This article explores key features of the artistic world in Zakhar Prilepin’s novels. The comparison of his novels (especially “The Pathologies” and “Abode”) reveals a consistent pattern: the plots of the novels, depicting the process of overcoming extreme situations in which the protagonist finds himself. At the beginning of the novel, this process develops unhurriedly but its last third part is always characterized by a fast-moving time compression and dramatic condensation of obscurity reaching its absolute concentration in fine. The detailed analysis allows defining the system of invariant situations, motives and subjects that completes the basis of the majority of Prilepin’s novels. In the structure of his main novels, the essential role belongs to the mysterically eschatological element linked with the hero’s immersion in the apocalyptic hell and depicting the universal tragedy of man’s godforsakeness (as a rule, in Prilepin’s novels, the motive of godforsakeness reveals oedipal connotations, as the image of the dead father constantly appears in the hero’s memories and that is definitely comparable to the figure of God). Prilepin’s active social and political life sometimes creates transpicuous and publicistic attitudes in his readers, leading them to reductive perception. Meanwhile, the novels of Zakhar Prilepin reveal their common metaphysical, mysterically eschatological principium that is original, elaborate and requires serious thought.
Translated title of the contributionTHE ARTISTIC WORLD OF ZAKHAR PRILEPIN’S NOVELS
Original languageRussian
Pages (from-to)166-172
JournalФИЛОЛОГИЯ И КУЛЬТУРА
Issue number2(52)
StatePublished - 2018

ID: 37220622