Unflinching in the face of blood, sex, and gore, Eliot Borenstein takes readers on a fascinating tour of the dark underbelly of post-Soviet pop culture. Authoritative, engaging and painstakingly researched, Overkill unearths a hidden world of deviance and desire that, in its violent intensity, rivals the most decadent productions of capitalism.
Mikita Brottman, Maryland Institute College of Art ... Read more In the term 'overkill,' Eliot Borenstein deftly captures a concept that will unquestionably become an indispensable keyword for post-Soviet cultural analysis.
Nancy Condee, University of Pittsburgh Focusing primarily on pulp fiction and visual fodder, Eliot Borenstein convincingly links the success of various genres to the mood of post-Soviet moral and social 'panic.' Borenstein's superb grasp on Russian and Soviet popular culture allows him to identify continuities amid dramatic changes. Overkill is savvy, original, and has appeal for a broad array of readers.
Helena Goscilo, University of Pittsburgh Eliot Borenstein's fascinating study of excess in a time of material and spiritual scarcity raises intriguing questions about the relationship of ideology to literary form. Writing with wit, empathy, and a great familiarity with both classical Russian literature and Western mass culture, Borenstein sketches a picture of Russian culture lashing out in reaction to a shared sense of ideological impotence and embattled masculinity. Overkill conveys a visceral understanding of the cultural conditions-aesthetic impoverishment and national frustration-that facilitated the rise of Putin.
Eric Naiman, University of California, Berkeley A remarkably good book.... Whether speaking about lowbrow literature or better made works, Borenstein is a careful reader of popular culture as 'symptom,' as a visible manifestation of social dis-ease.... This book is smart and funny.... written in exactly the right tone for its content.
Slavic and Eastern European Journal
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