Writers’ Artistic Biographies That Received the “Big Book” Award (The Genre Typology and Works’ Specificity)

The article reviews writer’s biographies as a kind of literary biography genre. There are revealed the thematic and artistic features characteristic to this subgenre of literature. The author systematizes the subgenre’s specific features and shows a wide range of their possible implementation at the present stage. The material for the study was selected among the works that won the national award “Big Book”. In less than fifteen years of the award’s existence, writers’ biographies have taken first place twice (D.L. Bykov’s book about B.L. Pasternak and P.V. Basinsky’s book about L.N. Tolstoy) and second place four times (A.N. Varlamov’s book about A.N. Tolstoy, L.I. Saraskina’s book about A.I. Solzhenitsyn, S.A. Shargunov’s book about V.P. Kataev, and the joint work by A.A. Kabakov and E.A. Popov about V.I. Aksyonov). All these works are analyzed sequentially (in order of receiving the award) in the article. On the one hand, this allows us to identify the features of each of them, on the other hand — to find common typological features that are characteristic of the subgenre in question. A distinctive feature of the book by D.L. Bykov is the deepest “sensitive immersion” of one poet (the author) in the creative work and world perception of another (his character). A.N. Varlamov is characterized by comparison of several sources in order to reveal complete truthfulness. P.V. Basinsky has a specific angle in which the writer’s biography is shown (he puts forward the “family idea”, the most important for Tolstoy himself). L.I. Saraskina focuses on the personality of A.I. Solzhenitsyn, considering his biography as the main artistic work of this author. A.A. Kabakov and E.A. Popov build the text of V.I. Aksyonov’s biography in the form of a lively, casual conversation, while the objectivity of the written is confirmed by a variety of documents submitted in the appendix. S.A. Shargunov traces the reflection of V.P. Kataev’s unusual life, full of real adventures, in the writer’s works.

Nevertheless, all these works have common features. Each of them create a Russian writer’s living and full-blooded image, both tightly included in the historical and cultural context of the corresponding era, and shown in the indissoluble unity of the writer’s personal destiny and creative heritage (which is carefully analyzed). All books are written based on carefully studied biographical materials and documents, including archival ones. The works’ large volume allows including these materials directly in their text.

1. Rychkova O.A. Leo Tolstoy Reached the Final, NG. Ex Libris, 2010, May 20 (no. 18), p. 3 (in Russ.).

2. Vinokur G.O. Biografiya i kul’tura [Biography and Culture]. Moscow, URSS Publ., 2007, 85 p. (Lingvisticheskoe nasledie XX veka [Linguistic Heritage of the 20th Century]).

3. Ginzburg L.Ya. On the Documentary Literature and Principles of Character Building, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 1970, no. 7, pp. 62—91 (in Russ.).

4. Bocharov S.G. Two Departures: Gogol, Tolstoy, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 2011, no. 1, pp. 9—35 (in Russ.).

5. Guralnik U.A. A Classic’s Biography: Today’s Issues, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 1980, no. 9, pp. 179—199 (in Russ.).

6. Kabakov A.A., Popov E.A. Aksyonov. Moscow, Astrel’ Publ., 2012, 509 p. (in Russ.).

7. Lotman Yu.M. Biography — A Living Person, Novyi mir [New World], 1985, no. 2, pp. 228—236 (in Russ.).

8. Petrov D.P. Aksyonov. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2012, 437 p. (in Russ.).

9. Barakhov V.S. Literaturnyi portret: (Istoki, poetika, zhanr) [Literary Portrait: (Origins, Poetics, Genre)]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1985, 312 p.

10. Petrov D.P. Vasilii Aksenov. Sentimental’noe puteshestvie [Vasily Aksyonov. A Sentimental Journey]. Moscow, Eksmo Publ., 2012, 541 p.

11. Kazantseva G.V. Fictionalized Biography: The Issue of Defining the Genre and the History of the Genre, Voprosy filologii [Issues of Philology], 2007, no. 3 (27), pp. 64—69 (in Russ.).

12. Shargunov S.A. Kataev: Pogonya za vechnoi vesnoi [Kataev: Chasing the Eternal Spring]. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2016, 703 p.

13. Minaeva I.A. Avtor i geroi v khudozhestvennykh biografiyakh B.K. Zaitseva: “Zhizn’ Turgeneva”, “Zhukovskii”, “Chekhov” [The Author and the Character in the Artistic Biographies by B.K. Zaitsev: “The Life of Turgenev”, “Zhukovsky”, “Chekhov”], cand.philol. sci. diss.: 10.01.01. Rostov-on-Don, 2005, 194 p.

