While Gasparov, strictly speaking, was not a writer ?€” he was an internationally recognized specialist on Classical culture and Russian poetics with over 400 scholarly publications ?€” his forays into literature for the general public were the most successful examples of crossing this barrier that I'm aware of. His "Amazing Greece," an introduction to ancient Greek culture and history for children, whose depth exceeded anything written on the topic for adults, became a bestseller, and it deserved even wider recognition.
By the end of this year, three books appeared and were noticed by critics and readers alike. One was the second edition of Gasparov's "Notes and Fragments" ("Zapisi i Vypiski"), his collection of articles, interviews, snippets from old notebooks, quotes and memoirs. Frankly, I liked the first edition better, not only because it was a bit longer, but also because it had an elitist flavor that I liked. Many foreign quotes were not translated, for instance, while in this edition some of the translations are the ones that Gasparov himself undoubtedly would not have chosen. It's more accessible, but some of the charm is gone.
The second book the amply illustrated "Amazing Mythology." Gasparov had been working on Classical mythology near the end of his life, and this book is the result of his unfinished work on the subject. It is a much-needed compendium of Greek and Roman myths for children, the previous decent Russian book on which was written about 80 years ago.
Finally, small publishing house "Novoe Izdatelstvo" has issued a book titled "Yours, M.G.," a collection of Gasparov's letters written to three close friends. Gasparov was an unsurpassed master of this dying genre, and his letters provide the same clarity of style, eye for detail and unrelenting intellectual discipline as his other work.
Everyone who knew Gasparov said what a generous and kind person he was; how attentive he was to every little request. His stylistic precision was his better-known trademark. He claimed that he honed it to replace an allegedly absent sense of humor. What came out was a style that was brilliant, witty and always perfectly understandable. Anyone who cares about Russian language and culture and their place in the world should study this man's excellent work.
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