Eduard Limonov: a critical study.

289 Pages·1998·9.891 MB·English

by  Andrei Rogatchevsky

EDUARD LIMONOV:
A CRITICAL STUDY
BY
ANDREI ROGATCHEVSKI
Thesis presented for the degree of Ph.D.
the Department of Slavonic Languages and Literatures
of the University of Glasgow
August 1998
© Andrei Rogatchevski
ProQuest Number: 13818637
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
uest
ProQuest 13818637
Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author.
All rights reserved.
This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346
GLASGOW
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
(m o w UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
112.3 A (cof^
2
ABSTRACT
The publication of Eduard Limonov's exhibitionist novel Eto ia
- Edichka (It's Me, Eddie) in 1979 provoked, both among
readers and critics, a great deal of negative emotion, which
simmers on even now, boosted by the publication of virtually
all Limonov's major writings in Russia and by Limonov's
transformation into a notorious public figure of dubious
political persuasions. The emotion mentioned often precludes
a sober comprehensive analysis of Limonov's creative
activity, an analysis which his unquestionable success
requires. Limonov's infamy frequently casts an unmerited
shadow over the significance of his artistic works, especially
over his exquisite, innovative poetry which is often neglected
nowadays. This thesis tries to repair the damage by following,
step by step, Limonov's life and career (partly mythologized
by him in his allegedly autobiographical prose) sine ira et
studio, relying on the whole body of his work which includes
poetry, fiction, journalism and private correspondence.
(Permission to cite extracts from and refer to unpublished
items was given to me by Limonov via my proxy in Moscow
in the summer of 1995.) Although there is no separate
chapter on Limonov's poetry in the thesis, his poems are
copiously quoted throughout the whole work.
Another step which has been taken in properly evaluating
Limonov's output (over twenty books altogether, translated
into at least fifteen languages) is to consider it as a link in the
chain of his Russian literary predecessors. The need of a
reassessment of Limonov is also met through pointing to some
literary sources important for this author, such as the Cossack
Ataman and writer Petr Krasnov, the poet of the Russian
revolution Vladimir Maiakovskii, Limonov's Russian and
Western critics, his colleague from the so-called Khar’kov
poetic school Iurii Miloslavskii, and the Eurasianist movement
(the last two sources have been touched on in passing only).
3
In addition, Limonov's idiosyncratic concepts of Hero and
Barbarity are discussed at some length.
Our thesis, we hope, finally makes it possible to regard
Limonov not merely as an obnoxious literary hooligan, but
also as a writer with roots and ideology, with an underground
past and a firmly established, if slightly embarrassing,
present reputation. Some theoretical issues pertaining to
certain limitations in the existing definitions of literary
influence and intertextuality are also raised.
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Abstract 2
Table of Contents 4
List of Illustrations 7
Acknowledgements 8
Declaration 9
Introduction 1 0
Chapter 1. DICHTUNG UNDW AHRHEIT: Limonov and
Limonov
1.1. EDUARD LIMONOV'S TRUE LEES 2 0
1.1.1. Limonov and his (autobiographical?) character 2 0
1.1.2. The 'Konkret' hoax 2 9
1.1.3. The Great Epoch 3 3
1.1.4. The adolescence of a bandit 3 6
1.1.5. The making of a poet 4 2
1.1.6. The Moscow period 4 7
1.1.7. Limonov's American years 5 3
1.1.8. Limonov in Paris 6 7
1.1.9. Moscow revisited 7 0
1.2. LIMONOV'S CONCEPT OF HERO
5
Chapter 2. LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES: Eduard
Limonov and Ataman Krasnov
2.1. LIMONOV'S LITERARY ROOTS 9 2
2.2. SIMILARITIES AND DISSIMILARITIES IN
EDUARD LIMONOV'S AND ATAMAN KRASNOV'S
LIVES AND WORKS 9 5
2.3. 'ISCHEZNOVENIE VARVAROV' BY LIMONOV AND ZA
CHERTOPOLOKHOMBY KRASNOV 1 0 5
2.4. CIVILIZATION AND BARBARITY A LA LIMONOV 1 1 7
Chapter 3. THE DOPPELGANGER, OR THE QUEST FOR
LOVE: Eduard Limonov as Vladimir Maiakovskii
3.1. GENERAL BACKGROUND 1 2 7
3.2. LIMONOV ON MAIAKOVSKII 1 3 2
3.3. LIMONOV'S TEXTUAL BORROWINGS
FROM MAIAKOVSKII 1 3 4
3.4. SIMILARITIES IN LIMONOV’S AND MAIAKOVSKII'S
ARTISTIC PRINCIPLES 1 3 7
3.5. THE COMMUNITY OF LIMONOV'S AND MAIAKOVSKII'S
CULTURAL CROSS-REFERENCES 1 4 3
3.6. MAIAKOVSKII, LIMONOV AND THE ART
OF CINEMA 146
3.7. IMAGES OF DOUBLES IN MAIAKOVSKII'S AND
LIMONOV'S ARTISTIC UNIVERSE 1 5 1
6
3.7.1. Maiakovskii's doubles 151
3.7.2. Limonov's doubles 153
3.7.3. Maiakovskii's and Limonov's doubles versus the
writers' true selves 1 5 5
3.7.4. The mythological subtext of the doubles in
Maiakovskii and Limonov (The twins cult) 15 8
3.8. THE DARK SIDE OF THE PERSONALITY SPLIT 1 6 9
3.8.1. The Doppelgdnger and the quest for love 170
3.8.2. The Doppelgdnger and mortal danger 175
3.8.3. The Doppelgdnger and immortality 183
Chapter 4. IA EBAL VAS VSEKH, EBANYE V ROT SUKI:
Limonov and his critics
4.1. LIMONOV AND HIS LITERARY CRITICS: MUTUAL
DISTRUST 1 8 9
4.2. LITERARY CRITICISM AS A SOURCE OF LIMONOV’S
INSPIRATION 196
4.3. THE CRITICAL RECEPTION OF ETO IA - EDICHKA 2 01
4.4. LIMONOV AND MAKSIMOV 2 1 0
4.5. LIMONOV AND BRODSKII 2 1 8
4.6. LIMONOV AS A WRITER-CUM-CRITIC 2 25
C onclusion 238
List of References 246
7
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
Fig.l. E.Limonov, “An illustration to the book
Eto ia - Edichka” 1 87
Fig.2. V.Maiakovskii, “A picture from a letter to
L.Iu.Brik circa 15 July, 1925” 188
8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my supervisor, Mr Martin Dewhirst
(Department of Slavonic Languages and Literatures,
University of Glasgow) for his constant help and
encouragement; Mr Richard Davies (Special Collections,
Brotherton Library, University of Leeds) and Mr Gabriel
Superfin (Historisches Archiv, Forschungsstelle Osteuropa,
University of Bremen) for letting me study certain archival
documents; Dr Robin Aizlewood (School of Slavonic and East
European Studies, University of London) for his valuable
advice; and, finally, Mr Julian Graffy (School of Slavonic and
East European Studies, University of London) and Professor
Michael Kirkwood (Department of Slavonic Languages and
Literatures, University of Glasgow) for making this research
possible.