The Russian Jerusalem

by Elaine Feinstein

Beginning in present day St. Petersburg, this novel explores the landscape of 20th century Russian literature through imagined encounters with the great writers of Russia's literary past. With poet Marina Tsvetaeva as the guide, meet the ghosts of writers such as Anna Akhmatova, Boris Pasternak, Osip Mandelstam, and Joseph Brodsky, whose worlds are interspersed with original poems, new translations of Russian poems, and striking images of Stalinist propaganda. This book reconstructs the tragic lives of many Russian writers, often Jewish, during the long period of Soviet terror and re-establishes them at the heart of the European literary tradition.

Genres: Poetry, Russia, Fiction

169 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2008

About the author

Elaine Feinstein was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge and has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Leicester. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as an editor for Cambridge University Press (1960-62), as Lecturer in English at Bishop's Stortford Training College (1963-6), as Assistant Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Essex (1967-70), and as a journalist.

She has contributed to many periodicals, including the Times Literary Supplement, and was formerly Writer in Residence for the British Council in Singapore and Tromsø, Norway.

Of Russian-Jewish ancestry, she has been influenced by Russian writers, especially Marina Tsvetayeva and Anna Akhmatova.

She is the author of a number of plays for television and radio and several biographies, including singer Bessie Smith, writer D. H. Lawrence, Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and Anna Akhmatova.

Reviews

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite intrigued by Elaine Feinstein and her writing & had been wanting to read this for a while, quite food but do enjoy some of her other works more . 3.5

[Jessica Feinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[Simeon Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical portraits of Soviet writers are great, and very economical and moving, but the poetry that is interspersed is sadly lacking, consisting mainly of chopped-up prose. I'm also not convinced that the narrative frame and the ghostliness of the speaker are necessary. Still, a good survey of literary production, ambiguity, and resistance under an authoritarian regime.