The literary field
Keyword(s):
With the transition from amateur societies to professional literary institutions nearing its end, the chapter turns to the so-called thick journals and their role in promoting professionalization of literature, supporting the development of literary movements such as the Natural School, and fostering the rise of mass readership in metropolitan Russia and in the provinces. The chapter also examines how institutions such as censorship, economic factors such as the growing book market, and literary factors such as mature literary criticism informed authorial choices and shaped their identity. A case study of the career and reputation of Nikolai Gogol illustrates many of these points.