Aleksandr Blok: A Life
by Nina Berberova

July, 1996
Hardcover, 145 pages
8.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches

ISBN-13: 978-0807614082
$22.50 (Can $25.50)

Alexandr Blok (1880-1921), the leader of the Symbolist Movement, was one of Russia's greatest poets. An inspiration to many modern Russian poets well known in the West, most notably Pasternak, this accoutn of his life is one of the few books on this poet available in English. A member of the Russian aristocracy, Blok lived through a period in which a traditional world was being destroyed and a new, often alarming, utopia was emerging. After years of expressing disdain for politics, he became an enthusiastic supporter of the Revolution, changing from a detached observer of revolution to a committed servant of the Russian people. This change is reflected in the shift in his work away from his early poetic mysticism to the historical vision of his most famous poem, The Twelve. This book masterfully and elegantly conveys Blok's complicated emotional life, his passion for art, and his public stature with deep insight and understanding.