The Reluctant Modernist

Andrei Belyi (1880-1934) was one of the greatest prose-writers to emerge from early twentieth-century Russia, his works often being compared with those of Joyce and Proust. While there are several studies of Andrei Belyi as novelist and critic, this is the first to examine his role in the development of the `great tradition' of Russian prose fiction, in an attempt to assess his distinctive contribution to it. The book includes a detailed analysis of Belyi's prose works, paying keen attention to his philosphical and literary influences.