Petersberg by Andrei Bely

Petersberg by Andrey Bely

The structure of this novels gets me excited for potential possibilities of the novel. Although this novel was published right before the Russian Revolution when political turmoil was reaching a breaking point, the political concerns are presented so subtly and usually with humor, which to me is a great way to deal with them in an individual work of art. Also, starting with the prologue, which is just two pages describing Petersberg and how it looks on a map (a black dot), the setting of the novel almost acts as a character throughout the novel (there are pages describing Petersberg throughout). Also, the tone of the novel is more effortlessly humorous than any work I’ve read, and a lot of that humorous tone comes from the stream of consciousness when we’re in a character’s head. Also, the novel takes place in a span of 24 hours. All these seem like innovative literary techniques that really make the novel much more lucid and engaging. I hope someone else develops these themes and aesthetics even further. After reading A Portrait, I’m rooting for Joyce to be the one to do that.