Menippean Satire in Russian Postmodern Prose

This paper examines the presence of Menippean satire in Russian postmodern prose. The works discussed include Anatolii Korolev's Golova Gogolja, Viktor Pelevin's Chapaev i Pustota, and Vasilii Aksenov's Vol'ter'iantsy i vol'ter'ianki. In accordance with the Bakhtinian model of classical Menippean satire, these works serve as a vehicle for the renewal of literary forms through a greater hybridization of generic conventions, a mixing of extremely diverse discourses and an exuberant play with language.