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The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin
In a spellbinding novel that combines the suspense of a thriller and the accuracy of a work of history, the psychology of a monster is fully revealed, every atom of his madness explored, every twist of his homicidal logic followed to its logical conclusion. "Leon Trotsky is trying to kill me," thinks Joseph Stalin. It's a paranoid lie, but all too real to Stalin. Trotsky, in exile in Mexico City, is writing a biography of Stalin that may offer proof of a secret crime that could force Stalin from power. What will Trotsky disclose before the long hand of Stalin reaches him and eliminates the threat? The prospect leads Stalin to reflect on his own life—the sly and domineering schoolboy battling a sadistic father... a youthful poet, thief, and seminarian who questions morality, evil, and the existence of God until he finds answers that free him to a life of power and slaughter. Stalin takes us deeper and deeper into his life and into the labyrinth of his psyche until we are finally alone with him. The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin is a mesmerizing journey to the very heart of evil.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews
September 14, 2013
The problem with this book is my expectation. I wanted in depth look at this dude, but what I got was a YA book. I didn't know it would be this, but I should've guessed at the clues; its only 255 pgs, and its got a cheesy illustration cover of a gorgeous redheaded broad sitting on the lap of a uniformed Stalin, with a look on his face that screams...:"I dont know what this thing on my lap is...it's stroking my chin, should I kill it, or do I have an erection?" Just look at that illustration above. It may be too small for you to really get a good look at his face, but his expression looks like mine did when I got my first lap dance, except killing wasn't on my mind like it probably is with this guy.
All I got from this little book is that there was a severe love triangle going on between Stalin, Trotsky, and Lenin. Each wants to outfuck each other over the nuances of a Socialist Russia from the early 1900s through WWII.
I think Stalin is a fascinating guy, but this book did not deliver on being his fictional autobiography. We get glimpses of what makes him tick, and it mostly revolves around a gross fascination he has with fucking Trostsky. It's not that interesting, because you really have to do some outside research in order to really appreaciate this book, since it doesn't really do a good job at explaining things and laying out a good foundation for Stalin's obsessive neurosis. Nothing deeper here other than his father beat him and was a loser.
F this book.
All I got from this little book is that there was a severe love triangle going on between Stalin, Trotsky, and Lenin. Each wants to outfuck each other over the nuances of a Socialist Russia from the early 1900s through WWII.
I think Stalin is a fascinating guy, but this book did not deliver on being his fictional autobiography. We get glimpses of what makes him tick, and it mostly revolves around a gross fascination he has with fucking Trostsky. It's not that interesting, because you really have to do some outside research in order to really appreaciate this book, since it doesn't really do a good job at explaining things and laying out a good foundation for Stalin's obsessive neurosis. Nothing deeper here other than his father beat him and was a loser.
F this book.
April 17, 2015
what a creepy little read!
i'm a long way from an expert on Russian history, altho Wikipedia gave me the bare bones on Stalin and Trotsky... fascinating.
this book does an interesting balancing act between the two, and between historical fact and fiction. Stalin comes across as a thug with an immense skill for manipulating power, and Trotsky comes across as a towering intellect with zero ability to handle people. what a pair!
Stalin's observations on the manipulation of power are a master class in how to foment revolution and run a fractious country without any sort of personal moral code or intellectual convictions. and despite that, he can be rather funny. i imagine he's a great deal funnier on paper than he was in real life, and he's not someone i'd ever want to sit down to dinner with. but this fictional Stalin has some serious and frightening things to say about the uses of power, who seeks it, and what its purpose is in a person too otherwise stunted to care about anything else.
i've always wondered about any candidate who would seek election in the US--to have your life so minutely raked through by an invariably dirt-seeking press, to have to smile and shake hands and try to make a personal connection with 10,000 people, when in fact most of us can only stand about 50 at most. this book gives a person a lot to think about, on that score.
but it's really Stalin's comments on Trotsky and his obsession with Trotsky's writings that make this book worth a read. anybody can do thuggery, but only a really good writer can expose a truth about a relationship that the two principals are unaware of. Stalin hates Trotsky pretty much from the moment they meet, for no good reason. over the years this book covers, he invents reason after reason for hating Trotsky, and they're all deeply illuminating of Stalin's character, while saying pretty much zip about Trotsky himself. it's a fabulous setup for a novel.
read it, even if Russian history's not your thing--read it as strictly fiction if you like (it holds up well even from that angle). read it to examine what your own choice of enemies might say about you.
i'm a long way from an expert on Russian history, altho Wikipedia gave me the bare bones on Stalin and Trotsky... fascinating.
this book does an interesting balancing act between the two, and between historical fact and fiction. Stalin comes across as a thug with an immense skill for manipulating power, and Trotsky comes across as a towering intellect with zero ability to handle people. what a pair!
