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Abstract:

The article explores the role of the books by the founder of French spiritism, Allan Kardec, in Vera Kryzhanovskaya-Rochester’s novel “Revenge of the Jew”, first published in French in 1890 and translated into Russian two years later. It determines the place of this work within a series of novels purportedly dictated to the writer by the spirit of the English poet John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. The reception of “Revenge of the Jew” is traced among representatives of spiritist circles in France and Russia, as well as in Russian literary criticism and contemporary research. The article notes the novel’s popularity among playwrights and filmmakers in France, Russia, and Brazil. It examines the differences between the two Russian translations of the novel concerning the interpretation of spiritism. The acquaintance with Allan Kardec’s books signifies a turning point in the fates of the novel’s characters, guiding them along the path of goodness and mercy. In the recently reissued translation of “Revenge of the Jew”, the role of Kardec’s books is amplified: the number of his works recommended for reading is increased from three to five, and the journal “Revue Spirite” is replaced by “The Book of Spirits”.

Keywords: Vera Kryzhanovskaya, Allan Kardec, spiritism, translation, genre, Rochesteriana, John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester.