Re: [nukkad] bibliophile's query

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Akshay Joshi wrote:

>> hi rawat saheb,

Thanks for prompting me to my most favourite topic. My day is made. (no
saheb please)

>> 1. Darkness at noon - Arthur Koesler

After Lenin lead the Russian revolution in 1919 on the basis of Karl
Marx's vision, there were two schools of thoughts about its propogation
to all over the world. 

The branch lead by Trotsky believed that they should immediately
initiate revolutions one by one in all the countries of the world so
that entire world becomes communist.

The branch led by Stalin believed that they should concentrate on Russia
itself and experiment with communism so as to find the final workable
model and then they should launch it to other countries.

Finally, Stalin won, not due to having a better philosophy, but due to a
more dirty mind. Trotsky was killed.

The novel is better understood on this backdrop. It is a conflict
between the leader, referred as "No. 1" throughout the novel, and his
erstwhile deputy, named Rubashov, who was arrested on charges of
plotting to kill the "No. 1".

Then entire novel is the discussions and thoughts. It gives quite an
idea into the conceptual and physical progress of Russian revolution and
transformation of the country from Czarist to communist, and the what
the future holds from its population.

If "Animal Farm" reveals how a revolution gets sour, and "1984" predicts
the horror it might lead to, "darkness at noon" explains how a
revolution gets brewed.

This and "Games People play" are the two books that took me longest to
rest. I have to read every page several time to make out the message.

>> 2. the Flies - Jean Paul Sartre

A stage play highlighting basics of Existentialism vs conformism.

A king's brother murders him, assumes throne and marries his widow. The
son was helped to escape by a loyal servant. He returns after years on
becoming adult. There are flies all over the country which is a
symbolism for the feeling of guilt among the citizens that their king
was killed and they did nothing.

Gods are shown living like normal persons (but with special powers) and
interacting with people. The son gets the revenge, and then the message
of the novel begins in last five-six pages. The gods ask him to submit
to him and become king of the country. The prince does not and goes
away  upholding his individuality.
 
>> Not to forget The fountainhead - Ayn Rand.>>

An upright architect living in an all-corrupt world. A long novel about
600 pages.

The point is that he does it just because he believed in it. He did not
go around like a hindi film hero to change the world or to eliminate the
corrupts. He does not abuse, or fight or demean the corrupts. He lives
his own uncompromising life, showing the basic tenets of dharma, the
basic nature.

>  would u please elaX-Mozilla-Status: 0009ooks were about. just like a couple of sentences on each book and its content n theme.

It went beyond the specified limit, but couldn't help it.

Thanks again.
-Rawat


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