Stalin's observations on the manipulation of power are a master class in how to foment revolution and run a fractious country without any sort of personal moral code or intellectual convictions. and despite that, he can be rather funny. i imagine he's a great deal funnier on paper than he was in real life, and he's not someone i'd ever want to sit down to dinner with. but this fictional Stalin has some serious and frightening things to say about the uses of power, who seeks it, and what its purpose is in a person too otherwise stunted to care about anything else.
i've always wondered about any candidate who would seek election in the US--to have your life so minutely raked through by an invariably dirt-seeking press, to have to smile and shake hands and try to make a personal connection with 10,000 people, when in fact most of us can only stand about 50 at most. this book gives a person a lot to think about, on that score.
but it's really Stalin's comments on Trotsky and his obsession with Trotsky's writings that make this book worth a read. anybody can do thuggery, but only a really good writer can expose a truth about a relationship that the two principals are unaware of. Stalin hates Trotsky pretty much from the moment they meet, for no good reason. over the years this book covers, he invents reason after reason for hating Trotsky, and they're all deeply illuminating of Stalin's character, while saying pretty much zip about Trotsky himself. it's a fabulous setup for a novel.
read it, even if Russian history's not your thing--read it as strictly fiction if you like (it holds up well even from that angle). read it to examine what your own choice of enemies might say about you.
May 10, 2019
Cogí este libro con autentica prevención y la verdad es que me ha sorprendido: aunque la premisa de inicio no puede ser más absurda -está escrito en primera persona desde el punto de vista de Stalin, como si de una "autobiografía" se tratase-con todo el riesgo de caer en el ridículo o la caricatura que ello conlleva, la novela es muy entretenida y el autor hace un buen trabajo.
Es obvio que intentar retratar la psique de alguien como Stalin es un ejercicio de riesgo y también es muy cierto que Richard Lourie traslada todos sus prejuicios a la novela: Stalin es retratado como un psicópata totalmente carente de empatía y compasión, un monstruo cuyo único fin es el ejercicio del poder absoluto y la destrucción de sus "enemigos" (que resulta ser todo el mundo en general y Trotski en particular). Sin embargo el autor consigue un retrato coherente y convincente del dictador (que sea veraz o no es imposible de saber), un gran logro tratándose de un genero tramposo por definición como es el de la autobiografía apócrifa.
A esta sensación de coherencia interna del libro contribuye de manera decisiva la habilidad de Lourie de entremezclar eventos reales e inventados en la narrativa, como por ejemplo la descripción de la operación para asesinar a Trotski (Ramón Mercader...), que esta perfectamente novelada y documentada.
En definitiva una muy interesante "ficción histórica".
Es obvio que intentar retratar la psique de alguien como Stalin es un ejercicio de riesgo y también es muy cierto que Richard Lourie traslada todos sus prejuicios a la novela: Stalin es retratado como un psicópata totalmente carente de empatía y compasión, un monstruo cuyo único fin es el ejercicio del poder absoluto y la destrucción de sus "enemigos" (que resulta ser todo el mundo en general y Trotski en particular). Sin embargo el autor consigue un retrato coherente y convincente del dictador (que sea veraz o no es imposible de saber), un gran logro tratándose de un genero tramposo por definición como es el de la autobiografía apócrifa.
A esta sensación de coherencia interna del libro contribuye de manera decisiva la habilidad de Lourie de entremezclar eventos reales e inventados en la narrativa, como por ejemplo la descripción de la operación para asesinar a Trotski (Ramón Mercader...), que esta perfectamente novelada y documentada.
En definitiva una muy interesante "ficción histórica".
April 21, 2020
Will niemand groß um das Lesevergnügen oder den Erkenntnisgewinn während der Lektüre spoilern, von daher nur eine knappe Impression zu einem durchweg empfehlenswerten Buch:
Bis zur Hälfte hätte ich wegen guter handwerklicher Arbeit vielleicht drei Sterne für dieses Stalin für Dummies vergeben, aber der weitere Verlauf mit den Gründen für die Abwesenheit beim Sturm auf das Winterpalais und den raffinierten Mord am politischen Vater (Lenin) ist absolut bewundernswert und durchweg psychologisch schlüssig umgesetzt. Auch das Verhältnis Stalin - Trotzki, bzw. das Scheitern des brillanteren Kopfes nach Revolution und Bürgerkrieg sind sehr gut getroffen, die geradezu paranoide Angst des Diktators vor seinem längst ins Exil getriebenen Widersachers ist schlüssig umgesetzt, wird mit der Privatvorführung der Ermordung in der Lubjanka zuletzt ironisch gebrochen. Die Spielerei mit dem Trotzki-Double und den Stalin-Doppelgängern ist auch ziemlich witzig.
