Synopses & Reviews
Review
"From the 1860"s through the 1880"s, suicide remained at the center of Russian public discourse. As Irina Paperno demonstrates in this fascinating look at Russian fiction, newspaper articles, suicide notes, and medical reports, the act of suicide in 19th-century Russia became the source of discussions on immortality, religion, free will, and the relationship between the individual and society, among other topics. As a result of the attention paid to this 'suicide epidemic,' Paperno concludes that suicide became a cultural artifact in 19th-century Russia and thus served as a symbol of the age." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-256) and index.