Preacher without a pulpit: how a "thoroughbred passerby" became a famous writer
Life of Daniel Defoe, who entered the history of world literature, primarily as the author of the novel "Robinson Crusoe", Alexander Livergant begins rather abruptly: "Unsettled - and that is not enough to say. Scandalizes, drinks, almost anything launches into action fists". But do not be frightened - the first sentence of the prologue refers not to the main character of the book, and the prototype of Robinson Crusoe - Scottish "sea wolf" Alexander Selkerk, who because of his unbridled character and unfavorable circumstances spent four and a half years on a desert island. Critic Lidia Maslova presents the book of the week, especially for Izvestia.
Alexander Livergant
"Daniel Defoe: fact or fiction."
Moscow : AST Publishing House : Edited by Elena Shubina, 2024. - 284 с.
Returning to his hometown hero and celebrity, Selkerk very fond of telling his outlandish story and give interviews to all who want to record his incredible adventures, which gives Livergant reasons to call him "a kind of Scottish Khlestakov. In a book about English classics in general, one can often find references to Russian literature, both phraseological memes woven into the story or serving as chapter titles ("devoted without flattery", achieved "degrees of renown", "wily tsarredvorets", "simplicity is enough for every wise man", "heavy thoughts in excess") and direct quotations. For example, the theological dispute between Robinson and Friday about why God, if he is so strong, just does not kill the devil, Livergant resourcefully comments with a line from "Letters to a Roman Friend" by Joseph Brodsky: "The view, of course, is very barbaric, but true".
Therefore, it is not surprising that in the biography of Defoe, among the various occupations of which was and seething journalistic activity, you can meet and the name of a popular rubric of Soviet periodicals: "Meeting with Interesting People." Livergant recalls it, describing Defoe's attraction "to everything mysterious, unbelievable, to the description of 'interesting' - curious, original, unlike anyone else, the kind of 'enchanted wanderers'". In the first chapter entitled "The preacher's pulpit - not for me", dedicated to the childhood of the hero, the author of the book makes assumptions about what prevented the young Daniel to follow the church path and become a "shepherd of God", as dreamed of his father James Fo: "... a man from childhood, venturesome, enthusiastic, wanted to test himself in worldly affairs, in life, which is not limited to the church pulpit and will require from him abilities much more versatile".
About how versatile were the talents of Daniel Defoe, the book Livergant gives a detailed representation despite the fact that some of the biographical facts are not exactly established, as well as the designated in the title of the book, the propensity of the hero to mix fact with fiction, and not only in works of fiction, but also in his abundant political and moralistic publicity. "He'll do it," Livergant repeatedly repeats, more with respect than with condemnation, speaking of his hero's ability to easily and effortlessly pass off his fantasies as fiction: "Distinguishing truth from fiction when dealing with Defoe is not an easy task. <...> Defoe - such, if you will, his creative method - likes and knows how to pass fiction for a document, to convince the reader that he reads a reliable narrative, as they say, "with figures and facts in his hands" ..." ...
Telling about the difficult and dangerous, but extremely productive activity Defoe in the service of the British crown as an agitator and propagandist, informant and "double agent" in the camp of the opposition press, Livergant says about the strong commitment of his hero to the interests of the state: "Defoe at all times was a convinced statesman. However, from the side of numerous detractors flexible position of publicist Defoe, calling for moderation, often seen as malicious hypocrisy and readiness for instant "change of clothes": "...today he is a supporter of the High Church, and tomorrow he is a Whig and a conformist." And the Bolsheviks, as Livergant notes, moving forward a few centuries, would surely have branded Defoe an "opportunist" for such, for example, conciliatory lines aimed at appeasing politicized public opinion: "We should say nothing and do nothing in connection with the accession to the throne of the future monarch. Let it be as it will be, let us try to calm down." The tone of the frustrated preacher is definitely felt in Defoe's publicity, of which Livergant remarks: "...Defoe was always a preacher, and in his younger years too. A preacher without a pulpit or a flock."
We can, however, assume that the adventurous opportunist Defoe was not so much concerned with the good of Britain or the response of any "flock" as with the desire to make his life as interesting as possible: "To the gambling Defoe risk, even when he grew old, was always to his liking, impersonating another, hiding and writing under another's name was the order of the day for him, to mystify his opponents gave him, apparently, considerable pleasure, which, however, he would never admit to anyone - and perhaps even to himself -". In this respect, continues Livergant, "he differed little from the life-loving heroes of his novels".
To the main work of Defoe, "Robinson Crusoe", the biographer passes in the middle of the book (59-year-old Defoe published the novel 12 years before the end of his turbulent life and fantastically rich literary career), defining the essence of the genre of "Robinsonade" as the victory of a weak man over himself and the acquisition of strength. According to the literary scholar, Robinson, fearless, judicious, savvy, calculating, energetic ("to match his creator"), can well claim to be the most positive and flawless hero of world literature, who knows no equal even among good Russians: "Don Quixote and Prince Myshkin are mad, Hamlet is indecisive, Alyosha Karamazov and Pierre Bezukhov hover in the clouds.
Despite the similarities between Robinson Crusoe and his creator, who was also "in a sense a hermit, a man withdrawn, unsociable, avoiding people, and sometimes hiding from them", to consider Daniel Defoe himself an absolutely positive character and "exemplary gentleman" (as one of his last edifying pamphlets was called), will not work, and probably not necessary. A certain flavor of odiousness is inevitably present in this enigmatic writer, which only adds to its peculiar charm. It is paradoxically felt from the very first page of the book Livergant, which is given as an epigraph words of the ardent antipode, opponent and hater of Defoe, Jonathan Swift: "One of these scribblers, the one who stood at the pillar of shame, completely forgot his name ... "Author of The Pureblooded Englishman. "A pure-blooded swindler.
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