Re/read The Story of the Artist Fedotov by Viktor Šklovskij?

Abstract

Whereas Viktor Shklovsky's theoretical, critical and autobiographical works have been the subject of research and sometimes polemics, the Tale of the Artist Fedotov, which deals with the sad fate of the "Russian Hogarth" (1815-1852), is almost always ignored. This article compares its numerous editions, written over a period of forty years, revealing its hidden addressee and, perhaps, an unexpected key to its reading.