Choice 评论
Baer (Kent State Univ.) has written a groundbreaking study of the discourse surrounding homosexuality as a reflection of Russian post-Soviet identity from the late 1980s through the Putin presidency. Effectively deploying historical and geographical frameworks, the author juxtaposes inherently Russian associations to the notion of homosexuality as a Western import that threatens Russian male identity. He sees connotative meanings of homosexuality resonating in contemporary Russian notions of democracy, personal freedom, and aesthetics as, for instance, the silver age link between homosexuality, spirituality, and artistic refinement surfaces in a modern expression of Russianness and individuality. Baer extends the discussion to look at homosexual motifs in the fiction of Viktor Pelevin and Vladimir Sorokin as signifying an abdication of the traditional Russian writers burden of social responsibility. Though he draws on numerous critical works from Russian and Western authors, Baer amply illustrates his investigation with his own close readings of contemporary film and writing. Extensive notes and bibliography provide necessary background and fuel for further investigation. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. N. Tittler SUNY at Binghamton