Banerjee's (Russian & comparative literature, Smith Coll.; The Lime Tree in Prague ) introduction sets readers up for an attempt to address Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky's (1821 81) preoccupation with the tension between faith and reason. Unfortunately, this assumed direction is the clearest part of the book. The rest of it bogs down in thick biographical and literary details that don't seem to lead anywhere. References are doted on but left unexplained; chapters lack outlines. The author's erudition of Dostoevsky, related novelists, and the politics of the time is evident throughout, and the book's most interesting sections show a convergence of these elements. For example, when Banerjee illustrates how literary journals such as Vremya (Time)â€"the journal Dostoevsky founded with his brother, Mikhailâ€"supported political movements through the publication of particular pieces, the enormous significance of literature to 19th-century Russia is made apparent. However, these brief flares of engagement are not enough to warrant the book's purchase.â€"Maria Kochis, California State Univ. Lib., Sacramento
[Page 71]. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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