Maksim Gorky

Books in the ‘Rereading the Classics’ series give a modern analysis of the works that form part of school literature curricula. This is the first attempt to provide a detailed insight into the spiritual, moral and religious aspects of the art of 19th and 20th century Russian writers. The series is offered as the basis of modern knowledge about Russian literature, which is necessary for high school students to pass school-leaving examinations and to gain admission to any institution of higher learning.

The author of this book sees his task in viewing Gorky's 1920s-1930s works in the context of Russian literature of the period and commparing it with the artistic discoveries of his great contemporaries, primarily V. Nabokov and B. Pasternak. A separate chapter is devoted to the writer's artistic world, the originality of his realism, the concept of personality, the hero and the anti-hero. The main attention is paid to the analysis of works that are part of the program for those entering the humanitarian faculties of universities.

The book is addressed primarily to high school students and university entrants. However, high school, gymnasium, lyceum teachers and philologists who study the history of the Russian 20th century literature will find it an interesting read.