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Fear of Mirrors
Lovers want to know the truth, but they do not always want to tell it. For some East Germans, the fall of Communism was like the end of a long and painful love free to tell the truth at last, they found they no longer wanted to hear it. This book relates the history of central Europe from the perspective of those on the other side of the Cold War.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Tariq Ali
157 books736 followersTariq Ali (Punjabi, Urdu: طارق علی) is a British-Pakistani historian, novelist, filmmaker, political campaigner, and commentator. He is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review and Sin Permiso, and regularly contributes to The Guardian, CounterPunch, and the London Review of Books.
He is the author of several books, including Can Pakistan Survive? The Death of a State (1991) , Pirates Of The Caribbean: Axis Of Hope (2006), Conversations with Edward Said (2005), Bush in Babylon (2003), and Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity (2002), A Banker for All Seasons (2007) and the recently published The Duel (2008).
He is the author of several books, including Can Pakistan Survive? The Death of a State (1991) , Pirates Of The Caribbean: Axis Of Hope (2006), Conversations with Edward Said (2005), Bush in Babylon (2003), and Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity (2002), A Banker for All Seasons (2007) and the recently published The Duel (2008).
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 19, 2015
I gained much insight into the Communist experience of the 20th century in this story of a Central European family, the grandparents and parents revolutionaries, the son apolitical in the world after the Berlin Wall is down. It was historical fiction perhaps heavy on the history, but that history of how committed Communists dealt with the century was absorbingly interesting; and I only felt the book weakened when he stopped interpreting history for me to wrap up with a plot. I’m sorry to deduct a star for that, because this is no doubt an unusual novel, with the inside experience from East Germany represented with a quite outstanding blend of knowledge, sympathy and critical distance. It is, of course, a novel about politics, which in the novel’s present of the late 20th century is deeply unfashionable and may be today. But I’m a fan of Russian 19th century novels, so I can stand them. A valuable read for me.
December 30, 2021
I was absolutely captivated by this book. As demonstrated in his other works, Tariq Ali manages to both convey and comment on current topics, as well as write convincing historical fiction. I was especially fascinated by how well the book seeks to understand communist countries as more than just gray stalinist states with serf bound slaves yearning for western capitalism as its obedient servants. The dream of socialism with a human face, and of another future than more property and money, or oppression, is brought to life in the characters. I highly recommend this work.
March 18, 2017
Now what an enjoyable read! I had no idea that Tariq Ali wrote novels too! Trashing Social Democracy, our favourite pastime since 1914! The book is sub-titled 'A Fall of Communism Novel' (written in the early 1990s, published in 1998), told through an East German dissident professor from a Russian Trotskyist family background for whom 1989 not only meant unemployment and divorce but also the loss of an ideology, any ideology or hope for a better world for that matter. Much of the story is told through letters to his SPD apparatschik FES careerist son who, of course, sees nothing wrong with capitalism and considers the 'end of history' a liberation from the collectivization of thought. (We've all had these very same debates. ugh.) There's plenty of history and associated heroes in the book, the Russian Revolution, the Spanish Civil war etc so quite interesting but, of course, it does make the story seem a little too constructed but I guess the primary aim was to carry an idea and not award winning prose. So, all good with me :)
December 21, 2019
This is a historical novel based on several generations of Central European families caught up in the revolutionary turmoil of the 2oth Century. Set largely in the DDR and focusing on the reminiscences of an out of work East German academic Tariq Ali creates an roughly woven revolutionary family based work full of ideological certainties, uncertainties, betrayal and searches for redemption onto which he hangs his interpretation of recent history. I found this work a bit wooden, lumbering and annoying in equal measure giving me what felt like a very uneven read. Basically it's what you get when an academic tries to write fiction as an alternative means of reaching his public with his particular approach to history. While my criticism is probably largely personal I did find his characters undeveloped and pretty much little more than narrators for his politics. Having started it I determined to finish it but don't think I'd have missed much if I'd not picked it up. Don't let me put you off though, I seem to be in a minority on this.
July 26, 2022
📚📚📚📚
أكتب هذه المراجعة لمجرد الكتابة، أكتبها عن قصد لأني أردت أن تتواجد هذه الرواية الفائقة المتعة ضمن منشورات حسابي بالرغم من أنني لا أجد ما أقول عنها. هناك روايات تجعلك مغلوب على أمرك لا تجد كلماتك أو ربما تجعلك تعي أن أي شيء تقول عنها لا يفيها حقها ولا يعبر حقاً عنما تريد قوله.
....................
ماهي المرايا؟
هي الماضي الذي يلقي بظلاله علينا ولا نستطيع أن التحرر من وطأته حتى نبوح بما نخاف أن نبوح به.
....................
هي رواية عائلية، ورواية أجيال، ورواية تاريخية، ورواية سياسية وفكرية والحيز المكاني هو أوروبا بأسرها روسيا وبولندا وألمانيا الشرقية وألمانيا الاتحادية واسبانيا وانجلترا .تجد فيها شعراً ونثراً ومراسلات وأفكاراً.
هذه رواية من الأدب العظيم الزاخر تكشف لنا بشكل عميق بؤس الماركسيين والشيوعيين في جميع اقطار أوروبا خلال القرن العشرين ، ليس لأنهم حالمون و مثاليون ، بل لأنهم ضحايا لنفس الشخص " ستالين "
رواية عظيمة تجد فيها كل ما يلذ لقارئ أن يجده في عمل أدبي تجد فيها مشاهد إنسانية عظيمة: دفء العائلة واجتماعها وتفرقها وشتاتها وتجد فيها بطولات وتضحيات، إخلاص وخيانات. أناس صادقون وآخرون كاذبون. أناس يسخرون أنفسهم للمبادئ العظمى وأناس نفعيون قلتة وسفاحون. صداقات حقيقية وجاسوسية خسيسة.
السرد فيها يسير في عدة خطوط، فاللحظة الراهنة هي ألمانيا التسعينات بعد إعادة توحيدها يمثلها شخصية فلادي دكتور جامعي وهو الأب الذي يبدو ( عفا عليه الزمن سياسياً ) يكتب رسائل ( التي هي الرواية نفسها) إلى ابنه الذي يعيش في ألمانيا الغربية يحاول بها كسر الجليد الذي أصاب علاقتهما.
وخط أخر وهو سرد تاريخي للتجربة الشيوعية في أوروبا منذ مطلع القرن العشرين إلى اللحظة الآنية، عالم أوسع وأكبر وأعقد مما نتخيل. قدمها لنا الكاتب الكبير طارق علي من خلال عائلة شيوعية من خلفية تروتسكية تعيش في ألمانيا الشرقية بسرد استرجاعي لأجداد هذه العائلة ليغوص بنا الكاتب في عالم الشيوعية المتلاطم والمعقد.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgd8R23D2...
February 10, 2016
AYNA KORKUSU, TARIK ALİ, Yazar-Aktivist, 'New Left Review' Dergisinin Editörü, ING-1998, TR-2009 (3.Baskı), AgoraKitaplığı Yayın, Çeviren: Mehmet Harmancı, 358 sf.
**Doğu Almanya döneminde Üniversite Profesörü olan ve Almanya'nın birleşmesinden sonra işsiz kalan Vlady'den, oğlu, Sosyal Demokrat Milletvekili Karl'a mektup**
...HAYALLER KURMAK ve ONLARI GERÇEKLEŞTİRMEYE ADAMAK. Bunlar, şimdi sana ve senin temsil ettiğin dünyaya değil, aynı zamanda DAHA İYİ BİR DÜNYA YARATMAYA ihtiyacı olan, gelgelelim bugünlerde HAYAL BİLE KURAMAYACAK KADAR KORKUTULMUŞ MİLYARLARCA İNSANA göre ne kadar da çılgınca görünüyorlar.
...Bir AMAÇ SOYLULUĞU vardı o zaman. Bir ÜTOPYA olabilirdi, sıra neferlerinin çoğu için asla kötü değildi. ...HER KITASINDA ÜTOPYA YAZMIYORSA DÜNYA HARİTASININ, kendileri için bir ANLAM TAŞIMAYACAĞINI düşünen insanlardı bunlar.
...onlar, LACİVERT OKYANUSTAKİ KÖPÜK ZERRECİKLERİYDİLER.
...Yeni TEKDÜZELİKSE İNSANI AĞIR AĞIR ÖLDÜRÜYOR, PASİFLİĞE SÜRÜKLÜYOR.
...Bugünler, benim gibi insanlar açısından, bazen sadece YAŞAMAYA DEVAM etmek için bile ÇOK BÜYÜK ÇABA gerektiren ZAMANLAR.
...SANAT artık, betona sokulmuş eski bir Cadillac arabanın şasisi ile oyma memeler ve penislerle bezenmiş park sıralarından ibaret.
...son yıllarda benim inançlarımla ALAY etmeye başladın ve bir keresinde milletin içinde benden DİNAZOR olarak söz ettiğini duydum. ...BEN DİNOZOR OLMAKTAN GURUR DUYARIM.
...RUHSAL YOKSULLUK, ölümden, küçük düşürülmekten daha beter...
...Durumumuz ne kadar berbat olsa da ruhlarımız DİRENÇLİ, hayallerimiz COŞKULUYDU. ...kendimi KAPİTALİST cangılın YASALARIYLA ve en ZENGİNLERİN AYAKTA KALMASI düşüncesiyle bağdaştıramıyorum.
...HAYALLERİMİZ ÖLMÜŞKEN BİZ NASIL YAŞARIZ? HAYALLERİMİZLE BİRLİKTE BİZ DE ÖLMÜYOR MUYUZ?
*****
Karl'dan babası Vlady'ye:
-Senin kuşağında beni çıldırtan şey, TARİHİN KARARINI KABULLENMEYİ REDDETMENİZ. Bir zamanlar durdurulamaz bir şekilde tarih SİZİN ÜTOPYALARINIZA doğru ilerliyordu. O zaman tarihi ÖZNESİ olan bir süreç görüyordunuz: Büyük ve yenilmez, düşmanına karşı bir sınıf olarak BİRLEŞMİŞ DÜNYA PROLETARYASI. Şimdi ise tarih bir FAHİŞE oldu. Çevrendeki dünyaya bir bak, Vlady. Bir bak. Ruanda'da yoksul köylüler yoksul komşularını bir kabile adına öldürüyorlar, Rus Ortodoks Sırplar Bosnalı Müslümanları öldürürken, Katolik Hırvatlar her ikisini de öldürüyor ve her ikisi tarafından öldürülüyorlar. Bu mu ilerleme?
Sana anılarını ve geçmişini çok görmüyorum, baba, ama lütfen sen de bana geleceğimi çok görme. BEN ÜTOPYA İSTEMİYORUM. Ben SAKİN bir hayat, DÜRÜST bir hükumet, seveceğim ve beni seven bir KADIN, iki ÇOCUK, işleyen bir TOPLU TAŞIMA sistemi ve bir BİSİKLET istiyorum -hem de bu sırayla. Sıkıcı mı? Belki, ama ben SIKILIP da SIRADAN BİR ÖMÜR sürmeyi, HEYECAN duyup da MİLYONLARCA İNSANIN YOK OLMASINI seyretmeye yeğlerim.
AKIL, DOGMANIN ve İDEOLOJİNİN yerini almalıdır.
...Siz aslında YEL DEĞİRMENLERİNE SALDIRIYORMUŞSUNUZ. Canını sıkacağını bilsem de benim duygularım böyle.
*****
Vlady'den Karl'a:
-Size göre, dünya KÖTÜ, insan doğasını BENCİL GENLER yönetiyor, hepimizin içinde KÖTÜLÜK var. Şu halde sizin mantığınıza göre, HİÇBİR ŞEY YAPMADAN oturmalı ve ZİHİNLERİMİZİ geliştirmeliyiz.
...sizinle aynı fikirde değilim.
-Alman Sosyal Demokrat liderlerin desteği olmasaydı, Junkerler (büyük toprak sahipleri) Berlin ve Münih Ayaklanması'nı (1918-19) kanla boğamazlardı.
...dinci-faşistlerin yolunu açan ise, Liberallerin kendilerini geri çekmeleriydi;
-Fransız Sosyalist Partisi lideri, Faşist Franco'ya karşı İspanya Cumhuriyeti'ne yardımı reddetti;
-İngiltere Yönetici Sınıfı, Franco, Mussolini ve Hitler'in gizli ve pek gizli de olmayan hayranlarıyla doluydu.
