Abstract
The representation of the urban space in the prose of the major Scottish writer A. Gray on the material of his key novels “Lanark” (1981), 1982, “Janine” (1982) and “Poor things” (1992) is analyzed in the article. It is noted that A. Gray made a significant contribution to the formation of the Glasgian novel, the specificity of which is defined more exactly in the works of M. Burgess and M. Gregorova. It is shown that, like other Glasgian writers, in his works A. Gray reflects on the consequences of the dehumanizing influence of the city on a person, however, in contrast to them, he makes a choice in favor of protagonists who are simultaneously representatives of the working and middle classes. The author note that in the novel “Lanark” the city is shown through the prism of three-time layers: a nostalgic past, a bleak present and an apocalyptic future. It is indicated that mortality becomes the thematic dominant, as a result of which Glasgow acquires the features of the underworld. It is proved that in A. Gray’s prose the Glasgian locus acts as a “place of memory”, while the motive of “recreating” memories from fragmentary facts of urban life plays a significant role in order to reconstruct the historical appearance of Glasgow or create fictitious memories of it in the reader.
Highlights
Грей — один из ведущих шотландских писателей второй половины XX века, что всякий раз подчеркивали его собратья по перу: Энтони Берджесс указывал на присущий А
Бернштейн в работе «Alasdair Gray» объясняет ее экспериментальный характер преемственностью шотландской литературной традиции, для которой характерны амбивалентные образы героев, сочетание фантастических и реалистических начал, а также установка на романный эксперимент [Bernstein, 1999, p. 23]
Material resourcesGray, A. (1992). Why Scots should rule Scotland. Edinburgh: Canongate Press. 65 p. Gray, A. (2000). The poor-the unfortunate. Moscow: Foreign literature, B. S. G.-PRESS. 416 p. ISBN 5-93636-013-X. (In Russ.). Gray, A. (2002). Poor Things. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. 318 p. Gray, A. (2005). 1982, Zhanin. St. Petersburg: Rad Fish. TID Amphora. 604 p. ISBN 5-483- 00115-X. (In Russ.). Gray, A. (2009). Lanark: a Life in four books. Moscow: Eksmo; St. Petersburg: Domino. 748 p. ISBN 978-5-699-32312-8. (In Russ.). Gray, A. (2016). Lanark: A Life in Four Books. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. 574 p. Gray, A. (2019). 1982, Janine. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. 352 p
Summary
Аннотация: Abstract: Представлен анализ репрезентации урбанистического пространства в прозе крупного шотландского писателя А. Указывается, что тематической доминантой становится мортальность, в результате чего Глазго приобретает черты преисподней. Gray made a significant contribution to the formation of the Glasgian novel, the specificity of which is defined more exactly in the works of M. Like other Glasgian writers, in his works A. The author note that in the novel “Lanark” the city is shown through the prism of three-time layers: a nostalgic past, a bleak present and an apocalyptic future. Gray’s prose the Glasgian locus acts as a “place of memory”, while the motive of “recreating” memories from fragmentary facts of urban life plays a significant role in order to reconstruct the historical appearance of Glasgow or create fictitious memories of it in the reader.
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