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Abstract:

This article studies the relation between the poetics of N. Nekrasov’s prose and the poetics of the early Victorian novel. More precisely, it compares N. Nekrasov’s prose and A. Panayeva’s novel “Three Countries of the World” (1849) with C. Dickens’ novels “Nicholas Nickleby” (1838–1839) and “Martin Chuzzlewit” (1843–1844). These works share motifs of an unhappy childhood and coming of age, the hero’s wanderings, an adventure plot, and a happy ending associated with the successful resolution of a love conflict. Dickens shows that it is possible to tell a fascinating story without forgetting about acute social issues. Besides analysing specific elements of similarity, it is productive to consider the reception of Dickens in a typological aspect as part of the Russian reception of the Victorian novel. The latter demonstrates the following distinctive features: a focus on the action (plot); the subordination of social issues to action; the motif of an unhappy childhood; a marriage plot; and a happy ending. It is shown that Nekrasov is less interested in specific novels than in the emerging genre itself, which generally stands apart from the main Russian realistic trend yet is nevertheless attractive to readers.