Automatic for the Masses: The Death of the Author and the Birth of Socialist Realism

‘This provocative monograph, with its thorough scholarship, original argument, and witty writing, should appeal to students of European and Soviet modernism as well as specialists in cultural history and theory.’

Alexander Prokhorov, The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review vol 44:2017

“Automatic for the Masses is a cogent, informative, and perceptive discussion of the author’s proverbial death in early Soviet culture and socialist realism. The theoretical thrust of the book is both compelling and groundbreaking – like any good theorist should do, Petrov makes complex ideas seem straightforward and clear.” Tim Harte, Department of Russian, Bryn Mawr College

“Automatic for the Masses takes a refreshingly original approach to the study of socialist realism. Sophisticated and savvy, it is a must read for all with a serious interest in Soviet culture.”

Katerina Clark, Department of Comparative Literature and Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Yale University