French Literature Reviews - 2026
V. Otrochenko, In Praise of Disinterested Lies
Comparative and World Literature
In Praise of Disinterested Lies
Vladislav Otrochenko
Anne-Marie Tatsis-Botton (Translator)
Publication date: 27/10/2016 Publisher: Verdier (Editions) Series: slovo ISBN: 978-2-86432-891-9 EAN: 9782864328919 Format: Large Format Binding: Paperback Number of pages: 250 p.
Far from the Cossack steppes, Vladislav Otrochenko here gallops across realms of high fantasy. Moving as a free agent, defying time and geography, he explores his personal conception of space and revisits the great works of world literature—Catullus, Ovid, Pushkin, Platonov, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer... He lingers over certain oddities or mystifications, delighting in inconsistencies. In a cycle of short essays on Gogol, he joyfully veers into the fantastic with the meticulous precision of a detective.
Beneath the intoxicating allure of falsehood, a profound inquiry into reality and history gradually emerges. At a time when conflicts are shaking Europe, when nations are turning inward and thought is bogging down in the immediate present in search of certainty, maintaining critical distance is more necessary than ever. This is undoubtedly the ultimate lesson of literature. Transcending all borders, this defense of purposelessness, mystery, and ambiguity resonates with the force of a manifesto.
Moving freely across centuries and literary traditions, the author engages with celebrated writers and thinkers such as Catullus, Ovid, Pushkin, Platonov, Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. The collection is attentive to literary oddities, mystifications and inconsistencies, lingering over them and delighting in them. Through a cycle of short essays dedicated to Gogol, the work combines a taste for the fantastic with the precision of a detective.
The essays collectively mount a defense of ambiguity, mystery and purposelessness against the narrowing demands of the immediate present. By reflecting on falsehood and invention, the text addresses reality and history, maintaining critical distance amidst conflicts shaking Europe. Readers interested in contemporary reflections on world literature, the role of the imagination and the enduring lessons of classic texts may find this work relevant to broader cultural discussions.