Editing Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy: Mikhail Katkov and the Great Russian Novel

Fusso's beautifully written study offers a behind-the-scenes account of a man who not only 'inspired vehement passions, both positive and negative,' but also published many of Russia's greatest nineteenth-century novels.

Slavic Review

The appearance of the first English-language monograph about M. N. Katkov, the editor and man of letters, is an event.

New Literary Observer

In making her case for Katkov's editorial clout, Fusso performs a tremendous scholarly service. She elegantly translates key passages from essays by Katkov that have remained largely unexamined by Western critics, tracking his ideological evolution from moderate progressive to reactionary.

Times Literary Supplement

Fusso shows in this fascinating study how Katkov as editor dedicated his life both to the propagation of his beliefs and to the promotion of Russian literature. Among other things, her book is an account of the reception of Katkov from his own day to the present time as reflective of deep cultural currents in Russia.

The Russian Review

Fusso shows convincingly that Katkov is much more than a footnote in the history of Russian literature.

American Historical Review

As the first book-length study of Katkov in English, this volume fills a significant gap in the scholarly literature. This book rescues Katkov from earlier caricature and shows his vital place in the larger ecosystem of literary production in the age of the great Russian novel.

The Modern Language Review