Jochen Hellbeck, Ed., Autobiographical Practices in Russia/Autobiographische Praktiken in Russland (Book Review‪)‬

Jochen Hellbeck, ed., Autobiographical Practices in Russia /Autobiographische Praktiken in Russland. 301 pp. Gottingen: V&R unipress [Vandenhoek & Ruprecht], 2004. ISBN 3899711920. 34.90 [euro]. This collection contains a series of gem-like articles on Russian /Soviet expressions of the self in the modern period, from the late 18th century well into the 20th. The historian of Russia Jochen Hellbeck of Rutgers University has edited it well; with four different variations in language production (some articles are in English, some in German, some in Russian translated into German and one in Russian translated into English), there is a considerable potential for difficulty in presentation. Yet the clarity of prose in both English and German as well as the quality of its content make this book a valuable text in the area of autobiographical studies as well as Russian /Soviet studies. Each article is concluded by a useful abstract in German if the article itself is offered in English, and English if it is offered in German. Judging by the weak numbers on WorldCat, Autobiographical Practices in Russia / Autobiographische Praktiken in Russland is not on the standard purchase lists for university libraries in the United States, but every university with a Russian program or a comparative literature program should be sure to have a copy on hand.