Complete Collection of Reviews

The book represents the most complete collection of literary and critical texts by S. Gedroytza to date — under this pseudonym, for several years, Samuel Aronovich Lurie (1942–2015) published his reviews. The collection includes more than three hundred articles dedicated to the most vivid and notable books by domestic and foreign authors, published in Russia during the first decade of the 21st century. The collection also includes an interview with S.A. Lurie about the literary mystification "S. Gedroytz." "I was interested in introducing elements of prose into criticism. For forty years, readers have become accustomed to Samuel Lurie, learned his tastes and literary preferences. It was enough for him to see the title of the book and my opinion. I felt that no one was reading Samuel Lurie anymore, but only indifferently noted: 'Critic Lurie said...' It was time to replace the tired reviewer with an unknown and completely different person. Then I enjoyed listening to judgments like: 'Lurie couldn't understand this or that, while Gedroytz, because of his youth, could.' Even major writers fell into the trap. It's natural to admire a poet, but how can one love a critic at a distance? Only if he has a legend and a biographical image. Gedroytz was also young, lively, cheeky, mocking, wrote in slang and argot, used colloquial expressions and did not heed authorities, often as if 'slipping' about his personal circumstances. I have always believed that criticism and essays are simply uninteresting without living human speech." Samuel Lurie