Background
KATAEV, Valentin was born in 1897 in Odessa.
KATAEV, Valentin was born in 1897 in Odessa.
Educated at the Odessa 5th Gymnasium.
Elder brother of the famous satirical writer, Evgenii Petrov. His grandfather was dean of a cathedral, while his maternal grandfather was a major-general. Began writing poetry at the age of 9.
Volunteered for the Russian Army during World War I, but joined the Bolsheviks during the Civil War. By 1930, had become an established writer. His Premia Vpered, 1932, is a typical socialist-realist novel.
Gained fame with a popular novel for youth, Beleet Parus Odinokii, 1936. The novel was a long-time bestseller, published in millions of copies and
also filmed. His play, Kvadratura Kruga, 1928, although famous at the time, was later forgotten.
His early books (e.g. Rastratchiki, 1926) remain his best. His later works are conformist.
In 1956, appointed Editor-in-Chief of the leading literary youth magazine, lunost'. Kuznetsov, Aksenov, Gladilin and others), but took part in the official condemnation of Boris Pasternak and later A. Solzhenitsyn.
(226pages. in8. Broché.)
(Povest V.P. Kataeva "Syn polka" rekomendovana k prochteni...)
Member, Communist Party, since 1958.
Member, Communist Party, since 1958.