[ Rezensionen | Reviews ]

Stefan Simonek takes a look at Tamara Hundorova's latest work Pisliachornobylska biblioteka. Ukrainskyi literaturnyi postmodern, which deals with postmodernity in Ukrainian literature in the post-Chernobyl era. The evolution of post-modernity in Ukrainian literature is examined in depth in this work, and the reviewer guides us through these developments as described by Hunderova, bringing numerous insights into the tendencies and actors which make up Ukrainian postmodern literature.

A number of key ideas are examined. Post-modernism emerged in Ukraine with fall of the USSR. However, its roots can be traced further back. In doing so, questions emerge. Dealing with the past after the collapse of the Soviet Union seems an important component of postmodernist writing in Ukraine, whether it is the reference to Soviet-speak or the struggle to realign Ukrainian identity away form the Russia and more towards Central Europe, and therefore the question of to what extent post-modernism in Ukraine implies a re-alignment with the West, and away from Russia? Can postmodern Ukrainian literature require the use of Ukrainian as a language, or can it also be written in Russian? It would seem that national identity (which is not a very postmodern concept) remains important nevertheless in Ukrainian post-modern literature. All of this makes for an interesting review of an interesting book, which you can read here.