Two essays by Solzhenitsyn, with a counterpoint of contributions from six other underground writers who still live in the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn is utterly eloquent and utterly bound up in his religious commitment. The Soviets must adopt inwardness and self-restriction: "It requires from each individual a moral step within his power—no more than that. . . . The nation is mystically welded together in a community of guilt, and its inescapable destiny is common repentance. . . . unless we recover the gift of repentance, our country will perish and will drag down the whole world with it." Solzhenitsyn warns the Russians against abetting a Vietnamese revolution and claims that Willy Brandt's "spiritual" opening toward the East bloc was met by "grasping political greed" on the other side. He stresses that the "Russians" must adopt "nil growth" in production and recommends the "Club of Rome arithmetic" sponsored by Gianni Agnelli The other pieces, edited by Solzhenitsyn, are relatively one-dimensional: Mikhail Agursky attacks Communism for "stimulating consumption," a writer called "A. B." adds a commendation of "the abstinent spirit," F. Korsakov cites "the intelligentsia's nonsensical moralism." "Godless humanism which is destroying mankind" receives attack by Evgeny Sarabanov, while a glorification of spiritual revival and national personality by Vadim Borisov recalls nothing so much as volkisch German tracts. Igor Shaferivich winds up with a blast against the notion of progress and a plea for sacrifice. The writers' concept of religion as an ascetic, anti-liberal force—the opposite of expansive concern for all human beings—is, as they themselves stress, a very Russian one. Solzhenitsyn's name and expository power will reach, but not necessarily convert, a broad readership.
Pub Date: June 23, 1975
ISBN: 0895268906
Page Count: -
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1975
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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