With portrait, biography and foreword
Plyushch O. Works: [In 2 vols.]. Vol. 1. With a portrait, biography and foreword / O. Plyushch ; [compiled and edited by I. Lypa] – Odesa : published by the Odesa Literary Union. Publishing house of Y. Fesenko VIII, 187, [4] p. : portrait.
The first volume of the “Works” of Oleksii Plyushch (1887 1907), a Ukrainian writer, poet, playwright, and representative of the young intelligentsia of the early twentieth century, published by Odesa Literary Union (O. L. U.), is a thorough attempt to collect and comprehend the literary heritage of a young but original Ukrainian writer who passed away prematurely. The publication includes his prose works, in particular: ‘My Muse’, “The Cry of a Mad Man”, “Notes of a Sick Man”, “Confession”, “A Passionate Thinker and Teacher”, “A Terrible Mistake”, “In a Beerhouse”, “Bag Overview”. The book is complemented by a portrait of the author, an autobiographical essay, and a preface by the compiler Ivan Lypa (1865 1923), a writer, publisher, physician, public and political figure.
At the centre of Plyushch's work are the figures of exceptional personalities, wounded in the soul, in a state of spiritual crisis, searching for truth and the meaning of existence. His stories “The Cry of the Mad Man”, “Notes of a Sick Man” and “A Terrible Mistake” are distinguished by deep psychology, philosophical reflections on the place of man in society, self-knowledge, illness, death, faith and hope. His prose is marked by a longing for his native land, humanistic ideals, as well as the influence of liberal folklore, impressionist and symbolist movements.
Particular attention is drawn to the lyrical essay “My Muse”, a kind of “poetry in prose” that combines the Ukrainian national spirit with classical stylistics. In it, the muse appears as a symbol of spiritual inspiration and love for Ukraine and its oppressed people.
This book is a valuable source for researchers of Ukrainian literature of the early twentieth century, as well as for those interested in the inner world of a young artist who, despite his short life, left behind a significant literary legacy.