...o şiiri hatırlıyor musun? "İNCİTMEYE GÜCÜ OLUP DA İNCİTMEYENLER"...Ben o şiirden yanayım.
**Doğu Almanya döneminde Üniversite Profesörü olan ve Almanya'nın birleşmesinden sonra işsiz kalan Vlady'den, oğlu, Sosyal Demokrat Milletvekili Karl'a mektup**
...HAYALLER KURMAK ve ONLARI GERÇEKLEŞTİRMEYE ADAMAK. Bunlar, şimdi sana ve senin temsil ettiğin dünyaya değil, aynı zamanda DAHA İYİ BİR DÜNYA YARATMAYA ihtiyacı olan, gelgelelim bugünlerde HAYAL BİLE KURAMAYACAK KADAR KORKUTULMUŞ MİLYARLARCA İNSANA göre ne kadar da çılgınca görünüyorlar.
...Bir AMAÇ SOYLULUĞU vardı o zaman. Bir ÜTOPYA olabilirdi, sıra neferlerinin çoğu için asla kötü değildi. ...HER KITASINDA ÜTOPYA YAZMIYORSA DÜNYA HARİTASININ, kendileri için bir ANLAM TAŞIMAYACAĞINI düşünen insanlardı bunlar.
...onlar, LACİVERT OKYANUSTAKİ KÖPÜK ZERRECİKLERİYDİLER.
...Yeni TEKDÜZELİKSE İNSANI AĞIR AĞIR ÖLDÜRÜYOR, PASİFLİĞE SÜRÜKLÜYOR.
...Bugünler, benim gibi insanlar açısından, bazen sadece YAŞAMAYA DEVAM etmek için bile ÇOK BÜYÜK ÇABA gerektiren ZAMANLAR.
...SANAT artık, betona sokulmuş eski bir Cadillac arabanın şasisi ile oyma memeler ve penislerle bezenmiş park sıralarından ibaret.
...son yıllarda benim inançlarımla ALAY etmeye başladın ve bir keresinde milletin içinde benden DİNAZOR olarak söz ettiğini duydum. ...BEN DİNOZOR OLMAKTAN GURUR DUYARIM.
...RUHSAL YOKSULLUK, ölümden, küçük düşürülmekten daha beter...
...Durumumuz ne kadar berbat olsa da ruhlarımız DİRENÇLİ, hayallerimiz COŞKULUYDU. ...kendimi KAPİTALİST cangılın YASALARIYLA ve en ZENGİNLERİN AYAKTA KALMASI düşüncesiyle bağdaştıramıyorum.
...HAYALLERİMİZ ÖLMÜŞKEN BİZ NASIL YAŞARIZ? HAYALLERİMİZLE BİRLİKTE BİZ DE ÖLMÜYOR MUYUZ?
*****
Karl'dan babası Vlady'ye:
-Senin kuşağında beni çıldırtan şey, TARİHİN KARARINI KABULLENMEYİ REDDETMENİZ. Bir zamanlar durdurulamaz bir şekilde tarih SİZİN ÜTOPYALARINIZA doğru ilerliyordu. O zaman tarihi ÖZNESİ olan bir süreç görüyordunuz: Büyük ve yenilmez, düşmanına karşı bir sınıf olarak BİRLEŞMİŞ DÜNYA PROLETARYASI. Şimdi ise tarih bir FAHİŞE oldu. Çevrendeki dünyaya bir bak, Vlady. Bir bak. Ruanda'da yoksul köylüler yoksul komşularını bir kabile adına öldürüyorlar, Rus Ortodoks Sırplar Bosnalı Müslümanları öldürürken, Katolik Hırvatlar her ikisini de öldürüyor ve her ikisi tarafından öldürülüyorlar. Bu mu ilerleme?
Sana anılarını ve geçmişini çok görmüyorum, baba, ama lütfen sen de bana geleceğimi çok görme. BEN ÜTOPYA İSTEMİYORUM. Ben SAKİN bir hayat, DÜRÜST bir hükumet, seveceğim ve beni seven bir KADIN, iki ÇOCUK, işleyen bir TOPLU TAŞIMA sistemi ve bir BİSİKLET istiyorum -hem de bu sırayla. Sıkıcı mı? Belki, ama ben SIKILIP da SIRADAN BİR ÖMÜR sürmeyi, HEYECAN duyup da MİLYONLARCA İNSANIN YOK OLMASINI seyretmeye yeğlerim.