Bis zur Hälfte hätte ich wegen guter handwerklicher Arbeit vielleicht drei Sterne für dieses Stalin für Dummies vergeben, aber der weitere Verlauf mit den Gründen für die Abwesenheit beim Sturm auf das Winterpalais und den raffinierten Mord am politischen Vater (Lenin) ist absolut bewundernswert und durchweg psychologisch schlüssig umgesetzt. Auch das Verhältnis Stalin - Trotzki, bzw. das Scheitern des brillanteren Kopfes nach Revolution und Bürgerkrieg sind sehr gut getroffen, die geradezu paranoide Angst des Diktators vor seinem längst ins Exil getriebenen Widersachers ist schlüssig umgesetzt, wird mit der Privatvorführung der Ermordung in der Lubjanka zuletzt ironisch gebrochen. Die Spielerei mit dem Trotzki-Double und den Stalin-Doppelgängern ist auch ziemlich witzig.
July 31, 2023
The novel is guided by two principles: Stalin’s obsession with Trotsky and a first person, dispassionate recount of past misdeeds and crimes committed by one of the most powerful persons on the planet during the XX century.
Praise for the martial discipline needed for getting and staying inside the obscure mind of one of the most horrible human monsters ever.
The cold sparseness in the prose and the way the whole story leads you to “that” crime, the one that could have toppled Stalin before his time, drives the story forward effortlessly.
I loved the rhythm, the details, the paranoia, but mostly the japes and lightness, cleverly alternated with grim descriptions, such as Stalin getting acquainted with his enemies rabbits!
Praise for the martial discipline needed for getting and staying inside the obscure mind of one of the most horrible human monsters ever.
The cold sparseness in the prose and the way the whole story leads you to “that” crime, the one that could have toppled Stalin before his time, drives the story forward effortlessly.
I loved the rhythm, the details, the paranoia, but mostly the japes and lightness, cleverly alternated with grim descriptions, such as Stalin getting acquainted with his enemies rabbits!
December 7, 2011
In the Autobiography of Joseph Stalin, It tells about the life of the Russian Dictator Stalin. Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili in the village of Gori, in the Russian province of Georgia, on Dec. 21, 1879. His Dad was a shoemaker and was also an alchaholic, he left young Stalin and his mother to find work in Tiflis, thus leaving Stalins mother to raise him alone. His mother was the main influence of his life, she chose what schools he went to, first she enroled him in the local Gori Church School and after, thanks to a scholarship, he attended the Tiflis Theological Seminary. His mother had hoped that he would train to become a priest, But instead, the young Stalin became a devoted advocate for Marxist revolution. After leaving the Seminary, he joined up with the Social Democrats, Russia's Marxist political party where he worked in Tiflis then the Black Sea port of Batumi, organizing protests which led to his arrest in 1902 and exiled to Sibiria. Later on Stalin would be arrested and exiled six more times and each time he escaped from the Sibiran Exile in Tsarist Russia. While this was going on the Social Democrats split into two factions, the Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Lenin, and the Mensheviks, of the two Stalin chose to join the Bolsheviks. By the time World War I arrived, in 1914, he had attended a number of Party Congresses where Stalin became vary well liked in the eyes of Lenin, who then appointed him to the Bolsheviks Central Commitie and it was during that time that he adopted the name "Stalin" which means "Steel one". Later in 1917, the Russian Revolution toppled the Tsarist government in only a count of eight months, form March to November. with the new government, led by Lenin, they undertook a bloody, three-year civil war, in which Stalin commanded on several fronts. Though the real hero of the war was Leon Trotsky, a former Menshevik, he lead the Red Army and ultimatly led the Bolsheviks. (That was the area that I ended at
Overall, I did not finish "The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin" but what I have read of it, it is vary interesting and informitive about the life of this famous Russian leader. I would rate this book about a 7 out of 10 because I did not finish the entier book. I would say that if you are interested about Stalin then you should read this it is vary informitive.
Overall, I did not finish "The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin" but what I have read of it, it is vary interesting and informitive about the life of this famous Russian leader. I would rate this book about a 7 out of 10 because I did not finish the entier book. I would say that if you are interested about Stalin then you should read this it is vary informitive.
