Vodolazkin is an important writer in contemporary Russian literature, and his work "Brisbane" marks a shift in his creative style from an excessive pursuit of formal style to a focus on ideological expression. This novel embodies the creative principles of New Modernism, including the principle of universality, attention to ontological issues, and a unique view of time. The paper explores how Vodolazkin combined New Modernism with the modernist literary tradition through musical themes, new polyphonic narrative techniques, historical narratives, and other aspects.

Reconstruction of Modernist Creative Principles and New Modernism

Russian scholar Hrymova pointed out that Vodolazkin's creative principle of "abstraction principle" originated from his teacher Likhachev, who sought commonality, absoluteness, and eternity in the concrete. Grubkov also believes that modernist writers focus on ontological issues beyond time. New modernism is an updated revival of modernist creative principles, closely related to the development of modernist literary traditions in the new era. During the Silver Age, writers focused on ontological issues beyond time, while after the 1930s, Russian literature shifted from diversity to unity, and the modernist literary tradition was disrupted. However, scholars such as Klink believe that there was a "productive interaction" between modernism and realism in the process of Russian literature in the first half of the 20th century. This interaction existed in the second half of the 20th century in the form of underground publications and returning literature, allowing the modernist creative tradition to continue and rejuvenate in the 21st century. New modernist writers such as Vodolazkin, Shishkin, and Vallamov have a background in Chinese language education and were influenced by the wave of "return to literature" and the literary research boom of the Silver Age. Crotova summarized the four major characteristics of the new modernist novel: focusing on the ontological issues of existence, viewing literature as a moral and ethical solution field, possessing a unique concept of time, and having a unique contemplation on the relationship between individuals and history. New modernists inherit the universality principle of modernism, focusing on eternal issues such as human existence, life and death, faith and God, transcending specific historical backgrounds, and exploring universal issues of human existence. Brisbane embodies the characteristics of New Modernism in terms of music theme selection, historical perspective, and spatiotemporal perspective, and the author has unique constructions in each aspect.

Music theme and new polyphonic narrative

Brisbane showcases the narrative techniques of new modernist novels through musical themes. Music, as the core of novels, not only aligns with modernist creative principles due to its abstract and symbolic nature, but also reflects the emphasis placed on music by the Russian Symbolist literary tradition. The narrative structure of the novel imitates the biography of Li Hachev, deliberately ignoring the protagonist's successful years and emphasizing the existence of human beings as a timeless ontological issue. Music is not only the theme in novels, but also participates in narration, becoming the foundation and skeleton of narration. The author drew inspiration from the creative techniques of Romantic musician Wagner and the polyphonic and counterpoint techniques of Russian symbolism, innovatively incorporating musical polyphony into the narrative. The polyphonic theory in novels transcends Bakhtin's theory of polyphonic novels, manifested in dialogues of opposing plots and different temporal storylines, enriching the connotation of polyphonic novels. The narrative of the novel consists of two timelines, one is the protagonist's past and the other is the present. The two harmoniously blend through interactive dialogues similar to events and themes, showcasing significant moments in the protagonist's life and reflecting the characteristics of the new polyphonic novel.

The Historical Narrative and Universalization Principle of Brisbane

Brisbane, as a new modernist novel, is characterized by its historical narrative and universal principles. Vodolazkin incorporates personal life experiences and memories into the novel through a personalized, anti grand narrative form of pseudo chronicles, constructing the protagonist's growth history. This narrative style reflects the author's aversion to grand historical narratives and questioning of grand political and historical discourse. At the same time, the novel also incorporated significant changes in the Soviet geographical space, such as life in Kiev and Leningrad in the 1970s and 1980s, the "August 19th Incident," and the "Square Revolution" in 1991, giving personal memory writing a broader meaning.

The Time View and Dystopian Consciousness of Brisbane

Deeply explored the concept of time and dystopian consciousness in the new modernist novel Brisbane. In modernist literature, the linear flow of time is broken, and writers explore the ontological roots of time and pursue universal issues beyond time. Brisbane inherits and develops this concept of time, showcasing the nonlinear nature of time through the opposition between the eternal world and the instantaneous world. The eternal world includes the world after death, the world of art, and the world of childhood, while the instantaneous world is composed of the past and present, and the future is seen as a phantom and utopia. In the novel, Brisbane symbolizes a longing for the future, but this longing ultimately leads to tragedy. The author expresses vigilance towards utopia and emphasis on current values through this setting. The narrative techniques and temporal perspective of 'Brisbane' reflect the author's inheritance and development of the literary tradition of the Silver Age in Russia, as well as contemporary Russian literature's reflection and criticism of the 'Bright Dream' of Soviet literature.