Narrative Strategies and Structure of Narration in V. F. Odoyevsky’s “Mysterious” Tales

Abstract

This article undertakes a comprehensive analysis of narrative strategies and the distinctive features of narration within V. F. Odoyevsky's corpus of “mysterious” tales. It is acknowledged that these works have been subject to diverse interpretations; however, scholarly attention has traditionally gravitated towards their ideological dimensions, often at the expense of a rigorous examination of their formal construction and narrative organization. The author posits that an adequate understanding of Odoyevsky's fiction necessitates a meticulous consideration of its underlying narrative architecture. The paper concretely demonstrates the fundamental importance of this structural framework for textual interpretation. As case studies, the analysis draws upon the tales “The Dryad”, “The Salamander”, “The Cosmorama”, “The Apparition”, and “The Peasant Girl from Orlach”. Central to the discussion are the specific techniques employed by the author, including the introduction of figurative narrators, the creation of communicative events, and the effect of “dual authorship.” Furthermore, the study examines Odoyevsky's sophisticated methods of reader engagement through provocation and ludic devices such as irony, mystification, and the deliberate collision of disparate points of view. It is argued that Odoyevsky endeavors to grant a “voice” to characters representing various worldviews, thereby depicting events through both mystical and rational (“prudent”) perspectives. In doing so, he arguably anticipates the polyphonic principles later developed by F. M. Dostoevsky. Simultaneously, a close reading of the narrators' personas and behavioral patterns allows for the identification of the author's implicit stance toward the recounted events, which remains embedded within the text's fabric.