The Slave Soul of Russia: Moral Masochism and the Cult of Suffering

by Daniel Rancour-Laferriere

Overview

Why, asks Daniel Rancour-Laferriere in this controversial book, has Russia been a country of suffering? Russian history, religion, folklore, and literature are rife with suffering. The plight of Anna Karenina, the submissiveness of serfs in the 16th and 17th centuries, ancient religious tracts emphasizing humility as the mother of virtues, the trauma of the Bolshevik revolution, the current economic upheavals wracking the country-- these are only a few of the symptoms of what The Slave Soul of Russia identifies as a veritable cult of suffering that has been centuries in the making.
Bringing to light dozens of examples of self-defeating activities and behaviors that have become an integral component of the Russian psyche, Rancour-Laferriere convincingly illustrates how masochism has become a fact of everyday life in Russia. Until now, much attention has been paid to the psychology of Russia's leaders and their impact on the country's condition. Here, for the first time, is a compelling portrait of the Russian people's psychology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814776605
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	03/01/1995
Series:	Open Access Lib and HC
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	481,503
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Daniel Rancour-Laferriere is Professor of Russian at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of many books, including The Slave Soul of Russia and Self-Analysis in Literary Study, both available from NYU Press.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A vast, provocative study . . . psychologically illuminating."

-Times Literary Supplement,

"[Rancour-Laferriere] sees in Russian masochism one of the attractions and beauties of Russian culture. Sure to raise eyebrows, if not hackles."

-Library Journal,

"A provocative exploration of moral masochism as an undercurrent in the tragic history of the Russian people. Rancour-Laferriere's study should be read by all those interested in the nature of Russian nationalism and the myths surrounding Russian national character."

-Joanna Hubbs,author of Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture

Editorial Reviews

Rancour-Laferrire (Russian, Univ. of California, Davis) was inspired by the late Soviet writer V.S. Grossman's belief in Russia's slave soul to investigate the propensity of his countrymen to wallow in self-defeating servility. "Nearly one thousand footnotes later" in his words, he feels that Grossman was correct. In several spheres of Russian culture, Rancour-Laferriere documents "the widespread occurrence of moral masochism" among Russians. Some familiar agents pass his analysis: infant swaddling, the (holy) fool, the communal bathhouse, Russian collectivism, and strong, long-suffering women. By the book's end, he has come to see in Russian masochism one of the attractions and beauties of Russian culture. This work is sure to raise eyebrows, if not hackles. For Russian studies collections.-Robert Johnston, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ontario

Library Journal

Rancour-Laferriere (Russian, U. of California, Davis) discusses the theme of suffering in Russian history, religion, folklore, and literature, and brings to light examples of self-defeating behaviors that have become an integral part of the Russian psyche. He look at folktales of the fool and his mother, gender issues in Russian masochism, the masochism of Russian bathhouse rituals, masochism and the collective, and the post-Soviet antimasochistic trend. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"A vast, provocative study . . . psychologically illuminating."

Times Literary Supplement

"A provocative exploration of moral masochism as an undercurrent in the tragic history of the Russian people. Rancour-Laferriere's study should be read by all those interested in the nature of Russian nationalism and the myths surrounding Russian national character."

Joanna Hubbs

”[Rancour-Laferriere] sees in Russian masochism one of the attractions and beauties of Russian culture. Sure to raise eyebrows, if not hackles.”

- Library Journal

"A vast, provocative study . . . psychologically illuminating."

- Times Literary Supplement

”A provocative exploration of moral masochism as an undercurrent in the tragic history of the Russian people. Rancour-Laferriere's study should be read by all those interested in the nature of Russian nationalism and the myths surrounding Russian national character.”

-Joanna Hubbs,author of Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture

From the Publisher