French Literature Reviews - 2026
Yoann Iacono, The Secret Lives of Vladimir
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs
The incredible story of a Russian poet of a thousand lives. Poet, playwright, actor, theorist, painter, publisher, poster artist, and screenwriter, Mayakovsky was born in Baghdati in 1893. Coming from a modest family, he moved to Moscow in 1906 following his father's death. It was there that a life rich in novelistic facets would begin. After masterfully recounting the life of Neijoko Suwa in "Goebbels' Stradivarius," Yoann Iacono takes his readers into twentieth-century Russia.
Born on December 30, 1980, in Bordeaux, Yoann Iacono is a graduate of the Toulouse Institute of Political Studies and the National Institute of Territorial Studies in Strasbourg. His first book, Goebbels' Stradivarius, has already been published in eleven countries.
—
The website Actualitte.com dedicated a review to this book:
"In this new investigative work, the author draws upon a multitude of unexplored sources: archives, diaries, memoirs, and correspondence, which he assembles with the precision of a master craftsman, evoking the imagery of matryoshka dolls.
This approach awakens in the reader a growing fascination and compassion for this multifaceted man, endowed with majestic wings. We discover Volodia, the mischievous child marked by loss; Volodia, the spirited friend of Konstantin, transformed by the strange sensation of freedom in captivity; Volodia, the poker enthusiast and avid reader; Volodia, the captivating friend and passionate lover.
Finally, we encounter Vladimir Mayakovsky, the celebrated poet and unfinished activist, torn between Moscow and Paris, divided among his loves, his artistic aspirations, and his political commitments. He is a blend of clairvoyance and eccentricity, symbolizing a complex of dualities whose splendor and relevance still resonate today."
Vladimir Mayakovsky remains a central figure in the history of Russian Futurism, a movement that sought to break from traditional artistic forms in the early twentieth century. His career spanned numerous disciplines, including poetry, drama, and visual arts, reflecting the turbulent cultural shifts of his era. This work examines his life through archival materials, diaries, and personal correspondence, situating the poet within the context of the political and social transformations of the period. Readers interested in the intersection of biography and twentieth-century Russian history may find this account relevant.
The narrative follows the poet from his early years in Baghdati and his move to Moscow in 1906 to his later life as an activist and artist. The text addresses the duality of his existence, characterized by tension between his personal relationships, his artistic ambitions, and his political commitments. By focusing on these facets, the book examines how Mayakovsky navigated the complexities of his time, moving between cities like Moscow and Paris. This exploration emphasizes the multifaceted nature of his public and private persona.