Russian accent: investment in footbal

[John Dunn]

I have been interested to read the replies to the question why Russian literature is perceived as being particularly gloomy.  

I don't propose to conduct a body count, but I am not convinced that the death toll in Russian literature is necessarily higher than that of other literatures.   The response of Amarilis Lugo de Fabritz's students may be conditioned, at least in part, by the particular selection policies of different literature professors; one must assume that these students have yet to read 'Hamlet'.

I must admit I hadn't considered the climate, but perhaps this is a matter of perspective.  America may be a land of infinite cloudless skies, but sunshine is not the first thing that one usually thinks of when British weather is mentioned.  One need only think of the opening passage of 'Bleak House', though I wouldn't have thought that 'Wuthering Heights' was exactly redolent of long, hot sunny afternoons.

Having given the matter some further thought, I am coming round to the view that the origins of this perception regarding Russian literature have nothing directly to do with either Tolstoy or Dostoevsky.  I think that part of the answer is contained in Jules Levin's e-mail: the Gershwin song refers specifically to a Russian play; I have a vague recollection (which perhaps someone can confirm or otherwise) that there is a similar reference to Russian plays in P.G. Wodehouse.  I suspect that the perception owes a great deal to turn-of-the century Russian drama, and as a starting point for further enquiries I would single out two plays in particular, namely Chekhov's 'Seagull' and Gor'ky's 'The Lower Depths'.  

John Dunn.

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