Fyodor Dostoevsky in Chinese literature of the 21st century (on the material of writers’ interviews)

Abstract

Feodor Dostoevsky’s work has always been relevant to Chinese literature. Interest in it increased in the first decades of the 21th century. Since 1981 China established a literary award named after Mao Dun. Currently the most serious China writers become nominees of this award. The article explores their statements and discourses on artistic creations which usually mention Feodor Dostoevsky. The interviewees admit that few contemporary writers in China have escaped Dostoevsky’s influence. Based on the materials translated from Chinese the author reveals the presence of new reference points, forms and techniques in contemporary Chinese literature. The obtained results only outline the prospects of “Dostoevsky and Modern Chinese literature” topic study; further delving into it implies extensive analysis and painstaking work on the interpretation of specific texts that have been influenced by the works of the Russian classic.

Keywords

• fyodor dostoevsky
• liu wenfei
• modern chinese literature
• prose
• mao dun prize
• tsang xue
• yang zhijun
• qiao ye
• liu zhenyun