Akunin Project: The Mysteries and Histories of Russia's Bestselling Author

The Akunin Project is the first book to study the fiction and popular history of Grigorii Chkhartishvili, one of the most successful writers in post-Soviet Russia. It explores his bestselling adventure novels and recent histories of the Russian state, with translations of five short works and an interview with the author.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 372 pages
Publication date: 02 February 2021
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

The Akunin Project is the first comprehensive study of the fiction and popular history of Grigorii Chkhartishvili, one of the most successful writers in post-Soviet Russia. In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Chkhartishvili published over sixty books under various pen names, including Anatolii Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, Akunin-Chkhartishvili, and Boris Akunin. His series featuring the tsarist secret policeman Erast Fandorin has sold over 15 million books in Russia alone, making him one of the bestselling authors of the post-Soviet era. Akunin's works have been translated into English and adapted for film and television, combining intertextuality, allusions, pastiche, and other markers of postmodern playfulness. His public profile has been further enhanced by his active involvement in mass political protests against Vladimir Putin. Despite Akunin's international reputation as a celebrated writer, there is very little critical work on his literary output and his mysterious persona. The Akunin Project fills this gap by exploring the author's bestselling adventure novels and recent histories of the Russian state. The book includes translations of five short works previously unavailable in English as well as an interview with the author.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 151 x 230 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487525767