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A review by blueyorkie
A Mãe by Maxim Gorky
3.0
Some time ago, this book was in my library. So naturally, I was delighted to read it, expecting to be in the same lineage as the Tolstoys and Dostoevsky. However, I did not inquire more than that about its author. So, before embarking on hasty and risky comparisons, let's say a few words about history.
In a working-class village in Russia in the early twentieth century, life was hard and regulated by the factory; it "engulfed the day, the machines sucked into men's muscles all the forces it needed. The day scratched with life without leaving a trace; without noticing it, the man had gone a step further towards his grave; but he could indulge in the enjoyment of repose, in the pleasures of sordid cabaret, and he was satisfied." In this toxic atmosphere, a group of young people will gradually form, trying to spread the good socialist news to the factory, the region, and then to Russia. The book follows the evolution of Pelagia Nilovna Vlassova, affectionately nicknamed "The Mother." His son Pavel Vlasov is one of the charismatic leaders of the revolutionary movement. Locked up in a mediocre life, paralyzed by fear and despair, Pélagia will gradually open up to her son and companions' new ideas, participate in covert actions, and give herself entirely to the socialist cause.
The quality of the novel from a strictly literary point of view disappointed me. There is certainly a plot, but more than half of the pages are devoted to the mother's moods, which is redundant. Hope, sadness, joy, frustration, and hope again bathed in tears. The situations are often identical, and some protagonists' statements propose a little heavy propaganda. Gorky can not eliminate a certain Manichaeism by opposing the good guys to the good ones, whereas a more nuanced approach would have been more realistic.
However, the many characters and political, philosophical, and social renewal actors are well dug. Although idealized, even caricatural, they say something about the social diversity of the majority of the oppressed. The first chapter upsets me when the author draws the sad scenery that the plot will hold. Nevertheless, a great, committed, observant, demanding, and lucid writer is at work. As the mother's character, it is difficult not to be moved (despite everything!) by his unshakeable confidence in his son, love and attention to each other, and dedication that culminates in his final arrest (another passage of high fly). The caterpillar became a butterfly.
Suppose you look at the novel from a social and political point of view. Indeed, it paints a chilling portrait of the extremely precarious situation of Russia at the very beginning of the 20th century, of the selfish exploitation of man by man, of his miserable and somber daily life, and the absence of some transcendence. This context seems to be a breeding ground for and justification for the revolutionary ambitions of the workers and peasants. It offers an appealing light on the Soviet revolution; if we stick to the causes of the uprising, it seems to start from a good intention. The enthusiasm and serenity of the socialists in the book are pretty communicative. The revolution appears necessary to get out of a disgusting system. No one knows the consequences for the people it claims to serve.
Without being a connoisseur of Gorky, the "Soviet realistic" label defines it quite well. I would not allow myself to pass judgment on his political commitments to Lenin. Then to Stalin, Henri Troyat could pin it down in his book Gorky (a future reading?). However, his optimism (and sometimes naivety) for the "great cause" that transpires through the pages is touching. I also praise the author for his Faith in man and his rejection of all determinism; he permanently lost no soul.
Finally, the novel is captivating because it tells us about historical socialism that seems far from our current policies' pale and sad reflection. Anyone interested in the history of ideas and the Russian people should read this book. Although it is even possible that he sometimes lets himself be contaminated by the frenetic enthusiasm and quiet confidence of the characters, some of their speeches are unfortunately more relevant than ever: "We believe that the society which considers man only as a means of enrichment is antihuman, that it is hostile to us; we can not accept her double-faced morality, her shameless cynicism, and the cruelty with which she treats the individualities that are opposed to her; we want to fight, and we will fight against all the forms of physical and moral servitude of the man employed by this society which divides man in favor of greed" or a little further on, "all that you do is criminal, for you think only of enslaving the man; our work to free us from the world of monsters and ghosts created by your lie, your greed, your hatred. Soon the mass of our workers and peasants will be free and create an open, harmonious and immense world. And that will be!".
In a working-class village in Russia in the early twentieth century, life was hard and regulated by the factory; it "engulfed the day, the machines sucked into men's muscles all the forces it needed. The day scratched with life without leaving a trace; without noticing it, the man had gone a step further towards his grave; but he could indulge in the enjoyment of repose, in the pleasures of sordid cabaret, and he was satisfied." In this toxic atmosphere, a group of young people will gradually form, trying to spread the good socialist news to the factory, the region, and then to Russia. The book follows the evolution of Pelagia Nilovna Vlassova, affectionately nicknamed "The Mother." His son Pavel Vlasov is one of the charismatic leaders of the revolutionary movement. Locked up in a mediocre life, paralyzed by fear and despair, Pélagia will gradually open up to her son and companions' new ideas, participate in covert actions, and give herself entirely to the socialist cause.
The quality of the novel from a strictly literary point of view disappointed me. There is certainly a plot, but more than half of the pages are devoted to the mother's moods, which is redundant. Hope, sadness, joy, frustration, and hope again bathed in tears. The situations are often identical, and some protagonists' statements propose a little heavy propaganda. Gorky can not eliminate a certain Manichaeism by opposing the good guys to the good ones, whereas a more nuanced approach would have been more realistic.
However, the many characters and political, philosophical, and social renewal actors are well dug. Although idealized, even caricatural, they say something about the social diversity of the majority of the oppressed. The first chapter upsets me when the author draws the sad scenery that the plot will hold. Nevertheless, a great, committed, observant, demanding, and lucid writer is at work. As the mother's character, it is difficult not to be moved (despite everything!) by his unshakeable confidence in his son, love and attention to each other, and dedication that culminates in his final arrest (another passage of high fly). The caterpillar became a butterfly.
Suppose you look at the novel from a social and political point of view. Indeed, it paints a chilling portrait of the extremely precarious situation of Russia at the very beginning of the 20th century, of the selfish exploitation of man by man, of his miserable and somber daily life, and the absence of some transcendence. This context seems to be a breeding ground for and justification for the revolutionary ambitions of the workers and peasants. It offers an appealing light on the Soviet revolution; if we stick to the causes of the uprising, it seems to start from a good intention. The enthusiasm and serenity of the socialists in the book are pretty communicative. The revolution appears necessary to get out of a disgusting system. No one knows the consequences for the people it claims to serve.
Without being a connoisseur of Gorky, the "Soviet realistic" label defines it quite well. I would not allow myself to pass judgment on his political commitments to Lenin. Then to Stalin, Henri Troyat could pin it down in his book Gorky (a future reading?). However, his optimism (and sometimes naivety) for the "great cause" that transpires through the pages is touching. I also praise the author for his Faith in man and his rejection of all determinism; he permanently lost no soul.
Finally, the novel is captivating because it tells us about historical socialism that seems far from our current policies' pale and sad reflection. Anyone interested in the history of ideas and the Russian people should read this book. Although it is even possible that he sometimes lets himself be contaminated by the frenetic enthusiasm and quiet confidence of the characters, some of their speeches are unfortunately more relevant than ever: "We believe that the society which considers man only as a means of enrichment is antihuman, that it is hostile to us; we can not accept her double-faced morality, her shameless cynicism, and the cruelty with which she treats the individualities that are opposed to her; we want to fight, and we will fight against all the forms of physical and moral servitude of the man employed by this society which divides man in favor of greed" or a little further on, "all that you do is criminal, for you think only of enslaving the man; our work to free us from the world of monsters and ghosts created by your lie, your greed, your hatred. Soon the mass of our workers and peasants will be free and create an open, harmonious and immense world. And that will be!".