The magazine “Molla Nasraddin” and French literature

Abstract

 The magazine “Molla Nasreddin”, the first satirical illustrated journal in Azerbaijan and the Middle East, was published under the editorship of writer-publicist Jalil Mammadguluzadeh from 1906 to 1931. Within its pages, one can come across interesting facts related to French literature. Interestingly, many of these facts remain largely unknown to the broader academic community even today. The authors of Molla Nasreddin, in line with the character of the journal, referred to representatives of French literature such as Molière, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Émile Zola as part of their efforts to renew national thought. For instance, the magazine drew readers’ attention to Émile Zola’s novel Rome as well as Voltaire’s tragedy Zaynab. Observations suggest that the contributors of Molla Nasreddin approached the artistic principles of French authors with great respect. Émile Zola, for example, is best known as a representative of the literary movement of Naturalism. Like the naturalists, Jalil Mammadguluzadeh also believed that there should be no forbidden topics in literature. The materials related to French literature published in Molla Nasreddin not only enrich our knowledge but also provide an opportunity for a deeper study of the works of Molière, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo. At times, when criticizing the flaws of Soviet society, the contributors of Molla Nasreddin would simply recall Molière’s works or the characters he had created.