mariaklingsheim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
yers's review against another edition
5.0
TFP represents a satirical yet sour reality of a hierarchal society with no prospects other than eradicate those who dissent and those who offer no value to the establishment. Ideology plays rather a tragic role in the sense that it permeates all layers of social life only to furnish desperation, betrayal, callousness and misery. This story plays a stage where symbolism is crucial at the center of its characters and death is rather anticipated by the lack of hope. A true magical piece of literature in terms of political study if you enjoy reading pre and post war history. Highly recommend.
thomasgoddard's review against another edition
5.0
This has to be one of my favourite books now. I picked it up so long ago and I've been reading it all that time, because sometimes you pick up a book and know you have to savour it. Making it last and writing down quotes and thoughts becomes necessary. Even though you will undoubtedly read it again.
The story is about the collectivisation of a village and the construction of a foundation for a communal housing project. But it unmasks a lot of the bewildering elements at play in the transition.
Workers fret over the size of the future housing complex and increase the pit while getting no closer to realising its actual construction.
'The nearest they had got to the peace of life was exhaustion.'
pg 14
People choose to lie down and die. All meaning is liquidated away, a society cleansed and offered no real meaning/narrative to replace it. A new land of vagueness that nourishes no one and depletes each person thoroughly in service for indiscernible goals. No new and enduring purpose.
People are paralysed by this anxiety of being responsible for each other. Gone are the neat little family units that tend to their own and contribute to the greater whole. Now children are everyone's responsibility. So they are treated as if they themselves are just as capable as any other citizen.
Even the Blacksmith (a bear called Mr Misha) is lambasted for mistreatment of an iron bar (owned now by everyone, so cared for in that same way). In a sense because everyone owns it all together they become obsessed with things even if they are being used up for a purpose they object to the wear and tear (and therefore the using up) of anything. It makes them insane.
"We'll all crack up!" said a middle peasant who had lived through the entire Revolution without uttering a word. "In the old days there was only my own family to worry about, but now we're expected to look after everyone! It'll be the death of us all!"
pg 141
This is just a brief overview. But believe me when I say that it really makes you ponder. Hugely funny, whilst being utterly sobering. A novel that I will be talking about for months!
The story is about the collectivisation of a village and the construction of a foundation for a communal housing project. But it unmasks a lot of the bewildering elements at play in the transition.
Workers fret over the size of the future housing complex and increase the pit while getting no closer to realising its actual construction.
'The nearest they had got to the peace of life was exhaustion.'
pg 14
People choose to lie down and die. All meaning is liquidated away, a society cleansed and offered no real meaning/narrative to replace it. A new land of vagueness that nourishes no one and depletes each person thoroughly in service for indiscernible goals. No new and enduring purpose.
People are paralysed by this anxiety of being responsible for each other. Gone are the neat little family units that tend to their own and contribute to the greater whole. Now children are everyone's responsibility. So they are treated as if they themselves are just as capable as any other citizen.
Even the Blacksmith (a bear called Mr Misha) is lambasted for mistreatment of an iron bar (owned now by everyone, so cared for in that same way). In a sense because everyone owns it all together they become obsessed with things even if they are being used up for a purpose they object to the wear and tear (and therefore the using up) of anything. It makes them insane.
"We'll all crack up!" said a middle peasant who had lived through the entire Revolution without uttering a word. "In the old days there was only my own family to worry about, but now we're expected to look after everyone! It'll be the death of us all!"
pg 141
This is just a brief overview. But believe me when I say that it really makes you ponder. Hugely funny, whilst being utterly sobering. A novel that I will be talking about for months!
humdrum_ts's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kristine_9's review
4.0
3.5 (I feel like it deserves the 4 though)
For me, 3.5 stars means I thought it was good, really good in this case, but I didn't love it, nor would I recommend it, unless someone's very interested in the main topic/theme. In this case, the Soviet Union and the damage it did to people, to individuality. For a person like that I would highly recommend it.
Sidenote: Nastya, a really young girl who says shit like "liquidate the kulaks" and "now that Stalin's become, I've become too" throughout the entire novel, belongs in a horror movie. Creepy as fuck.
For me, 3.5 stars means I thought it was good, really good in this case, but I didn't love it, nor would I recommend it, unless someone's very interested in the main topic/theme. In this case, the Soviet Union and the damage it did to people, to individuality. For a person like that I would highly recommend it.
Sidenote: Nastya, a really young girl who says shit like "liquidate the kulaks" and "now that Stalin's become, I've become too" throughout the entire novel, belongs in a horror movie. Creepy as fuck.
evancdent's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
theciz's review
3.0
I said I was going to stop reading abstract satires, but here we are. Thankfully, the first few pages excepted, this was a lot more comprehensible. It does, however, have a lot of references to Soviet culture and 1930s Russia, and hence the need for copious footnotes. And for once, an afterword rather than a foreword, that actually provides more, useful context for the story. Overall, I understood what was going on, but I did kind of feel like it suffered a bit as literature with all the extra context I needed. Still, it was certainly interesting.
julija125's review against another edition
So gar nicht in der Stimmung dafür. Zumindest nicht grad.