“Hannibalian Oath”: On the History of V. Grossman’s Novel “Life and Fate”

Abstract

The article focuses the history of creation of V. Grossman’s novel “Life and Fate”, of its assessment by the editorial board of the journal “Znamya” and of its following arrest. The researcher pays particular attention to the question of why Grossman decided to submit his glaringly accusatory novel to a Soviet periodical. The answer suggested considers biographical reasons and those referring to the textology of “Life and Fate”.