Mogil'ščiki klassičeskoj literatury [24-02-1934] - [D120]

Concise description of the directive:

Strong criticism of the preface to the new translation of Plautus’ comedies published by Academia publishing house. The aim of a preface to a literary work should be as follows: not just to provide an academic commentary but to ‘discover’ the author, i.e. to identify in his works the traits that make us emotional or concerned today, ‘reviving the colours’ of past eras. Yet Academia’s preface boils down to the claim that Plautus was a conservative reactionary at the time of an active class struggle. From this preface, it is unclear why this classic author has been read and revered over the centuries; in fact, the author of the preface, after highlighting every negative trait of his works, has not explained what makes him relevant, interesting and worthy of new publication today. We need publications of classics that are interesting, exciting and accompanied by a good scientific apparatus.