“This is a laugh riot”: Reading Smollett in Tsarist Russia

Ch. 13. P. 225–238.

Serebrennikov A.

This chapter offers an overview of the reception of Tobias Smollett's work in Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution. In some ways, the fortunes of Smollett in Russia echoed his reception elsewhere on the continent and in Britain; in others, it offered unusual interpretations of his writing and knew highs and lows uncharacteristic of other countries. While Smollett did not enjoy a popularity or influence in Russia comparable to that of Laurence Sterne, Walter Scott, or Charles Dickens, his reception in the country is rich and thought-provoking enough to deserve a special critical study.

Keywords: Anglo-Russian literary contacts, British novel, Tobias Smollett

In book

Tobias Smollett After 300 Years: Life, Writing, Reputation

Liverpool University Press, Clemson University Press, 2023.