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Western Crime Fiction Goes East
The Russian Pinkerton Craze 1907-1934
Series: - Russian History and Culture, Volume: 11
Author:
This book examines the staggering popularity of early-twentieth-century Russian detective serials. Traditionally maligned as âPinkertonovshchina,â these appropriations of American and British detective stories featuring Nat Pinkerton, Nick Carter, Sherlock Holmes, Ethel King, and scores of other sleuths swept the Russian reading market in successive waves between 1907 and 1917, and famously experienced a âredâ resurgence in the 1920s under the aegis of Nikolai Bukharin. The book presents the first holistic view of âPinkertonovshchinaâ as a phenomenon, and produces a working model of cross-cultural appropriation and reception. The âred Pinkertonâ emerges as a vital âmissing linkâ between pre- and post-Revolutionary popular literature, and marks the fitful start of a decades-long negotiation between the regime, the author, and the reading masses.
Boris Dralyuk received his Ph.D. (2011) in Slavic Languages and Literatures from UCLA, where he is now a Lecturer. He has published work on various topics in Russian, Polish, and American literature, and works as a translator.
"Boris Dralyukâs Western Crime Fiction Goes East is an impressive and enormously enjoyable piece of literary and cultural analysis; [it] provides fascinating insights into the evolution of Russian-Soviet popular culture and is a significant and striking addition to the current critical focus on cross-cultural crime fiction." - Lee Horsley, Lancaster University (http://www.crimeculture.com/?page_id=4215)
"The Red Pinkerton, long limited to walk-on parts in Soviet cultural studies, is finally the star of its own monograph. Prior research into this unique subgenre of Soviet pulp fiction has been insightful but frustratingly piecemeal. [...] Boris Dralyukâs definitive survey of the âRussian Pinkerton crazeâ consolidates, expands and enhances recent scholarship through a wideranging, engrossing investigation of early twentieth-century sources. " - Muireann Maguire, University of Exeter, in: Slavonic and East European Review 92 no. 3
"By the early 1930s the effort to generate communist alternatives to boulevard serials was widely judged to have been a failure, despite a few notable exceptions and the production of films from them [â¦] Despite their failure, however, Dralyuk asserts that the experiment should not be written off as a simple curiosity of the NEP era. Arguing that parody is a means of engaging with, while separating from, an artistic progenitor, he sees the red Pinkertons as a critical stage in the evolution of socialist realism rather than as a literary dead end. [â¦] Dralyuk has presented a well-researched and entertaining analysis that redeems the red Pinkerton as an important, albeit unsuccessful, episode in Soviet cultural history. " - T. Clayton Black, Washington College, in: The NEP Era: Soviet Russia 1921-1928 vol. 7
"Western Crime Fiction Goes East is an ambitious and wide-ranging work, but an eminently readable one [...] a highly readable book for general academic audiences, its appeal will likely be greatest among those with more than a passing interest in revolutionary Russian culture and literature. 'Western Crime Fiction Goes East' may not resolve the ongoing and often contentious relationship between genre and ideology, but the intriguing historical example it presents has the potential to inspire wider applications and further investigations into the subject." - Zachary Hoskins, University of Missouri â Kansas City, in: Journal of Popular Culture, February 2014
"Ð Ñвоем полном ÑвлекаÑелÑнÑÑ Ð¾ÑÑÑÑплений повеÑÑвовании ÐÑалÑк иÑполÑзÑÐµÑ Ð¸ÑÑоÑÐ¸Ñ "пинкеÑÑоновÑинÑ" как повод, даÑÑий возможноÑÑÑ Ð²Ð¾ÑÑоздаÑÑ ÑелоÑÑнÑÑ ÐºÐ°ÑÑÐ¸Ð½Ñ Ð¸Ð·ÑÑаемой ÑÐ¿Ð¾Ñ Ð¸. "Так никогда и не пÑизнаннÑй оÑиÑиалÑной кÑиÑикой жанÑ, ÑезÑмиÑÑÐµÑ ÐÑалÑк, оказÑваеÑÑÑ Ð¸ÑклÑÑиÑелÑно плодоÑвоÑнÑм, Ñ Ð¾ÑÑ Ð¸ забÑÑÑм звеном в иÑÑоÑии попÑлÑÑной ÑовеÑÑкой лиÑе-ÑаÑÑÑÑ, и ÑÑой книгой авÑÐ¾Ñ Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð²ÑаÑÐ°ÐµÑ ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ð·Ð°ÑлÑженное меÑÑо в оÑеÑеÑÑвенной кÑлÑÑÑÑе. " - Ð. ÐоÑÑионова/M. Kostionova, in: Ðовое лиÑеÑаÑÑÑное обозÑение [New Literary Observer], June 2014 (full review text: http://www.nlobooks.ru/node/4861)
