{"product_id":"erotic-nihilism-in-late-imperial-otto-boele-9780299232740","title":"Erotic Nihilism in Late Imperial Russia: The Case of Mikhail Artsybashev's Sanin","description":"Banned shortly after its publication in 1907, the Russian novel \u003ci\u003eSanin\u003c\/i\u003e scandalized readers with the sexual exploits of its eponymous hero. Wreaking havoc on the fictional town he visits in Mikhail Artsybashev's story, the character Sanin left an even deeper imprint on the psyche of the real-life Russian public. Soon \"Saninism\" became the buzzword for the perceived faults of the nation. Seen as promoting a wave of hedonistic, decadent behavior, the novel was suppressed for decades, leaving behind only the rumor of its supposedly epidemic effect on a vulnerable generation of youth.\u003cbr\u003e Who were the Saninists, and what was their \"teaching\" all about? Delving into police reports, newspaper clippings, and amateur plays, Otto Boele finds that Russian youth were not at all swept away by the self-indulgent lifestyle of the novel's hero. In fact, Saninism was more smoke than fire-a figment of the public imagination triggered by anxieties about the revolution of 1905 and the twilight of the Russian empire. The reception of the novel, Boele shows, reflected much deeper worries caused by economic reforms, an increase in social mobility, and changing attitudes toward sexuality.\u003cbr\u003e Showing how literary criticism interacts with the age-old medium of rumor, \u003ci\u003eErotic Nihilism in Late Imperial Russia\u003c\/i\u003e offers a meticulous analysis of the scandal's coverage in the provincial press and the reactions of young people who appealed to their peers to resist the novel's nihilistic message. By examining the complex dialogue between readers and writers, children and parents, this study provides fascinating insights into Russian culture on the eve of World War I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Otto Boele\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0299232743\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780299232740\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Wisconsin Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/24\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 274\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChronicle of Higher Education\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/13\/2009 pg. 18\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2010","brand":"Otto Boele","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43913578643711,"sku":"9780299232740","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_942a4d43-36fe-4940-96fd-b506a276c316.jpg?v=1680621163","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/erotic-nihilism-in-late-imperial-otto-boele-9780299232740","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}