Between Snow and Desert Heat

In both style and substance, Hebrew literature, from the second half of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, has unmistakably been influenced by Russian prose and poetry. Although these influences have been readily acknowledged, they have as a rule been studied only in an episodic and fragmented way. In nine fascinating case studies, Rina Lapidus has systematically identified those Hebrew authors and poets upon whom the Russian influence is most striking and upon whom it seems to have exerted the greatest power. After examining the textual parallels in the works of both the influencing and the influenced authors, she presents, when relevant, intertextual sources for the passages discussed -- such as various Russian idioms or linguistic or literary patterns commonly found in Russian literature. A theoretical introductory chapter discusses the contributions of Harold Bloom, Julia Kristeva, and others to the contemporary study of influence. Book jacket.

Rina Lapidus is Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan.