Why? or, How a Peasant Got Into the Land of Anarchy: An Anarchist Fairytale From the Russian Revolution

by Abba Gordin, Jesse S. Cohn (Translator), Eugene Kuchinov (Translator)

A revolutionary fairy tale for adults that makes sharpening your critique of capitalism fun.

Why? follows the travels of a boy named Pochemu—“Why” in Russian—as he tries to understand the Tsar’s empire, capitalism, state violence, and more. The answers his rapid-fire questions elicit, which make less and less sense the deeper he probes, are just as ridiculous today as they were a century ago, and just as descriptive of a society gone wrong. When Pochemu eventually enters the Land of Anarchy, he is confronted by his own strangeness to its citizens, who study the bizarre customs he brings to their free society. This is a timeless tale of the ludicrousness of power and its deluded defenders.
In this fable, a child’s innocent questions meet the lies used to justify a world of cruelty and inequality. The result is quasi-absurdist, political comedy. Abba and Wolf Gordin, Jewish anarchists in the Russian Revolution, wrote proletarian literature to enlighten and entertain. It’s a genre that no longer really exists, but given this delightful book, maybe it should. 

Genres: Fiction, Politics, Fantasy

110 pages, Paperback

Published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This proved to be a very readable little tract – one with all the ease of reading of a fairy tale, and with some archaic style of language involving repetitions and other things quite often, but one definitely with the clarity the authors sought. (Actually the argument is still being made as to how many of a pair of brothers authored this, but I'll let that slide.) Our young hero is the naif from folklore, wondering why his father cannot get rich from praying, why God seems absent in the church and why people don't pray directly up to the skies, why his family don't have a huge "hut" and a drive and pure white linens and so on. Forced from economy to go to the city, he does get work but also gets to see the inside of a prison and then courthouse, but things make a great switch when he decides he dislikes the city and finds somewhere utterly different – the easy, bucolic idyll of Anarchy.

This of course does Anarchy or those seeking it no real service – it's another fairy story, of people being able to order all ten dishes on a menu and never pay, where nobody wants for a bed at night but even the wisest cannot understand the concept of a locked door or stealing. But as contrast to the tsarist world pre-1917, and the logic that if the Tsar obeys nobody then just by doing the same yourself and obeying nobody you would be made a tsar – it's as clear as daylight. No wonder this was talked of, as the introduction has it, as one of the more successful pro-Anarchy propaganda sheets.

Said introduction is a little on the "well, it beat me" side a few times, but I came for the main text and found it, as I said, so easily read and understood, I don't mind the brief time I spent with this slice of history one bit. It is for the academic, and/or political fantasist, but it is there and it's been brought back to our stores very well. A strong four stars.

[Dannie Lynn Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.25] I signed up to be a "Friend of AK Press" mostly because of influence from either @schizophrenicreads or @nonfictionqueer (IG/TT). I didn't really know what I was in for, other than I'd be supporting a small press who published interesting work.

My first monthly mailing arrived a couple days ago, and inside it was this title. Authored by two anarchist writers who lived through the Russian Revolution, it's a folklore of sorts, preceded by a long but interesting essay from the translators.

Interestingly, the Brothers Gordin grew up in a small town near modern-day Vilnius, Lithuania. Vilnius was one of the final places I visited prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns began and remains one of my top five travel destinations in the world. (On that same trip, I spent 24 hours in Minsk, Belarus - the brothers are Belarusian.) This fairytale/piece of anarchist folklore is deeply fascinating and feels supremely relevant even today, a century after it was first written. It also feels like a timely read given the still-ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Thanks for this gem, AK Press! 💛

[Dimitrii Ivanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text is interesting in its context but - in my view - not outstanding enough to be chosen for translation (unless other ones - like Karelin's "Russia in 1930" - are also anthologised). The pictures are nice but to send a peasant who is implied to be Russian to what looks like a Catholic church is not an obvious decision. The foreword is too lenient on the Gordins' role in the anarchist movement and does not provide enough clarity, for instance, in regards to their convoluted authorship strategies.

[Doug Brunell · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is most interesting about this little fable is not the simplistic (too simplistic) tale. It is the history of the brothers who wrote it, which is covered at the beginning of the book.

Kudos to AK Press for putting this out, as it is an important piece of anarchist history. It's not going to change minds and hearts, however, but it is a fascinating bit of the past.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why? is absurdist literature, with the main character trying to understand social and political structures, and why they are so prevalent when they are not needed. It is a simple read, with deep thoughts, but perhaps a bit too simple to maintain interest and encourage the reader to think on these topics.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute treat of a fairytale this was. I can hardly believe it was written in 1917. What a treasure, and it caused me to burst out laughing and read several passages to my spouse.

Brilliant work, Pochemu!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent kids book with a long intro written for adults.