The Wrath of Dionysus

By Evdokia Nagrodskaia

Book Overview

"This outstanding edition of The Wrath of Dionysus marks the first appearance of (Nagrodskaia's) work in English. Let us hope her other novels quickly follow." --The Midwest Book Review

"The Wrath of Dionysus is translated well and has just enough notes to explain what is not available to the late-twentieth-century reader. Louise Reynolds should be commended for bringing us this work by Evdokia Nagrodskaya, a writer unknown to English-speaking audiences and even to contemporary Russians." --Lambda Book Report

"This novel has everything--love, romance, lust, travel, adventure. Yowee " --Richard Stites

". . . highly recommended for collections of Slavic literature as well as popular fiction." --Library Journal

"A woman trying to balance career and family. Confusion over sexual identity and gender roles. Unwed motherhood. The themes of The Wrath of Dionysus sound so contemporary that it may surprise readers to find them in a Russian novel published more than 80 years ago." --Publishers Weekly

Evdokia Nagrodskaia's novel The Wrath of Dionysus, with its theme of gender roles and sexual identity, became a sensational and controversial bestseller soon after it hit Russian bookstores in 1910. Long before postmodernism suggested that gender was a social construct rather than a biological absolute, Nagrodskaia's novel put this issue before middle-class Russian audiences hungry for popular fiction. A revealing historical glimpse at the pre-revolutionary Russian middle class, but also a good old-fashioned page-turner

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0253211328
• ISBN13: 9780253211323
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 7.9"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Explorative and thought-provoking with good story telling

I found this book interesting on many levels. First, it has just plain good story-telling and an interesting (if somewhat sensational, romance novel-esque) plot line. More importantly, though, I think this book conveys a sense the new Russian woman of the early 1900s. The story is very edgy and daring for its time, dealing with themes of sex, love, and identity. It presents a picture of the ideal Russian woman and her role in society, but Nagrodskaia uses her main character to challenge that traditional role. The romantic experiences in the book lead both the characters and the reader to examination of gender, individuality, sexuality, attraction, and eroticism. If you don't speak Russian, this is a chance to experience the "feel" of Russian lit. McReynolds maintains Russian names and a few sentence constructions, which gives the text an overtone of the Russian language, while letting it flow smoothly in English. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, and especially to those interested in Russia, women's studies, or gender studies.