E. H. Carr's "Dostoevsky" Summary and Impressions - Hideo Kobayashi is referenced! Biography of Dostoevsky by an English writer
Today we will introduce "Dostoevsky" by E. H. Carr, translated by Tatsuo Matsumura, published by Chikuma Shobo Publishing Co.
The author of this biography, E. H. Carr, is a famous authorWhat is History?"He is a British international political scientist and historian, famous for his
E. H. Carr was born in 1892 and studied at Cambridge University before going on to become a diplomat. He became interested in Russian history and culture through his experience working in the Russian section of the Foreign Ministry.
After leaving his position in 1936, he was a professor of international politics at Wayles University.
The biography we present today, "Dostoevsky," was published in 1931, before he became a professor.
Kobayashi Hideo's "The Life of Dostoevsky," which I previously introduced, is said to have been written based on this biography of Carr.
Now, what makes this biography unique is Kerr's style of writing. Let's take a look at the translator's postscript.
From the perspective of a non-specialist reader such as myself, Carr's ideological position seems to me to be a positive application of the British liberal and democratic tradition. I appreciate that his progressive tendencies are also very immediate and realistic.
Chikuma Shobo, translated by Tatsuo Matsumura, E. H. Carr, Dostoevsky, p. 308
Carr will look at Dostoevsky from an Englishman's perspective.
In this review of Dostoevsky, there is neither mystification nor idolatry toward the world's greatest writer. There is no enthusiastic affirmation or denial of Dostoevsky. This is precisely the characteristic of this review. （The great prophet sometimes becomes a humorous and lovable clown, often pointing out Dostoevsky's character weaknesses and logical confusions. The biography does not take a transcendental mystifying angle, but presents his strengths and weaknesses side by side like a balance sheet, and one cannot help but feel the charm of a brilliantly British, sensible literary criticism.
Chikuma Shobo, translated by Tatsuo Matsumura, E. H. Carr, Dostoevsky, p. 309
I think this is the most important feature of this biography.
When I read the biography, I too couldn't help but think, "I see, this is the British way of thinking.
Carr's brush is somewhat of a step back and calm perspective. To be honest, I even thought it was too cold in some places.
Instead, we do not overly deify or unfairly discredit Dostoevsky. Instead, we will not overly deify Dostoevsky, nor will we unfairly undermine him.
And one more feature, the following quote is helpful.
There is one more thing that makes this review deeply interesting to Japanese readers. This is the enjoyment that comes naturally to us from the appearance of Russia as a backward country in the nineteenth century through the description of the social and ideological background that gave birth to the many works of Dostoevsky, with which we are already familiar. The contradictions between Western culture and the culture of his own country, the separation between the intelligentsia and the people, the factional conflicts in the literary world, and so on, all give the reader a sense of familiarity that is not necessarily alien to the author's own country.
Chikuma Shobo, translated by Tatsuo Matsumura, E. H. Carr, Dostoevsky, p310
He is indeed a professor of international politics who served as a diplomat. Carr tries to look at Dostoevsky from a broad international perspective, not just Russian.
And as the translator states in the quotation, the clash between Russia, a backward country, and Europe, an advanced country, is a theme that is very familiar to the Japanese. Japan, too, has a history of struggling to bridge the overwhelming gap in national power with European countries.
The battle was not only a clash of economics and military might, but also a clash between Japan's unique culture and that of the West.
Through Carr's biography of Dostoevsky, we are also forced to consider the state of Japan. I feel that this broad perspective amplifies the interest of Carr's biography.
Carr's "Dostoevsky" is a very readable biography that Hideo Kobayashi considered important.
However, I feel that if this is the first book you read, there is a danger that you will have a slightly indifferent impression of Dostoevsky. I have previously introduced Henri Troyer'sA Biography of Dostoevsky.The biography is slightly different from the dramatic and emotional biography of the
Therefore, I think that if you read the other biographies first and then read this one after the second one, you will be able to learn about different aspects of Dostoevsky and get to know him in a very well-balanced way. In that sense, I think this biography is a must-read. I highly recommend this biography.
The above is "E. H. Carr, Dostoevsky - Reference by Hideo Kobayashi! A Biography of Dostoevsky by an English Writer with a Calm Description".
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