AKIL, DOGMANIN ve İDEOLOJİNİN yerini almalıdır.
...Siz aslında YEL DEĞİRMENLERİNE SALDIRIYORMUŞSUNUZ. Canını sıkacağını bilsem de benim duygularım böyle.
*****
Vlady'den Karl'a:
-Size göre, dünya KÖTÜ, insan doğasını BENCİL GENLER yönetiyor, hepimizin içinde KÖTÜLÜK var. Şu halde sizin mantığınıza göre, HİÇBİR ŞEY YAPMADAN oturmalı ve ZİHİNLERİMİZİ geliştirmeliyiz.
...sizinle aynı fikirde değilim.
-Alman Sosyal Demokrat liderlerin desteği olmasaydı, Junkerler (büyük toprak sahipleri) Berlin ve Münih Ayaklanması'nı (1918-19) kanla boğamazlardı.
...dinci-faşistlerin yolunu açan ise, Liberallerin kendilerini geri çekmeleriydi;
-Fransız Sosyalist Partisi lideri, Faşist Franco'ya karşı İspanya Cumhuriyeti'ne yardımı reddetti;
-İngiltere Yönetici Sınıfı, Franco, Mussolini ve Hitler'in gizli ve pek gizli de olmayan hayranlarıyla doluydu.
...o şiiri hatırlıyor musun? "İNCİTMEYE GÜCÜ OLUP DA İNCİTMEYENLER"...Ben o şiirden yanayım.
November 17, 2019
A Fall of Communism Novel
This is a story involving a group of 5 young men who come of age in the aftermath of Europe’s World War and Revolution. Although he is best known as an author of Leftist non-fiction, this novel is part of a trilogy from the early nineties. It suffers from a lack of character development and one dimensional human interaction. But it is creative in trying to deal with some of the ambiguities of peoples’ political evolution in the 20th century. Not great literature, but an interesting attempt at commenting on the impact of the fall of the USSR on attempts at progressive political change.
This is a story involving a group of 5 young men who come of age in the aftermath of Europe’s World War and Revolution. Although he is best known as an author of Leftist non-fiction, this novel is part of a trilogy from the early nineties. It suffers from a lack of character development and one dimensional human interaction. But it is creative in trying to deal with some of the ambiguities of peoples’ political evolution in the 20th century. Not great literature, but an interesting attempt at commenting on the impact of the fall of the USSR on attempts at progressive political change.
September 5, 2020
If only a better fiction writer had crafted this book. I was completely immersed in it because I did want to hear the voices of those who carried the Russian revolution forward; those who lived through Stalin's terrors; those who lived in East Germany. And all those voices are in this book. But the structure doesn't serve the story telling well. And the end is obvious far too early in the book. And one doesn't get a really insight into the driving female figure. So it's both fascinating and disappointing.
Read
August 25, 2020
Purchase Fear of Mirrors here for just $5!
An intergenerational story about politics, following a family of revolutionaries through the tumultuous events of Russia and Germany in the 20th Century. Centred around a letter from father to son here Ali leaves the realm of non fiction to deliver historical fiction that is dense with history but still an easy and engaging read.
Beatrice - The Book Grocer
An intergenerational story about politics, following a family of revolutionaries through the tumultuous events of Russia and Germany in the 20th Century. Centred around a letter from father to son here Ali leaves the realm of non fiction to deliver historical fiction that is dense with history but still an easy and engaging read.
Beatrice - The Book Grocer
February 11, 2022
Es un libro extraño. Escrito por un pakistaní, avecindado en Inglaterra desde su juventud, comunista desde su infancia y que aparentemente sigue siéndolo, que escribe un libro cuyos protagonistas son fundamentalmente comunistas alemanes cuya historia transcurre desde la revolución rusa hasta poco después de la caída del muro de Berlín... Es un libro que atrapa. Ya en las primeras páginas me impresionó por lo crudo de representar el contraste entre el mundo de las utopías (de cuya generación casi formo parte) y el actual del utilitarismo capitalista... Luego toda la evolución del "socialismo real" de Stalin y la RDA y cómo -en eso es concordante con otros libros que se refieren a esa etapa de la historia- la "causa" pasa a ser más importante que el individuo (aunque ese individuo sea yo mismo).
