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a_serpent_with_corners's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I got a lot out of this, especially his opinions on formalism. Comprehensive, snappy, often very funny.
'The Crime Novel' (#59) was especially interesting - made me want to revisit the section on detective stories in Hutcehon's Narcissistic Narrative.
'The Crime Novel' (#59) was especially interesting - made me want to revisit the section on detective stories in Hutcehon's Narcissistic Narrative.
cosmological's review
5.0
“The most important lesson was that a future for man king was becoming visible only ‘from below, from the standpoint of the oppressed and exploited. Only by fighting with them does one fight for mankind. (. . .) Throughout their whole lives, people under capitalism fight for their bare existence—against each other. Parents fight for their children, children for their inheritance, the small retailer fights for his shop with the other small retailers, and all of them fight with the large retailer. The peasant fights with the townsman, the pupils fight with the teacher, the ordinary people fight with the authorities, the factories fight with the banks, the companies fight with companies. How, given all this, are nations to end up not fighting nations?
The nations whose people have fought successfully for a socialist economy have adopted a wonderful position with regard to peace. People’s instincts are becoming peaceful. The struggle of everyone against everyone is being transformed into the struggle of everyone for everyone. Anyone who benefits society benefits himself. Anyone who benefits himself benefits society. The people who have it good are those who are useful, no longer those who are harmful. Progress ceases to mean stealing a march on the competition, and discoveries are no longer kept secret from anyone, but are instead made accessible to all. The new inventions can be received with joy and hope, instead of with horror and fear.
I myself have experienced two world wars. Now, approaching old age, I know that a monstrous war is being prepared anew. But a quarter of the world has now adopted peace, and in other parts socialist ideas are advancing. Ordinary people everywhere have a separate desire for peace. In the intellectual professions many people with different levels of awareness are fighting for peace. That includes the capitalist states. But our best hope for peace lies with the workers and the peasants, in their own states and in the capitalist states.
Long live peace! Long live your great peaceful state, the stare of the workers and peasants.”
—
[delightful to see Brecht grow from a teen Jughead kinnie to a commie. Good for him. 5 stars not bc I agree w all of his analysis but bc I just legitimately enjoyed it enough to warrant 5 stars!! There’s some very good commentary on theory here I think]
The nations whose people have fought successfully for a socialist economy have adopted a wonderful position with regard to peace. People’s instincts are becoming peaceful. The struggle of everyone against everyone is being transformed into the struggle of everyone for everyone. Anyone who benefits society benefits himself. Anyone who benefits himself benefits society. The people who have it good are those who are useful, no longer those who are harmful. Progress ceases to mean stealing a march on the competition, and discoveries are no longer kept secret from anyone, but are instead made accessible to all. The new inventions can be received with joy and hope, instead of with horror and fear.
I myself have experienced two world wars. Now, approaching old age, I know that a monstrous war is being prepared anew. But a quarter of the world has now adopted peace, and in other parts socialist ideas are advancing. Ordinary people everywhere have a separate desire for peace. In the intellectual professions many people with different levels of awareness are fighting for peace. That includes the capitalist states. But our best hope for peace lies with the workers and the peasants, in their own states and in the capitalist states.
Long live peace! Long live your great peaceful state, the stare of the workers and peasants.”
—
[delightful to see Brecht grow from a teen Jughead kinnie to a commie. Good for him. 5 stars not bc I agree w all of his analysis but bc I just legitimately enjoyed it enough to warrant 5 stars!! There’s some very good commentary on theory here I think]
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