Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc
Iconographies of Difference
Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc
Iconographies of Difference
Description
A comprehensive history and analysis of the Soviet illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings published between 1981 and 1993, this book explores the production and reception of these works against a backdrop of oppressive state censorship, restrictive publishing practices and logistical struggles of translating such long texts. Highlighting the intense creativity, innovation and resourcefulness of illustrators from the USSR, Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc demonstrates how new forms of Tolkienian imagery reforged Western fantasy artwork and brought fresh iconographical diversity to late 20th-century fantasy visuals. In employing comparative analysis to reconcile the neglected Soviet illustrations with their popular Western equivalents, the book situates both pictorial traditions within the wider cultural and political contexts of the period and reflects upon their relevance to current debates regarding visual heterogeneity in fantasy.
Carefully reconstructing the diverse Middle-earth visions of illustrators such as Gyozo Vida, Jerzy Czerniawski, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich, Èduard Zarjanskij, Denis Gordeev and Sergei Iukhimov, Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc broadens notions of how Tolkien's work was received beyond Anglo-centric, Western audiences. A vivid record of artistic reception and the permeability of cultural boundaries during the final years of Communist rule, author Joel Merriner offers an art historian's analysis of these illustrations of Tolkien's beloved work and sheds new light on the role of visual art in shaping cultural content.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Iconography
Translation and motif
Methodology and structure
Part One: What of the Dawn?
Chapter One: The Craft and Power of Old
Chapter Two: Hidden Visions
Chapter Three: Letters of Power
Part Two: Stronger than Wraiths
Chapter Four: Displaced Worlds
Chapter Five: A Place of Shadow
Part Three: A King at the Cross-roads
Chapter Six: A Brightness So Deadly
Chapter Seven: The House of Light
Epilogue: A Far Green Country
Bibliography
Index
Product details
| Published | 21 Aug 2025 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 248 |
| ISBN | 9781350442108 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 75 colour illus |
| Series | Perspectives on Fantasy |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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