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Academic Year 2002/2003

The Central and East European Novel
RUSS 255 SP
Crosslistings:
REES 255

This course presents a survey of 20th-century prose fiction of Eastern and Central Europe, with an emphasis on the Czech novel. Some of the questions we will explore are the impact of World War II and its concomitant horrors on Eastern and Central European literature; the relation of Eastern and Central European writers to Communism and Soviet domination; the idea of Central Europe as a shaping force in literary identity; and the relation of Eastern and Central European literature to the Western and Russian literary traditions, especially the avant-garde.

MAJOR READINGS

Miroslav Krleza, ON THE EDGE OF REASON; stories
Joseph Roth, THE RADETZKY MARCH
Jaroslav Hasek, GOOD SOLDIER SVEJK
Ivo Andric, THE BRIDGE ON THE DRINA
Sholem Aleichem, TEVYE THE DAIRYMAN
Bohumil Hrabal, CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS; I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
Tadeusz Borowski, "This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen"
Stanislaw Lem, A PERFECT VACUUM
Josef Skvorecky, MISS SILVER'S PAST; THE BASS SAXOPHONE
Danilo Kis, stories
Milan Kundera, THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING; THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Vaclav Havel, LARGO DESOLATO
Dubravka Ugresic, STEFFIE SPECK IN THE JAWS OF LIFE; LIFE IS A FAIRY TALE

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Three papers (5-7 pp.) Frequent short papers.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Conducted in English. Attendance and participation are required.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

The instructor of this course will not be using the on-line wait list. If you are interested in this course, please contact the instructor directly.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RUSS    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003

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