Structure and Meaning. Theory of Literature for Everyone

Igor Nikolaevich Sukhikh (b. 1952) — Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor at Saint Petersburg University, writer, critic. Author of more than 500 scientific works on the history of Russian literature of the 19th–20th centuries, including monographs "The Problems of Chekhov's Poetics" (1987, 2007), "Sergei Dovlatov: Time, Place, Fate" (1996, 2006, 2010), "Books of the 20th Century. The Russian Canon" (2001), "Prose of the Soviet Era: Three Fates. Babel. Bulgakov. Zoshchenko" (2012), "The Russian Canon. Books of the 20th Century" (2012), "From… to… Essays on Russian Literature" (2015) and others, as well as the three-volume work "Russian Literature for Everyone" that became beloved by schoolchildren and teachers.
The book "Structure and Meaning" is the result of the research and teaching experience of I. N. Sukhikh. It can be placed alongside textbooks introducing literary studies, but it has at least three significant differences. First, this book is interesting to read, not just to study from; second, it successfully combines theory and practice: in the "Illustrations" section, there are articles dedicated to specific issues of literary studies; and third, despite the academic nature of the presentation, the book is addressed to the widest possible audience of readers.