Scan barcode
shoshin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Illuminating and terrifying. I fear that a lot of people read this as a meditation on and confirmation of the dangers of communism rather than a meditation on the dangers of authoritarian followers--and how easy it is to become one.
ztaylor4's review against another edition
5.0
Detailing the effect of living under totalitarianism and the methods used by the Soviets to advance the totalitarian state, Milosz provides a chilling view into life under communism/Stalinism. The scariest part of this description, however, might be that features of totalitarianism are recognizable as features of 21st-century American life. If more people see the darkness of our path, hopefully we can catch ourselves before it's too late.
kingarooski's review
5.0
Czeslaw Milosz is one of Poland's most beloved poets. Much of his work was inaccessible during my childhood due to his defection to the West. The Captive Mind looks at how a person survives in authoritarian times psychologically. I filled pages in my notebook with quotes from this book, and I noted some of those on here, as I read along. Milosz truly captures the feeling of living in Communist times, where the brain has to cope with an unforgiving reality and political system, juxtaposed against the inner feelings and thoughts that the citizens of that country have. How do you create and survive in a society where the state has an input into each aspect of your life? How can you write poetry, books, make films and sculpt according to strict socialist realism guidelines? Milosz focuses on four personalities in his book: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta and shows how they adapted their art to the rules of the times and the price they paid for it. The four personalities: Jerzy Andrzejewski, Tadeusz Borowski, Jerzy Putrament and Konstanty Ildefons Galczynski are well-known to all Poles and their experiences are not unique.
This is a powerful book which meant a lot to me, mainly because I understood the practice of Ketman: paying lip service to the status quo, whilst hiding a fierce opposition in one's mind. One of my favourite quotes (and there are many!) is: "...the devil to whom men sell their souls owes his might to men themselves...".
This is a powerful book which meant a lot to me, mainly because I understood the practice of Ketman: paying lip service to the status quo, whilst hiding a fierce opposition in one's mind. One of my favourite quotes (and there are many!) is: "...the devil to whom men sell their souls owes his might to men themselves...".
ievastrazdina's review against another edition
4.0
Šo grāmatu lasīju uzreiz pēc “Putina troļļi” un esmu priecīga, ka veiksmīgi sagadījās tieši šādi. “Sagūstītie prāti” ir autora 1953.gadā sarakstīta filozofiska eseja par to, kā un kādus prātus iespējams sagūstīt, lai tie kļūtu par daļu no lielās propagandas mašinērijas.
Cik aktuāls šis pirms 70 gadiem sarakstītais darbs ir arī šodien!
Autora mērķis nav attaisnot pūli, bet paraudzīties uz to ar citām acīm un izprast šo cilvēku motivāciju vai, iespējams, tās trūkumu. Autors piedāvā pūlī ieraudzīt indivīdus. Kādēļ tas ir svarīgi šobrīd? Autors parāda, ka pūlim nereti pievienojas tie, kas ir vīlušies pašreizējā sistēmā, kuru dzīves salauza “vecās” sistēmas, kuri ir noguruši no nabadzības, protams, daļa ir vienkārši asinskāras žurkas. Un tas liek saprast, ka teju ar visiem no pūļa, kas nav asinskārās žurkas, ir iespējams runāt viņiem saprotamā valodā, piedāvājot risināt viņu problēmas ar citiem līdzekļiem.
Tā, piemēram, šodien – dzirdam radikālus nacionālistus – priekš kam par nodokļu maksātāju naudu krieviem jārada īpašs saturs, kāpēc jāpiedāvā kādi labumi valodā vai veidā, kas tiem ir saprotams – viņi visi taču ir Putinisti. Taču Milošs liek domāt, ka daļa no šiem Putinistiem ir vīlušies pilnīgi citās lietās un viņi ar Putina troļļu palīdzību sadzird, ka Kremlis viņu saprot un palīdzēs. Kremlis glauda šos pieviltos pa spalvai un šie cilvēki tiek troļļoti vai paši par tiem kļūst. Iespējams, parādot citu ceļu, lielāku šo sabiedrības daļu varam cerēt redzam neraugoties “hipnotizējošās Kremļa gaismas” virzienā.
Es te nedaudz aizpļāpājos, bet lūk, kurp manu prātu ved šis autora filizofiskais darbs. Izlasiet!
