"Chekhov, prime fare of the Soviet schoolroom"

[Victoria Thorstensson]

Sorry for this last post. Naturally, all those fine critics would have analyzed Chekhov's writings and character very well, have they had a chance to :)

This only shows that a mind, properly trained in the Soviet school approaches to literature, would have no difficulty in finding a place for any author, Russian or not, along these familiar lines. Maybe, this can be an answer to your question...

   
On 04/30/10, Victoria Thorstensson  <thorstensson at WISC.EDU> wrote:

> I think you will find, like with any other classical author, that the official love was very selective. "The Steppe" might have been seen as one of the creative failures while Chekhov did, on other occasions, rise above his bourgeois surroundings by seeing through the pain and suffering of the "little man" in "Chelovek v futliare" (his suffering being the result of the stifling life in pre-revolutionary Russia). I think, in general, every official stance on the classical writers went back to "the great critics": Chernyshevsky, Dobroliubov, Pisemsky, Mikhailovsky. See what they say about Chekhov and, I am sure, you'll find that all Lenins and Lunacharskys just repeated that in some form or another.  
> 
> On 04/30/10, Robert Chandler  <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM> wrote:
> 
> > Thank you, Vika - but what I am wanting to check is WHEN Chekhov became part
> > of the Soviet canon.
> > 
> > As well as the example I have mentioned from Simonov, there is Grossman's
> > story ŒA Tale about Love¹ (1937)  In it a film director and a scriptwriter
> > talk about a joint project.  They agree that Chekhov¹s ŒThe Steppe¹ ­ a
> > story "in which almost nothing appears to happen" ­ is "real art¹"  I had
> > imagined that, in the context of Soviet literature of the 1930s, this was
> > rather startling.
> > 
> > But maybe I am wrong?!
> > 
> > Poka,
> > 
> > Robert
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > Dear Robert,
> > > 
> > > When I studied in school in Russia (and, I think, both before and after) the
> > > standard school program in literature included short stories (like Tolstyi i
> > > tonkii) in earlier grades, the trilogy (Chelovek v futliare, Kryzhovnil and O
> > > liubvi) and Vishnevyi sad in higher grades. You can safely assume that an
> > > average Soviet student wrote an essay on these Chekhov's works for his or her
> > > graduation exams from high school.
> > > 
> > > Vika
> > > 
> > > On 04/30/10, Robert Chandler  <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM> wrote:
> > > 
> > >> Dear all,
> > >> 
> > >> In a recent article about Grossman and Ehrenburg (in KRITIKA, summer 2009)
> > >> Katerina Clark discusses a mention of Chekhov in Simonov¹s ŒDays and
> > >> Nights¹.  She refers to Chekhov as Œprime fare of the Soviet schoolroom¹.
> > >> 
> > >> Is this correct?  I have realized that I have no clear idea of when Chekhov
> > >> became part of the Soviet canon.
> > >> 
> > >> Vsego dobrogo,
> > >> 
> > >> Robert
> > >> 
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