This is simply the best analysis of the "Carnivalesque" and is a valuable preface to Rabelais' novel itself. Bakhtin's book alerts the reader of Rabelais to his (Rabelais') masterful use of language and explores the sources of medieval popular culture that served his purposes. I have enjoyed Rabelais with much deeper understanding having first read Bakhtin.

Bakhtin and Rabelais both negotiated cultural minefields to produce their works. Both deserve to be more widely read.

Good theory, if you're into it.

Take your time with this academic book and you will be rewarded. It rediscovers the spirit of the Medieval carnival. The tradition stemmed from ancient Greek and Rome and its function was to give a vent to people's death fear and anger over social injustice. "Everything was allowed" and for a short period of time the social taboos were erased. Fools and prostitutes were "crowned" to embody Kings, Queens, Pope, saints, monks and nunns. And the chosen ones were mocked, ridiculed, assailed and beaten and stoned and "dethrowned" and "impeached."

Is this tradition dead today? Think twice -- think David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and especially Howard Stern, and you will be amazed to find astoundig parallels between the past and modern times.

Fr. Alexander Elchaninov(1881-1934) was a genuine Russian priest to the backbone. A simple childlike ascetic and at same time a thoroughly educated man which this book show. With a background as a teacher and member of the intellectual elitè of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg for a decade(1900-10) he knew personally many of those who came to form a "revival" of religion and philosophy of the time. But he was of different material. He soon gave up teaching, fled to France in the 1920's and stayed there until his pre-mature repose of a complicated ulcer in 1934.

It's an odd book this. Small notes, cards, papers, parts of manuscripts for books he never finished - all this was collected by his loving wife Tamara and published after his death. It's more like a big collection of notes and ideas the priest jotted down on pieces of paper in between his enormous workload as spiritual father for many, many emigré Russians in France. This is not Ernest Hemingways France - the moveable feast, but quite another picture. Elchaninovs France is seldom on the sunny side of the street. But spiritually it's inspiring.

Thomas Merton once wrote in his diary that he was at his best when he wrote short filosofical or religious comments on a piece of paper, than when he wrote even his most popular books. Fr. Alexander never came around to write any books, the workload being too heavy and the time too short, but his notes are thought-rendering and close to Mertons diaries. And one can read clearly out of this book that he loved and treasured his vocation.

The minuses, but also in it's own way the pluses, is of course the briefness of Fr. Alexanders thoughts and reflection about his ministry and spirtuality, and lack of thorough descriptions of the enviroment he lived in. But still one can feel his warmth of heart and some few larger sections that covers at least to a certain degree some of his experiences.

Sip this cream in small portions.