Taras Shevchenko has many names (from the pathetic Kobzar to the friendly She) and he is constantly present in our everyday lives (from school textbooks to trends on Tik Tok). He is one of the most famous Ukrainian figures in the world, which we have heard about more than once. What can motivate us to read Shevchenko? Maybe to find out why his works, written over 200 years ago, still have such a powerful influence? This book gives a simple and convincing answer to this question.
Volodymyr Dibrova is a translator, literary critic, and lecturer at Harvard University, and teaches Ukrainian language and literature to students from all over the world. In this collection of essays, avoiding simplification and total idealization (as well as complex sentences), he “translates” some realities, contexts, and reflects on the sources of the writer’s poetic influence. This book is aimed at helping you look at famous texts with “fresh eyes,” and by rereading them, find your own Shevchenko and better understand yourself as Ukrainians.
