V. I. Narbut. Collected works: Poems. Translations. Prose

Abstract

Kozhukharov, R., ed. (2018). The collected works of V. Narbut: Poems. Translations. Prose. Moscow: OGI. (In Russ.)

Vladimir Narbut, a celebrity in the early 20th c., became known to the 1970s reader from V. Kataev’s book My Diamond Crown [Almazniy moy venets], where the poet, along with many other 1920s literary figures, is portrayed in a cartoonish manner. The first reprint of a wide selection of Narbut’s collected poems appeared as late as 1990. It took another 18 years to publish Narbut’s critical works. It was in 2018 that a new edition printed the fullest collection of his poetry to date, as well as selected prose and drafts/fragments. The Аcmeist Narbut conformed very little to the formal teachings of this poetic school. Similarly, he found his unique voice as a Soviet poet. The detailed introduction, comprehensive commentary, section with sketches, and abundant illustrations instill a more in-depth idea of the writer, with the book acting as a guide to his oeuvre.