Why are people obsessed with big Russian books? What can literature do with life, death, and transgression? This course explores the psychological and philosophical intensity of novels like Crime and Punishment in tandem with the aesthetic development of 19th century Russian realism. We will investigate both violence and voice, both gender and genre, both morality and medium, through close reading and discussion of novelistic masterpieces by authors including Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Ivan Turgenev. Readings and discussion will be in English, with an optional Russian section for Russian speakers.
3-5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-A-II, WIM
Why are people obsessed with big Russian books? What can literature do with life, death, and transgression? This course explores the psychological and philosophical intensity of novels like Crime and Punishment in tandem with the aesthetic development of 19th century Russian realism. We will investigate both violence and voice, both gender and genre, both morality and medium, through close reading and discussion of novelistic masterpieces by authors including Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Ivan Turgenev. Readings and discussion will be in English, with an optional Russian section for Russian speakers.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.