Grāmatā daudz atzīmējamu vietu - veselas rindkopas, kas raisa pārdomas.
3,7⭐️
Cik aktuāls šis pirms 70 gadiem sarakstītais darbs ir arī šodien!
Autora mērķis nav attaisnot pūli, bet paraudzīties uz to ar citām acīm un izprast šo cilvēku motivāciju vai, iespējams, tās trūkumu. Autors piedāvā pūlī ieraudzīt indivīdus. Kādēļ tas ir svarīgi šobrīd? Autors parāda, ka pūlim nereti pievienojas tie, kas ir vīlušies pašreizējā sistēmā, kuru dzīves salauza “vecās” sistēmas, kuri ir noguruši no nabadzības, protams, daļa ir vienkārši asinskāras žurkas. Un tas liek saprast, ka teju ar visiem no pūļa, kas nav asinskārās žurkas, ir iespējams runāt viņiem saprotamā valodā, piedāvājot risināt viņu problēmas ar citiem līdzekļiem.
Tā, piemēram, šodien – dzirdam radikālus nacionālistus – priekš kam par nodokļu maksātāju naudu krieviem jārada īpašs saturs, kāpēc jāpiedāvā kādi labumi valodā vai veidā, kas tiem ir saprotams – viņi visi taču ir Putinisti. Taču Milošs liek domāt, ka daļa no šiem Putinistiem ir vīlušies pilnīgi citās lietās un viņi ar Putina troļļu palīdzību sadzird, ka Kremlis viņu saprot un palīdzēs. Kremlis glauda šos pieviltos pa spalvai un šie cilvēki tiek troļļoti vai paši par tiem kļūst. Iespējams, parādot citu ceļu, lielāku šo sabiedrības daļu varam cerēt redzam neraugoties “hipnotizējošās Kremļa gaismas” virzienā.
Es te nedaudz aizpļāpājos, bet lūk, kurp manu prātu ved šis autora filizofiskais darbs. Izlasiet!
Grāmatā daudz atzīmējamu vietu - veselas rindkopas, kas raisa pārdomas.
3,7⭐️
moniwicz's review against another edition
5.0
[Nobel 1980]
"Workers are far more important than peasants. Most of them are antagonistic to the new system. That is understandable. They resent the norms they must fill. Those norms are constantly rising. Though the "solidarity of the workers" makes a nice slogan, it does not mean that the solidarity of the crews in a factory is to be tolerated"
~the sharp wit and sarcastic insight of Milosz into the Communist regime won me over in this sparking book.
I picked this book up purely by accident because it was left on the table and I liked the cover. After reading 4 pages and enjoying them I continued and committed. A further 4 pages in I realised I might have made a terrible mistake. 4 pages after that and I was hooked.
A polemic on the subconscious and conscious effects of the material dialectic philosophy, and a narrative on the brutal communist regime and plight of the Polish nation, this is a book that more people should pick up. Milosz talks candidly about four other writers- his friends- and how they have succumbed to the seduction of a Communist way of life. He is unapologetic. A genius on the subject of human nature.
"Workers are far more important than peasants. Most of them are antagonistic to the new system. That is understandable. They resent the norms they must fill. Those norms are constantly rising. Though the "solidarity of the workers" makes a nice slogan, it does not mean that the solidarity of the crews in a factory is to be tolerated"
~the sharp wit and sarcastic insight of Milosz into the Communist regime won me over in this sparking book.
I picked this book up purely by accident because it was left on the table and I liked the cover. After reading 4 pages and enjoying them I continued and committed. A further 4 pages in I realised I might have made a terrible mistake. 4 pages after that and I was hooked.
A polemic on the subconscious and conscious effects of the material dialectic philosophy, and a narrative on the brutal communist regime and plight of the Polish nation, this is a book that more people should pick up. Milosz talks candidly about four other writers- his friends- and how they have succumbed to the seduction of a Communist way of life. He is unapologetic. A genius on the subject of human nature.
tsharris's review against another edition
5.0
Revisited this book because I wanted to explore a passage regarding the "innocence" of Americans regarding the ordeal faced by Central and Eastern Europeans in the twentieth century, but then read the whole book again. Some parts have more contemporary relevance than others, but nevertheless a chilling account of how smart and educated people make their separate peaces with heinous regimes.
jay_catsby's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5