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highestiqinfresno 's review for:
October: The Story of the Russian Revolution
by China Miéville
Mieville's foray into popular history writing gives the reader a sense of the momentum and excitement generated by the Russian Revolution. Histories are rarely page-turners, but "October" is the rare exception. I also appreciated how, in contrast to other older popular histories of the Russian Revolution (looking at you Edmund Wilson), Mieville incorporate's perspectives from across the Russian empire and across age, gender, and class demographics.
"October" is a fast, exciting read, but it does have two serious flaws. While the book is written in an accessible style, it's portrayal of such a wide-ranging and diverse movement makes it difficult to follow at times. There are so many characters introduced that it is a challenge to keep track of them all. Paradoxically, though Mieville does bring in outside voices, "October" often feels insular. It was not always clear to me why the Russian Revolution was important. More context for how the Russian Revolution was perceived by those outside of Russia would have ameliorated this problem.
A worthwhile read overall and one I would highly recommend to those sympathetic to the political left, but unfamiliar with the Russian Revolution's history. For those looking for a sober synthesis of that history I would recommend Sheila Fitzpatrick's "The Russian Revolution" as an alternative.
"October" is a fast, exciting read, but it does have two serious flaws. While the book is written in an accessible style, it's portrayal of such a wide-ranging and diverse movement makes it difficult to follow at times. There are so many characters introduced that it is a challenge to keep track of them all. Paradoxically, though Mieville does bring in outside voices, "October" often feels insular. It was not always clear to me why the Russian Revolution was important. More context for how the Russian Revolution was perceived by those outside of Russia would have ameliorated this problem.
A worthwhile read overall and one I would highly recommend to those sympathetic to the political left, but unfamiliar with the Russian Revolution's history. For those looking for a sober synthesis of that history I would recommend Sheila Fitzpatrick's "The Russian Revolution" as an alternative.