Reading Russian Fortunes: Print Culture, Gender and Divination in Russia from 1765

ISBN-13: 9780521581233 / Angielski / Twarda / 1998 / 266 str.

Faith Wigzell (University of London)

Opis

This is the first full-length study of the huge popularity and cultural impact of fortune telling in Russia from the eighteenth century to the present. It examines the ways in which popular fortune telling books found acceptance among urban and literate Russians, the role of women in fortune telling, and the function of fortune telling in their culture. It goes on to consider the relationship between urban fortune telling and traditional oral culture, and discusses why fortune telling continues as a powerful force in modern Russian society.

Recenzje

'… the book has many merits, as well as a high level of scholarship. … Most importantly, this monograph provides a useful compendium and discussion of information on a neglected subject which broadens our understanding of pre-revolutionary Russian culture.' Modern Language Review

Spis treści

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Dreambooks and other fortune-telling guides; 2. Divination in Russian traditional culture; 3. Readers and detractors; 4. Printers and publishers; 5. Women, men and domestic fortune-telling; 6. Fortune-tellers and their clientele; 7. Sages and prophets; 8. Disappearance and revival; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.