14. Bondarenko V. Sergei Shargunov. A Book without Photos, Znamya [Banner], 2012, no. 2, pp. 214—216 (in Russ.).

15. Kazantseva G.V. Belletrizovannye biografii V.P. Avenariusa “Pushkin” i “Mikhail Yur’evich Lermontov”: istoriya, teoriya, poetika zhanra: monografiya [“Pushkin” and “Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov” Fictionalized Biographies by V.P. Avenarius: The Genre’s History, Theory, Poetics: monograph]. Moscow,

16. Lekmanov O.A., Sverdlov M.I., Simanovsky I.G. Venedikt Erofeev: postoronnii: biografiya [Venedikt Erofeev: An Outsider: biography]. Moscow, AST Publ., Redaktsiya Eleny Shubinoi Publ., 2019, 461 p.

17. Flita Publ., Nauka Publ., 2007, 164 p.

18. Kazantseva G.V. Writer’s Biography as a Kind of Biography Genre: Fact — Fiction and Biographical Chronotope, Russkoe literaturovedenie na sovremennom etape. Materialy VI Mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii “Russkoe literaturovedenie na novom etape”: v 2 t. T. 1 [Russian Literary Studies at the Present Stage. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference “Russian Literary Studies at a New Stage”: in 2 volumes. Volume 1]. Moscow, 2007, pp. 168—171 (in Russ.).

19. Regulations, Natsional’naya literaturnaya premiya “Bol’shaya kniga”: ofitsial’nyi sait [“Big Book” National Literary Award: official website]. Moscow, 2005. Available at: http://www.bigbook.ru/polojenie/ (accessed 20.01.2020) (in Russ.).

20. Bykov D.L. Boris Pasternak. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2005, 892 p. (in Russ.).

21. Chaikovskaya I.I. Child of Good and Light, Neva, 2007, no. 5, pp. 218—223 (in Russ.).

22. Varlamov A.N. Aleksey Tolstoy. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya, 2006, 589 p. (in Russ.).

23. Taranenko O., Trubilova E. Aleksey Varlamov: “I Am Always on the Defense Side”, U knizhnoi polki [At the Bookshelf], 2008, no. 3, pp. 3—6 (in Russ.).

24. Danilova D. Reconciliation of Fate and Free Will. Aleksey Varlamov, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 2014, no. 5, pp. 89—100 (in Russ.).

25. Varlamov A.N. Aleksei Tolstoi. Biografiya [Aleksey Tolstoy. Biography]. Moscow, Eksmo Publ., 2009, 729 p.

26. Saraskina L.I. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2008, 934 p. (in Russ.).

27. Skarlygina E.Yu. Solzhenitsyn and the Third Russian Emigration: (On the Issue of a Monograph), Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 2009, no. 2, pp. 381—405 (in Russ.).

28. Basinsky P.V. Lev Tolstoi: Begstvo iz raya [Leo Tolstoy: Escape from Paradise]. Moscow, AST Publ., Astrel’ Publ., 2010, 636 p.

29. Basinsky P.V. Svyatoi protiv L’va. Ioann Kronshtadtskii i Lev Tolstoi: istoriya odnoi vrazhdy [A Saint versus a Leo. John of Kronstadt and Leo Tolstoy: An Enmity Story]. Moscow, AST Publ., 2013, 572 p.

30. Basinsky P.V. Lev v teni L’va: istoriya lyubvi i nenavisti [A Leo Shadowed by a Leo: A Story of Love and Hate]. Moscow, AST Publ., Redaktsiya Eleny Shubinoi (ESh) Publ., 2014, 509 p.

31. Basinsky P.V. Lev Tolstoi — svobodnyi chelovek [Leo Tolstoy — A Free Man]. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2017, 301 p.

32. Rebel G.M. Tolstoy Today. Based on the Books by Pavel Basinsky, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 2016, no. 5, pp. 310—348 (in Russ.).

33. Rychkova O.A. Leo Tolstoy Reached the Final, NG. Ex Libris, 2010, May 20 (no. 18), p. 3 (in Russ.).

34. Bocharov S.G. Two Departures: Gogol, Tolstoy, Voprosy literatury [Russian Studies in Literature], 2011, no. 1, pp. 9—35 (in Russ.).

35. Kabakov A.A., Popov E.A. Aksyonov. Moscow, Astrel’ Publ., 2012, 509 p. (in Russ.).

36. Petrov D.P. Aksyonov. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2012, 437 p. (in Russ.).

37. Petrov D.P. Vasilii Aksenov. Sentimental’noe puteshestvie [Vasily Aksyonov. A Sentimental Journey]. Moscow, Eksmo Publ., 2012, 541 p.

38. Shargunov S.A. Kataev: Pogonya za vechnoi vesnoi [Kataev: Chasing the Eternal Spring]. Moscow, Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 2016, 703 p.

39. Bondarenko V. Sergei Shargunov. A Book without Photos, Znamya [Banner], 2012, no. 2, pp. 214—216 (in Russ.).

40. Lekmanov O.A., Sverdlov M.I., Simanovsky I.G. Venedikt Erofeev: postoronnii: biografiya [Venedikt Erofeev: An Outsider: biography]. Moscow, AST Publ., Redaktsiya Eleny Shubinoi Publ., 2019, 461 p.