Burn and Its Era: Aksenov and Brodsky in a Turbulent Century

The novel Burn sparked tensions with Vasily Aksyonov and Joseph Brodsky. The poet appeared degreeably critical of the work in American publishing circles, a stance that, given its standing, made an English translation unlikely. It seems Brodsky may have disliked the novel’s irregular rhythm and its many phantasmagorical segments blended with parodic ones. Aksyonov’s work burned with intensity, and his peers understood why Vasily Pavlovich felt the piece was a direct, forceful expression of his broader achievement. It captured the sixties generation as it stepped into the disappointing forty‑plus era of the 1970s. Those characters would now be around ninety years old, much like Aksyonov himself, who would celebrate ninety on August 20.