Julia Vaingurt. Soft Matter: The Poetics of Weakness in Late Soviet Socialism. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2025. xv, 270 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. 38. 00, paper.

Key Points

• The book explores how themes of weakness and soft matter manifest in the cultural landscape of late Soviet socialism.
• Literary analysis of texts and artistic expressions from the late Soviet period.
• Examination of cultural artifacts including illustrations and photographs.
• Thematic exploration of poetics in relation to social and political contexts.
• Identifies the significance of weakness as a poetic theme in Soviet culture.
• Reveals how cultural expressions reflect broader social dynamics of the era.
• Demonstrates the interplay between art and social commentary in late Soviet society.