PUSHKIN'S ODE TO LIBERTY

A historical novel elaborates on the life story of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

DuVernet’s book opens in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1837 with Pushkin in preparation for a duel that will cause his death. Rumors have circulated that his wife, Natalya, is involved with French officer Georges D’Anthes, and Pushkin’s receipt of an anonymous letter proclaiming him to be a “cuckold” only serves to fuel his rage. The duel with D’Anthes goes badly, and the poet is mortally wounded. Leaving Pushkin bleeding in the care of his wife and his valet, Nikita, the author backtracks to recount the poet’s earlier life. DuVernet expounds on key moments, such as Pushkin writing his first significant narrative verse, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”; his exile soon after on account of his radical political views; and his poetry being found in the possession of several Decembrist rebels. The author also describes the period following Pushkin’s publication of his masterpiece, the novel Eugene Onegin, including his marriage to Natalya and their roles in the imperial court. DuVernet makes a painstaking effort to lavishly embroider Pushkin’s life story with many creative details. But her approach has some significant flaws. The author’s writing style is unnecessarily wordy throughout, with a tendency toward overdescription: Pushkin’s “profile stood at attention, his posture poised, his sunken eyes squinted under a heavy brow, his sturdy jaw clenched as his pockmarked chin quaked, and his lips protruded into a serious frown.” DuVernet signals Pushkin’s African heritage, but her terminology is sometimes outdated: “His mulatto face appeared haggard.” In terms of research, the author is satisfied with evidence provided by a Pushkin scholar and critic in 1927 that the anonymous letter declaring the poet to be a cuckold was written by a man named Dolgoruky. DuVernet overlooks that this theory has since been contested, instead treating it as a “conclusive answer,” which may prove contentious among Pushkin scholars. Tenderly illustrated with charming, if naïve, uncredited sketches; Pushkin’s family tree; and a map of his travels, the novel clearly displays the author’s fervent interest in the Russian literary giant. Sadly, the execution of this work falls a bit short of the standards expected by lovers of great literature like Pushkin’s monumental works, and the research, although highly detailed, lacks breadth.

A valiant, if uneven, effort at describing a rich and complex literary life.