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RUSS255

The Central and East European Novel
RUSS255 SP

Next Offered in 9899 SP

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
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. 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.

COURSE FORMAT: Discussion Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA RUSS

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-03-1998




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