Batyushkov is not ill

The book “Batyushkov is not ill” is an artistic exploration of the fate and creativity of Konstantin Nikolaevich Batyushkov (1787–1855), one of the most enigmatic and paradoxical classics of the golden age of Russian poetry. Soul illness struck him early,... yet his legacy is so profound that it continues to hypnotize readers. Each generation tries to “decipher” Batyushkov once again, and this book is yet another attempt to understand him.
Writer Gleb Shulpyakov lovingly recreates the circumstances of the personal, literary, and social life in which the poet's existence is imprinted. On the pages of the book, his friends and loved ones, favorite poets and artists come to life, as well as the literary intrigues and scandals of that time. Along with Batyushkov, the reader travels through Germany, France, England, and Italy, experiencing the historical events of 1812, the Battle of Nations, and the capture of Paris, of which he was a witness and participant.



3 reasons to buy this book
1. Gleb Shulpyakov is an expert on the described topic. He is the author of a series of lectures on the poet, several scientific articles, poems, and a play about Konstantin Nikolaevich Batyushkov. The author has worked multiple times with original documents in the manuscript department of the RNB. 2. The book “Batyushkov is not ill,” despite its title, is not only about Batyushkov—here intertwine the fates of Vasily Zhukovsky, Nikolai Karamzin, Ivan Krylov, Nikolai Gnedich, and the “Arzamas group.” This book is a snapshot of an era, a tangle of complicated threads that the author carefully unravels and lovingly brings together into one stream. 3. The author immerses the reader in historical events, telling not only about the life of Konstantin Nikolaevich but also about the events of which he was a part—the battle near Geylsberg, the fire in Moscow, and the war of 1812, the Battle of Nations near Leipzig, and the capture of Paris. Thus, the poet's fate becomes part of the larger canvas of time.