Si no le pongo las 5 estrellas es porque el final me pareció un poco flojo.
Si no le pongo las 5 estrellas es porque el final me pareció un poco flojo.
July 4, 2021
𝑆𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑒, 𝐾𝑎𝑟𝑙, 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒. 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝐵𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛.
——
I really enjoyed this book. It was intelligent, complicated and emotional in the best way. Ali tells the story of Germany’s failed revolution, the rise of Nazism, the influence of the Soviet Union and eventually the fall of the Soviet Union through the family history of Vlady. Ali puts these huge historical events into the context of a man explaining his political beliefs to his son, trying to fix their fractured relationship in the shadow of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was done so cleverly that the huge subject matter never left you behind but instead guided you through it. By telling the story of several generations of one family and thereby several generations of political thought, Ali creates a really remarkable book.
——
I really enjoyed this book. It was intelligent, complicated and emotional in the best way. Ali tells the story of Germany’s failed revolution, the rise of Nazism, the influence of the Soviet Union and eventually the fall of the Soviet Union through the family history of Vlady. Ali puts these huge historical events into the context of a man explaining his political beliefs to his son, trying to fix their fractured relationship in the shadow of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was done so cleverly that the huge subject matter never left you behind but instead guided you through it. By telling the story of several generations of one family and thereby several generations of political thought, Ali creates a really remarkable book.
August 30, 2017
A gripping book with plenty of plot-twists. Tariq Ali will grab you by the ears and make you listen to each word as it falls from the author's lips. Superb.
March 2, 2018
Novela regulera, personajes femeninos horrendos pero muy interesante narración sobre el comunismo. No solo sobre su historia sino sobre la gente que lo construyó y sus esperanzas.
March 8, 2022
Loved it, well written and well weaved through time
January 9, 2017
What did it feel like to be a communist as the Berlin Wall fell, when the Soviet Union broke up? What was it like to see the ideals you had worked for -- lived for -- perverted by power-lust? I confess to being fairly ignorant of the details of the political situation of East Germany, so this book -- heavy on historical realism -- was very informative and absorbing for me, sending me in search of non-fiction works on the same subject. The novel is a multi-generational story, centered on a long letter from a father to his adult son explaining what it had meant to be committed to an ideal that had failed. The son, now involved in post-communist politics in a re-unified Germany, has no time for a generation who can't seem to let go of its fantasies. The letter-writer also explores the lives of his parents and their comrades, hoping to learn about them as he tries to give an account of himself to his son. I found the story very compelling, even as I had to be patient with allusions to ideas, persons, and parties I was unfamiliar with. Mainly, I liked this book for giving me a perspective on a tumultuous time that had been previously invisible to me. Now, with political events in the US in a state of deep uncertainty, reading this book helped me think about what it means when dreams (may) die.
December 20, 2022
Tariq Ali weaves a story spanning eight decades and three generations, a tale of communists who had dedicated their lives to the dreams of an egalitarian world, only to end up disillusioned when the system they helped build begins to resemble the system they tried to dethrone in the first place. The short-lived Soviet experiment had a tremendous impact on the history of the world during the twentieth century. This novel dissects the impacts on Europe and also on the lives of men and women, foot soldiers of the revolution. There are multiple narratives and viewpoints, which the author deftly interweaves to tell a compelling story, especially if you are interested in the history of the Soviet model of socialism. Many lesser-known facts emerge during the narrative. On the flip side, the characters are not fully developed and often end up as two-dimensional. But then, the aim of the author seems to be to use the garb of a story to tell history. If that is so, he does win. But it is only a view limited to Europe. The impacts of the Soviet Union outside Europe, in the colonies and in the third-world countries, Asia, Africa and Latin America are a whole lot different from the Euro-centric view.
January 10, 2018
Sharp criticism over not just-both-but-many sides, comprehensive critique of the times and ideologies preceding our ideology of no ideology time shedding light on underlying reasons for the state of the world and the people today.
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