UCLA

This dissertation centers on Ivan Turgenev, the pioneering Russian novelist whose works first captured significant attention among the American literary public in the mid-nineteenth century. While Dostoevsky and Tolstoy later overshadowed Turgenev in terms of popularity, this study argues that his early impact fundamentally shaped the American discovery of Russian literature, laying the groundwork for subsequent literary and cultural interactions. By tracing the timeline from the initial rise of interest during the American Civil War, through the peak of popularity in the 1870s, and the eventual transition to later Russian authors, the dissertation reconstructs the evolving landscape of American literary taste and the forces that drove it.One of the components of the analysis is the role of translators — Eugene Schuyler, Leo Wiener, and Elizabeth Hapgood — whose interpretive choices and biographical backgrounds shaped the accessibility and perception of Turgenev’s work in the English-speaking world. The dissertation draws on both archival research and comparative analysis of translation practices, emphasizing the mediating role of French as a conduit for Russian literature to reach American readers. This approach highlights the intricate mechanisms of cultural transmission and the significance of intermediary languages and figures in cross-cultural literary movements.The study also investigates the responses of leading American critics and writers, including T. S. Perry, William Dean Howells, and Henry James, to Turgenev’s prose. Through these case studies, the dissertation explores questions of literary influence, critical reception, and the construction of reputation—most notably, James’s view of Turgenev as the “novelist for novelists.” The analysis extends into the early twentieth century, considering how Turgenev’s model of the short story and story cycle resonated with American modernist writers such as Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway. These intertextual connections demonstrate the ongoing relevance of Turgenev’s narrative strategies across literary generations.By illuminating the often-overlooked role of Turgenev as a cultural mediator and literary innovator, the dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of Russian-American cultural exchange and the processes by which literary reputations and influences are constructed across national and linguistic boundaries. The research underscores the importance of examining “secondary” authors and the mechanisms of cultural mediation in tracing the evolution of literary traditions. Ultimately, it reveals how Turgenev’s legacy persists in shaping American literary forms and cultural imagination, offering new insights for both Slavic and Comparative Studies.