"The Red Pinkerton, long limited to walk-on parts in Soviet cultural studies, is finally the star of its own monograph. Prior research into this unique subgenre of Soviet pulp fiction has been insightful but frustratingly piecemeal. [...] Boris Dralyukâs definitive survey of the âRussian Pinkerton crazeâ consolidates, expands and enhances recent scholarship through a wideranging, engrossing investigation of early twentieth-century sources. " - Muireann Maguire, University of Exeter, in: Slavonic and East European Review 92 no. 3
"By the early 1930s the effort to generate communist alternatives to boulevard serials was widely judged to have been a failure, despite a few notable exceptions and the production of films from them [â¦] Despite their failure, however, Dralyuk asserts that the experiment should not be written off as a simple curiosity of the NEP era. Arguing that parody is a means of engaging with, while separating from, an artistic progenitor, he sees the red Pinkertons as a critical stage in the evolution of socialist realism rather than as a literary dead end. [â¦] Dralyuk has presented a well-researched and entertaining analysis that redeems the red Pinkerton as an important, albeit unsuccessful, episode in Soviet cultural history. " - T. Clayton Black, Washington College, in: The NEP Era: Soviet Russia 1921-1928 vol. 7
"Western Crime Fiction Goes East is an ambitious and wide-ranging work, but an eminently readable one [...] a highly readable book for general academic audiences, its appeal will likely be greatest among those with more than a passing interest in revolutionary Russian culture and literature. 'Western Crime Fiction Goes East' may not resolve the ongoing and often contentious relationship between genre and ideology, but the intriguing historical example it presents has the potential to inspire wider applications and further investigations into the subject." - Zachary Hoskins, University of Missouri â Kansas City, in: Journal of Popular Culture, February 2014
"Ð Ñвоем полном ÑвлекаÑелÑнÑÑ Ð¾ÑÑÑÑплений повеÑÑвовании ÐÑалÑк иÑполÑзÑÐµÑ Ð¸ÑÑоÑÐ¸Ñ "пинкеÑÑоновÑинÑ" как повод, даÑÑий возможноÑÑÑ Ð²Ð¾ÑÑоздаÑÑ ÑелоÑÑнÑÑ ÐºÐ°ÑÑÐ¸Ð½Ñ Ð¸Ð·ÑÑаемой ÑÐ¿Ð¾Ñ Ð¸. "Так никогда и не пÑизнаннÑй оÑиÑиалÑной кÑиÑикой жанÑ, ÑезÑмиÑÑÐµÑ ÐÑалÑк, оказÑваеÑÑÑ Ð¸ÑклÑÑиÑелÑно плодоÑвоÑнÑм, Ñ Ð¾ÑÑ Ð¸ забÑÑÑм звеном в иÑÑоÑии попÑлÑÑной ÑовеÑÑкой лиÑе-ÑаÑÑÑÑ, и ÑÑой книгой авÑÐ¾Ñ Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð²ÑаÑÐ°ÐµÑ ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ð·Ð°ÑлÑженное меÑÑо в оÑеÑеÑÑвенной кÑлÑÑÑÑе. " - Ð. ÐоÑÑионова/M. Kostionova, in: Ðовое лиÑеÑаÑÑÑное обозÑение [New Literary Observer], June 2014 (full review text: http://www.nlobooks.ru/node/4861)
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Introduction
Chapter 1 â âAs Many Street Cops as Cornersâ: Displacing 1905
in the Pinkertons
Chapter 2 â A Terrible Vengeance: The âAvenger Detectiveâ in Russia
Chapter 3 â Slumming Littérateurs and Starving Students
The Pinkertonsâ Purported Authors
Chapter 4 â The Persistence of Pinkertons: Reception Before and
After the Revolution
Chapter 5 â The Red Pinkertonâs Rise: Bukharin and the Komsomol
Chapter 6 â How the Mess Was Mended: Marietta Shaginian and Red
Pinkertonism
Chapter 7 â The Novel, the Film, and the Kinoroman: Parody and the
Decline of the Red Pinkerton
Chapter 8 â The Question of Genre and the Pinkertonsâ Legacy
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Introduction
Chapter 1 â âAs Many Street Cops as Cornersâ: Displacing 1905
in the Pinkertons
Chapter 2 â A Terrible Vengeance: The âAvenger Detectiveâ in Russia
Chapter 3 â Slumming Littérateurs and Starving Students
The Pinkertonsâ Purported Authors
Chapter 4 â The Persistence of Pinkertons: Reception Before and
After the Revolution
Chapter 5 â The Red Pinkertonâs Rise: Bukharin and the Komsomol
Chapter 6 â How the Mess Was Mended: Marietta Shaginian and Red
Pinkertonism
Chapter 7 â The Novel, the Film, and the Kinoroman: Parody and the
Decline of the Red Pinkerton
Chapter 8 â The Question of Genre and the Pinkertonsâ Legacy
Bibliography
All those interested in popular genres, crime fiction, popular culture in the Russian Empire, Soviet literature, the dynamics of adaptation and cultural appropriation.