Chudakov, F. (2016). ‘The goblet of suffering is drunk to the bottom!..’ [‘Chasha stradania dopita do dna!..’]. From the legacy of a distinguished early 20th-c. satirist. Ed. by A. Urmanov. Vladivostok: Rubezh

Abstract

The book compiled by A. Urmanov offers a short description of Fyodor Chudakov’s life and works – his name has only recently entered Russian literature. The review discusses the story and composition of the new book, which features unique pieces by this still largely obscure writer who was active in the early 20th c. The book deals with Chudakov’s feuilletons in its first and larger part: the author emerges as an uncannily sharp-tongued satirist. Other chapters reveal his skill as a sensitive lyrical poet, talented prose writer and dramatist. Among the undisputed merits of the book is its thorough scholarly commentary. A. Urmanov treats each work with unwavering attention, supplying them with a historical context and pinpointing the originality of the works’ poetics and features specifically to a particular period in Chudakov’s life.