have them published in 1959 and 1960 outside of the Soviet Union, under the pseudonym Abram Tertz.

The book consists of two works: On Socialist Realism, an essay, and The Trial Begins, a short novel. The essay criticizes the official Soviet literary aesthetic, socialist realism, as really a form of socialist classicism, and recommends that writers cultivate the exaggerated and the grotesque to more adequately capture the reality of Soviet life. The novel is an example of that recommendation put into practice; it presents many characters' experiences around the time of the death of Iosif Stalin (March 1953).

Sinyavsky and fellow writer Iulii Daniil were arrested for writing such works and for publishing them abroad (which actually was not against Soviet law at the time). Sinyavsky was sentenced to seven years in a Soviet labor camp.

[Linit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very personified way of talking about Stalin's power of Soviet citizens, creating him as the hand of God. Each character's absurdity is indicative of how simultaneously emboldened and repressed they were. Very interesting.

[Sam Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Eric Phetteplace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember loving this book when I read it in high school Russian lit. Great images and style and message.

[Mark]

Perhaps one of the most important books I read during my four years at Hampshire (though I read this for a course I took at Amherst).

[l · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great essay, the story itself - not so great.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only finshed the Trial Begins. Interesting story. Maybe I'll read On Socialist Realism some day.