Russia
The Three by Maxim Gorky
RevSocialist اش... — Sat, 04/24/2010 - 21:11
This beautiful novel (466 [small] pg) by Gorky is his novel of the urban poor, and the conditions and frustrations which they live through, and the capitalist illusions they may hold on to as dreams to sustain themselves.
9th of January by Maxim Gorky
RevSocialist اش... — Tue, 04/13/2010 - 09:10
This short story (28pg) by Gorky is about the 9th of January 1905 mass procession of workers to the Tsar's Winter Palace led by Priest Georgy Gapon, which intended to present a petition to the Tsar. The workers in the procession were peaceful, but the army stationed around the Winter Palace opened fire several times on the peaceful, defenseless workers and slaughtered hundreds of them. This is also known as "Bloody Sunday," and was the start of the 1905 Russian Revolution.
Comrade! by Maxim Gorky
RevSocialist اش... — Sun, 02/21/2010 - 10:54
This short story (5pg) by Maxim Gorky explores and articulates what the word "comrade" means to the stuggling and oppressed, and shows the unmistakable, and indestructible, power behind it and the ideas which it stands for. This is really a beautifull story, and articulates very well the meaning of one of my favorite words, and hopefully one of your favorite words as well! Enjoy comrades:
The Measures Taken by Bertolt Brecht
RevSocialist اش... — Sat, 02/20/2010 - 06:03
This type of play by German Marxist Bertolt Brecht was meant to be educational, in this case it is a lesson in the right and wrong way to conduct agitation. It is also has a very powerful message of the type of sacrifice needed if you intend to seriously work for a socialist revolution, and a dictatorship of the proletariat and of all the oppressed.
The Old Man by Maxim Gorky
RevSocialist اش... — Sat, 02/20/2010 - 05:38
This play (59pg) by Maxim Gorky is an attack on hypocrisy, with the “Old Man” representing religious hypocrisy, and “Ivan Mastakov” representing bourgeoisie hypocrisy, although he is also quite hypocritical religiously. It also points out how scared the bourgeois is of scandals, and how much they are illogically bound to “appearances” and the way they are viewed in society.
The Mother by Maxim Gorky
RevSocialist اش... — Fri, 01/08/2010 - 08:52
This is probably the most widely read piece that i have posted on this site, and it is also the most explicitly socialist. The author, Maksim Gorky, was a bolshevik activist and writer in czarist russia and this novel is written specifically about the socialist movement in czarist russia, but it explores what produces socialists, ie the socio-economic and political oppression and injustice inherent in any capitalist society. It is also encouraging to see how people stuggled and fought for socialism back then as we are now and I must say, this is a very encouraging and inspiring book.
The Overcoat by Nicolai Gogol
RevSocialist اش... — Fri, 01/08/2010 - 08:14
This short story (18pg) was one of the most important of Gogol's works, and in my opinion by far his best. The treatment of class and priveledge is better in this story than in most anything you will read. I especially like that Gogol focused this story on such a basic need, clothing, to expose the cruelty of a capitalist society, because it is in these simple things, like food, water, shelter, and clothing, these very basic, fundamental things which the proletariat focuses on and struggles with more than anything.
Resistance and Collaboration, or al-Hagg Murad by Tolstoy
RevSocialist اش... — Fri, 01/08/2010 - 08:00
The extract I will be quoting from below is from Leo Tolstoy's Al-Hagg Murad which is rendered in english translation oddly as Hadji Murat, purportedly because the story takes place in Chechnya and this is apparently how they pronounce the arabic (الحج مراد) there. Anyway...to start off I should give a little background to this story.
