Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky

About the Author

Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky (1893-1984) was a pioneering Russian literary theorist, critic, and writer whose innovative ideas profoundly shaped 20th-century literary studies. A key figure in the Formalist movement, Shklovsky introduced the concept of 'defamiliarization' (ostranenie), arguing that art's purpose is to make the familiar strange, thereby renewing perception and combating the automatism of everyday life. His seminal essay 'Art as Technique' (1917) laid the groundwork for structuralist and post-structuralist thought, influencing thinkers from Roman Jakobson to Viktor Shklovsky's contemporaries in the OPOJAZ group. Beyond theory, Shklovsky's personal writings capture the tumultuous era of the Russian Revolution. In 'A Sentimental Journey: Memoirs, 1917-1922,' he vividly recounts his experiences as a Bolshevik sympathizer, his exile in Persia, and return to Petrograd, blending autobiography with sharp observations on art, politics, and survival. Exiled multiple times under Stalin, Shklovsky adapted by writing screenplays and historical essays, always maintaining his commitment to defying conventional narratives. His legacy endures as a bridge between revolutionary fervor and enduring literary insight.