Francis Berger
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Russian Literature Is About Good and Evil

3/4/2022

3 Comments

 
Readers of this blog are undoubtedly aware of my affinity with Russian literature and Russian "thought" in general. This affinity is best summarized in a quote I included in a post a couple of years ago: 

"Western literature is about careers; Russian literature is about good and evil."

The quote is, apparently, attributable to Alexander Solzhenitsyn. I have yet to discover the actual source text, but that does not in any way diminish the spirit of the quote -- a spirit which not only appeals to my convictions and sensibilities, but also speaks directly to my own spirit.

On the surface I am very much a creature of the West, but the deeper levels of my being align more with the Russian pneuma than they do with the Western. The quote above reveals much about the nature of my alignment.

The Western spirit has yet to near the depths of insight and comprehension of life that the Russian spirit has already attained, especially concerning truly profound matters such as suffering, community, culture, nationhood, love, and, yes -- good and evil. 

I will be bold and extend to this Christianity as well. At the level of spirit, the Russian experience of Christianity differs immensely from the Western experience. The essence of this difference can be found in freedom and suffering. 

The Western spirit tends to regard suffering as the antithesis of freedom, but will punctiliously relinquish freedom for "duty" as long as the exchange promises to keep suffering at bay. 

On the other hand, the Russian spirit has learned that freedom and suffering must be embraced as a synthesis. For the Russian spirit, "duty" involves bearing this synthesis with the comprehension that it forms the source of love.

I refuse to say much about present events, but I believe the undercurrents of these events can be discovered in the idea that Western literature is about careers, while Russian literature is about good and evil. 
3 Comments
bruce charlton
3/4/2022 12:04:48

I admire it, and am somewhat jealous of their passion and tenacity of spirit; but Russian literature and life is quite alien to me, as I found when I began to join their orthodox church in 2010-11 - ish.

I realized I would always feel an outsider, and as if I was play-acting.

Their depth is real, but it is not My depth.

Reply
Francis Berger
3/4/2022 13:10:09

@ Bruce - To be clear, it's not my depth either. I cannot ever truly "know" it and I don't profess to to truly "know" it, but I can sense it, appreciate it, and am drawn to it in many fundamental ways. At the same time, I am still -- clearly -- of the West or, of Mitteleuropa.

My reason for the post was to draw attention to this unrecognized "alien-ness", especially against the backdrop of current events. We have guys in places like Houston and Chipping Sodbury talking as if they understand what's going on in the Russian psyche right now. News flash! You don't. Not even close.

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William Wldblood
3/4/2022 20:27:00

The spiritual intensity of Russian literature makes it the greatest literature in my book but, as with the two of you, the temperament is not mine. Too ardent probably!

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