History and literature in contemporary Russia /

The study of historical revisionism, social coercion, and artistic control during the various periods of communist government in the former Soviet Union is developing as a new post-Soviet field. Within historical literary works, the function of history as either fact or fabrication is gaining in importance. In this burgeoning field, Marsh's work stands out in many respects. As a Briton, Marsh (Univ. of Bath) does not have the ideological baggage of either of the main Cold War contenders; the result is a well-balanced analysis of literature, history, and their dialectic development in the Soviet regime. Her work is a historical document itself, chronicling the trends revisionism exhibited during this period. She concentrates mainly on the period 1987-92 and produces an excellent survey of the perception of history during this turbulent time. Her examples are singularly well chosen and excellently demonstrate her points about such issues as the extent of cultural ignorance in the former Soviet Union and the heaves and starts of lifting Soviet taboos. She also focuses on the more sociological issue of public reaction to new revelations of the past. Everyone interested either in glasnost or Soviet history should read this book. C. Tomei; Columbia University