Ukrainian Literature in the Twentieth Century: A Reader's Guide

Myroslav Shkandrij is head of the Department of German and Slavic
Studies at the University of Manitoba and editor of The Cultural
Renaissance in Ukraine: Polemical Pamphlets, 1925-1926.

Modestly described in the opening pages as “not a literary history
[but rather a] pocket-size reader’s guide that may be useful to
students and to the general public,” this volume nevertheless achieves
something more than that. A survey of salient figures and trends, it
examines the rapid development of Ukrainian writing in the first three
decades of this century (and its decline in the 1930s), the rise of the
dissident movement in the 1960s and 1970s, and relevant events up to the
present day. Quotations from contemporaries and current critics enliven
the portraits and bring the issues into focus, while an index of authors
and titles allows for quick cross-referencing.

The Guide goes beyond merely annotating key figures; there are
assessments throughout, an attempt to explain major achievements and to
present a balanced but comprehensive picture. Luckyj brings to this book
years of scholarship and a strong interest in sociopolitical
developments. His aim is to stimulate interest in a number of debates:
tradition vs. innovation, nationalism and the West, popular vs.
highbrow, politics vs. esthetics. These debates are structured as a
point–counterpoint throughout the narrative. The book ignores some of
the most interesting recent developments in Ukrainian literature, and
occasionally its descriptions are outdated (Vitalii Korotych is
described as “a doctor by profession,” “a committed writer,” and
“a member of the Communist Party”). Surprisingly, although two
chapters are devoted to émigré and diaspora writing, almost no mention
is made of Ukrainian literature written in Canada. However, within the
constraints set by space, the book provides a pithy but assured
introduction to its subject.