Why read Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics?

Book cover of Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics

Book description

This book is not only a major twentieth-century contribution to Dostoevsky's studies, but also one of the most important theories of the novel produced in our century. As a modern reinterpretation of poetics, it bears comparison with Aristotle."Bakhtin's statement on the dialogical nature of artistic creation, and his differentiation of…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Charles Hersch

Author

Although not about jazz or even music, this rich text provides a foundation for thinking about jazz democratically and has influenced some of the above-mentioned authors. Bakhtin argues that artworks have the potential to put multiple voices in conversation with one another without resolving them to a single point of view. The epitome of such artworks was what he called, using a musical metaphor, the “polyphonic novel” pioneered by Dostoevsky. Such artworks embody and encourage a “broadening of consciousness,” an openness to the voices of others that is the essence of democracy at its best.

From Charles' list on jazz’s connection to democracy.