Seifrid, a companion to andrei platonov s the foundation pit, p. In a small town shortly after the revolution, workmen and lowlevel bureaucrats work on the foundation for an enormous building intended to house the entire town. In the foundation pit, the critique of stalinism is unmistakable. Set in the 1920s, andrei patonovich klimentovs the foundation pit is a literary work that combines the genre of dystopian fiction, political satire, and ethical allegory to present a bleak. Finist the falcon prince by platonov, andrei and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In general, the tenor of russian literature is consolation the justification of the existential order on the highest plane of regard.
Andrei platonov was born andrei platonovich klimentov in iamskaia sloboda, near voronezh in 1899. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. A companion to andrei platonovs the foundation pit oapen. Discover book depositorys huge selection of andrei platonov books online. A grim and jagged dystopian novel of the early soviet union, the foundation pit is a scathing indictment of the brutal and antiintellectual soviet apparatchiki. Much of the genius of the foundation pit lies in platonovs objective style and the lively invariably abusive dialogue, contrasting with oddly moving, isolated asides of brittle beauty. A companion to andrei platonovs the foundation pit. Platonov s books are still being unearthed in russia decades after his death.
The foundation pit is platonovs most overtly political book, written in direct response to the staggering brutalities of stalins collectivization of russian agriculture. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. The foundation pit distresses the russian language, showing it splayed and shattered by the demands of revolution. Platonov kept a series of notebooks in which he wrote down. Buy a cheap copy of the foundation pit book by andrei platonov. The foundation pit is one of the most difficult books ive read in recent years, but its worth the effort if you enjoy dystopia or innovative language.
The foundation pit portrays a group of workmen and local bureaucrats engaged in digging the foundation pit for what is to become a grand general building. Summary written at the height of stalins first fiveyear plan for the industrialisation of soviet russia and the parallel campaign to collectivise soviet agriculture, andrei platonov s the foundation pit registers a dissonant mixture of utopian longings and despair. Publishers weekly andrey platonovs absurdist parable the foundation pit is a masterly achievement. The foundation pit by andrey platonov a copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. But even against this background the material is sparse. Platonov is one of the greatest russian poet, absolutely singular.
The first english translations of the foundation pit came out in the 1980s, but has since been found to be incomplete. The foundation pit portrays a group of workmen and local bureau. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. In the foundation pit a futile, destructive laboring is a witness to the absence of. Search the catalogue for collection items held by the national library of australia. They attempt to dig out a huge foundation pit on the base of which a gigantic house will be built for the countrys proletarians. Andrew platonovs the foundation pit is a brutal novel. Available in the national library of australia collection. He died in 1946 and it was not until the 1980s that his great novels the foundation pit and chevengur were finally published in russia.
He had a basic education and worked as a manual labourer till the revolution, when he started writing articles in the local press and also went to university. Andrey platonovs foundation pit words without borders. Chevengur, the juvenile sea, and the foundation pit were not published in the soviet union until the late 1980s. See all books authored by andrei platonov, including the foundation pit, and soul, and more on. The foundation pit is platonov s most overtly political book, written in direct response to the staggering brutalities of stalins collectivization of russian agriculture. The foundation pit by andrey platonov librarything. Platonovs deadpan style makes the hunger and death he depicts that much more empty.
In order to make the best possible time, chiklin carries zhachev and yelisey carries nastya. The foundation pit by andrey platonov, paperback barnes. The foundation pit reprint edition by ginsburg, mirra trn. He shatters any illusions one might have about the virtues of soviet communism. He is often seen reading instructions form the party and obsessively complying with every government order. In this volume, however, we have chosen to focus on the gentler, and perhaps subtler, work that platonov wrote during the late 1930s.
Andrei platonovich kilmentov, a russian author, novelist, and journalist known for his rebellious spirit, reflected. The plot of the novel concerns a group of workers living in the early soviet union. Platonov s reputation as one of russias most important twentiethcentury writers is confirmed by this new translation of his novel, the foundation pit. For russians, tsvetaeva might be the most important of all. Indeed, it is hard to believe that platonov believed the book safe to show others. The foundation pit is fully covered with snow, and the barracks is dark and empty. Counting andrei platonov among the greatest russian prose writers of this century, joseph brodsky considered him to be quite untranslatable, and, in one sense, thats a good thing. The foundation pit book by andrei platonovich platonov 4. The foundation pit paperback politics and prose bookstore.
A companion to andrei platonovs the foundation pit in. Written from 1929 to 1930, this is platonov s satirical portrait of the harshness of soviet life and the. You can change region by clicking the flag in the toolbar. The foundation pit has a similarly supracategorical feel, though this is somewhat muted by its greater political directness.
From 1918 he published articles in the thick moscow journals before becoming a war correspondent during the great patriotic war of 194145. The book, written in 19291930, is an allegory of the era of collectivization. A companion to andrei platonovs the foundation pit on jstor. With notes and an afterword by robert chandler and olga meerson.
Platonov, andrei platonovich and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Bibliography includes bibliographical references p. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. See thomas seifrid, a companion to andrei platonov s the foundation pit academic studies press, 2009. An antistalinist author who died in obscurity in 1951 may be the greatest russian writer of the last century, his english translator robert. The foundation pit translated by robert and elizabeth.
The foundation pit by andrei platonov 1930 my body gets weak without truth. However, both english novels were published long before a translation of the foundation pit. Written at the height of stalins first fiveyear plan for the industrialization of soviet russia and the parallel campaign to collectivize soviet agriculture, andrei platonov s the foundation pit registers a dissonant mixture of utopian longings and despair. Kotlovan romanized form english translation by thomas p. But the harder the team works, the deeper they dig, the more things go wrong, and it becomes clear that what is being dug is not a foundation but an immense grave. The foundation pit by andrey platonov 1994, paperback. It used to be thought that platonov was born on august 20september 1, but recent scholarship has established the earlier date. Soul addressed stalins violence obliquely and therefore mysteriously. The foundation pit another unusual and distinctive novel from platonov that was not published in his lifetime.
The foundation pit has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace same low prices, bigger selection, more fun. Furthermore, it provides essential background to platonov s parody of the mainstream soviet production novel, which is widely. Andrei platonov 1899 1951 was an intellectual who believed in and. Studies in russian and slavic literatures, cultures, and history isbn.
The foundation pit is a gloomy symbolic and semisatirical novel by andrei platonov. Andrei platonov books list of books by author andrei. The foundation pit distresses the russian language, showing it splayed and shattered by the demands of. In many respects, it is similar to chevengur, with its tale of rural people struggling with hunger and communism in the early days of the soviet union.
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