Sad Detective
Encyclopedia
The Sad Detective is a story (a short novel
) of notable Russian writer Viktor Astafyev. The novel was firstly published in January 1986 issue of Oktyabr magazine. The book shows the urban life in stagnation
-era Soviet Union as seen by the protagonist, Russian policeman Soshnin. Main topics of the Sad Detective are criminality and deprivation of human beings. The setting is in two imaginary towns: Veysk and Khaylovsk. The work was written between 1982 and 1985. It was published in 1986, at the beginning of Perestroika
. The critics had divided opinions on Astafyev's piece, mostly crediting the author with showing a realistic picture of the urban life in 1980s, but some also accusing the author of anti-intellectualism
. The Encyclopædia Britannica
characterises the novel as “a gruesome look at the alcoholism, violence, and animosity among Soviet people″http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/760323/Viktor-Petrovich-Astafyev.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
) of notable Russian writer Viktor Astafyev. The novel was firstly published in January 1986 issue of Oktyabr magazine. The book shows the urban life in stagnation
Stagnation
Stagnation may refer to one of the following*Economic stagnation, slow or no economic growth*Era of Stagnation, a period of economic stagnation in Soviet Union*Stagnation in fluid dynamics, see "Stagnation point"*Water stagnation*Air stagnation...
-era Soviet Union as seen by the protagonist, Russian policeman Soshnin. Main topics of the Sad Detective are criminality and deprivation of human beings. The setting is in two imaginary towns: Veysk and Khaylovsk. The work was written between 1982 and 1985. It was published in 1986, at the beginning of Perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
. The critics had divided opinions on Astafyev's piece, mostly crediting the author with showing a realistic picture of the urban life in 1980s, but some also accusing the author of anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism is hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed as the derision of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical and contemptible...
. The Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
characterises the novel as “a gruesome look at the alcoholism, violence, and animosity among Soviet people″http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/760323/Viktor-Petrovich-Astafyev.