Generation Nothing
Youthful Images of Eastern Europe’s Prose of Frustration
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Young people were long seen as the pioneers of the future. However, this perception – as seen by insiders and outsiders – is now passé. All the distinguishing characteristics of young people have been monopolized by commercial interests. The act of setting themselves apart no longer works. The novels that feature Eastern Europe’s prose of frustration reflect this. They show not only that “real socialist” or national patterns of culture but also the youthful images of Western popular cultures are no longer of any use in the search for one’s place in society.
(Osteuropa 11-12/2013, pp. 23–40)