Preview

Voprosy literatury

Advanced search
Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Georgy Efron: A reader’s life

https://doi.org/10.31425/0042-8795-2022-1-233-275

Abstract

The article by S. Belyakov, a historian, literary critic and author of several non-fiction books, mostly deals with the ‘Moscow period’ in the life of Georgy Efron, the son of M. Tsvetaeva. According to Belyakov, Georgy was a bookish boy in every sense of the word: his opinions, knowledge about life, and preferences and interests were largely defined by what he had read. Mur (his nickname) fascinates not only as the poet’s son but also as a young erudite and intellectual, immortalised by the diary he left behind, which contains precious descriptions of daily life in the 1930s — 1940s. In his examination of the books and periodicals in the scope of Georgy’s reading interests (from European classics to Mickey Mouse comic books, and from Silver Age poetry to latest Soviet novels), Belyakov discovers that Efron’s reading and his comments on it alone help to reconstruct many aspects of his personality, while the numerous quotes from Georgy’s diary allow for appreciation of his erudition, critical treatment of reality, and writing style.

About the Author

S. S. Belyakov
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin
Russian Federation

Sergey S. Belyakov, Candidate of History

19 Mira St., Ekaterinburg, 620002



References

1. Abramovich, G., Braynina, B. and Egolin, A., eds. (1939). Russian literature. A textbook for the 9th grade of secondary school. Part 2. Moscow: Uchpedgiz. (In Russ.)

2. Babaev, E. (1993). Ulysses: On the life of Marina Tsvetaeva’s son. Stolitsa, 30, pp. 58-62. (In Russ.)

3. Bobyshev, D. (2003). Here I am (Humantext) [Ya zdes (Chelovekotekst)]. Moscow: Vagrius. (In Russ.)

4. Chukovskaya, L. (2007). Notes on Anna Akhmatova (3 vols). Vol. 1. Moscow: Vremya. (In Russ.)

5. Chukovsky, K. (1941). Books and bombs. Vechernyaya Moskva, 9 Oct., p. 4. (In Russ.)

6. Efron, G. (1942). Diverses Quintessences de c’esprit moderne. Asie Soviétique. Tashkent. [poems and prose] Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, Fond 1190, inv. 3, item 239, sheets 1-63. Moscow, Russian Federation. (In French and Russ.)

7. Efron, G. (2018). Notes of a Parisian: Diaries, letters, literary experiments (1941-1944). Moscow: AST. (In Russ.)

8. Fokin, P., ed. (2016). Tsvetaeva without gloss. St. Petersburg: Palmyra; Moscow: Kniga po trebovaniyu. (In Russ.)

9. Gerstein, E. (2002). Memoirs. Moscow: Zakharov. (In Russ.)

10. Gromova, N. (2019). Noah’s Ark of writers. Evacuation of 1941-1945. Chistopol. Elabuga. Tashkent. Alma-Ata. Moscow: AST: CORPUS. (In Russ.)

11. Korkina, E., ed. (2012). Unpublished materials by M. Tsvetaeva. Family: A story in letters. Moscow: Ellis Lak. (In Russ.)

12. Korkina, Е. and Losskaya, V., eds. (2005a). Diaries of G. Efron (2 vols). Vol. 1. Moscow: Vagrius. (In Russ.)

13. Korkina, Е. and Losskaya, V., eds. (2005b). Diaries of G. Efron (2 vols). Vol. 2. Moscow: Vagrius. (In Russ.)

14. Kudrova, I. (2016). Marina Tsvetaeva: A lawless comet. Moscow: AST. (In Russ.)

15. Mnukhina, L., ed. (2016a). Letters of M. Tsvetaeva. 1933-1936. Moscow: Ellis Lak. (In Russ.)

16. Mnukhina, L., ed. (2016b). Letters of M. Tsvetaeva. 1937-1941. Moscow: Ellis Lak. (In Russ.)

17. Revyakin, A., ed. (1979). The complete works and letters of A. Chekhov (30 vols). Letters (12 vols). Letters: vol. 7. Moscow: Nauka. (In Russ.)

18. Seseman, D. (2006). Marina Tsvetaeva, Georgy Efron and return to the USSR.

19. Part 1. Radio ‘Svoboda,’ [online] 28 Aug. Available at: https://www.svoboda.org/a/262693.html [Accessed 10 Oct. 2021]. (In Russ.)

20. Shalamov, V. (2009). Several of my lives: Memoirs, notebooks, letters, case files. Moscow: Eksmo. (In Russ.)

21. Shukst-Ignatova, I. (1999). Memoirs. In: I. Kudrova, Marina Tsvetaeva’s death. Moscow: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, pp. 290-298. (In Russ.)

22. Tarasov, B., ed. (2008). Reminiscences of the Maxim Gorky Institute of Literature and Creative Writing. Book 2. Moscow: Literaturniy institut imeni А. М. Gorkogo. (In Russ.)

23. Tvardovsky, A. and Tvardovskaya, M. (1997). Unburnt letters. Publication by M. Belkina. Znamya, 10, pp. 144-177. (In Russ.)


Review

For citations:


Belyakov S.S. Georgy Efron: A reader’s life. Voprosy literatury. 2022;(1):233-275. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31425/0042-8795-2022-1-233-275

Views: 233


ISSN 0042-8795 (Print)