March 25, 2014
It's a psychotic despot who's responsible for as many as 15-20 million deaths. This is a look at how such an evil man might think.
It's paranoid, bleak, over-the-top, and funny as hell at times.
If you don't grasp that it's basically a look into the mind of a guy who'd kill you for saying the wrong thing, then you probably need to actually LEARN about Stalin FIRST.
This is NOT where you learn about Stalin. This is where you come when you understand the gulags and the horror and you have a dark mind and a bizarre sense of humour.
You wanna learn instead about Stalin's legacy and the actual numbers behind it all? Adam Hochschild's Unquiet Mind: Russians Remember Stalin is the autopsy of a country in the shadows of the next generation after life under one of the world's most evil and punitive leaders.
Fiction is fiction is fiction. It's not where you go for a "deeper look" at an actual human, like one confused reviewer wrote above.
It's paranoid, bleak, over-the-top, and funny as hell at times.
If you don't grasp that it's basically a look into the mind of a guy who'd kill you for saying the wrong thing, then you probably need to actually LEARN about Stalin FIRST.
This is NOT where you learn about Stalin. This is where you come when you understand the gulags and the horror and you have a dark mind and a bizarre sense of humour.
You wanna learn instead about Stalin's legacy and the actual numbers behind it all? Adam Hochschild's Unquiet Mind: Russians Remember Stalin is the autopsy of a country in the shadows of the next generation after life under one of the world's most evil and punitive leaders.
Fiction is fiction is fiction. It's not where you go for a "deeper look" at an actual human, like one confused reviewer wrote above.
October 24, 2013
Ale by był numer gdyby ta osnuta na historii bajka okazała się prawdą. Louri jest genialnym historykiem i jeszcze lepszym psychologiem. A najlepszym w tej książce jest to, że wujaszek na 100% przewraca się w grobie i już nic nie może na to poradzić.
September 19, 2019
4+
Detaljnije utiske, kao i prilaz knjige, pišem sledeće nedelje.
Detaljnije utiske, kao i prilaz knjige, pišem sledeće nedelje.
January 15, 2025
Ciekawa pod względem kompozycyjnym i literackim powieść. Narratorem i głównym bohaterem jest Józef Stalin.
Autor przedstawia świat intryg, kłamstw, obsesji, urojeń z punktu widzenia sprawcy cierpienia i śmierci milionów ludzi. Fikcja literacka miesza się z faktami dotyczącymi biografii Stalina i Rosji pierwszej połowy XX wieku. Razem stanowi to psychologiczny obraz opętania chęcią sprawowania władzy, podporządkowania sobie innych, budowania sympatii i antypatii na podstawie mało znaczących, czasem wręcz niezauważalnych dla innych spojrzeń lub słów.
Osią książki jest konflikt między Stalinem i Trockim, który rozszerza temat książki o wątki dotyczące zdobycia władzy przez bolszewików, konfliktów między nimi i wreszcie eliminowania wszystkich, którzy stali na drodze do Kremla Stalinowi.
"Trocki jest wrogiem nie dlatego, że ma tak wielu zwolenników. Trocki jest wrogiem, bo to jedyny człowiek na ziemi, który może zająć moje miejsce na Kremlu. Hitler mógłby napaść i zagarnąć Rosję i pozbawić mnie życia, ale nigdy nie mógłby zająć mojego miejsca jako przywódcy Rosji Radzieckiej. Trocki nadal pozostanie wrogiem, nawet jeśli jego organizacja zostanie rozbita i ostanie się jedynie on sam. Jeśli odmówisz przyznania, że służyłeś Trockiemu w przeszłości, będzie to oznaczać, że służysz mu obecnie. A to jeszcze gorsze."
Książka Lauriego jest próbą wniknięcia w psychikę zbrodniarza i pokazania świata z jego perspektywy. Studium zła bez zbędnego psychologizowania i upraszczania napisane w przystępny i czytelny sposób. NIe tylko dla znawców historii.
Autor przedstawia świat intryg, kłamstw, obsesji, urojeń z punktu widzenia sprawcy cierpienia i śmierci milionów ludzi. Fikcja literacka miesza się z faktami dotyczącymi biografii Stalina i Rosji pierwszej połowy XX wieku. Razem stanowi to psychologiczny obraz opętania chęcią sprawowania władzy, podporządkowania sobie innych, budowania sympatii i antypatii na podstawie mało znaczących, czasem wręcz niezauważalnych dla innych spojrzeń lub słów.
Osią książki jest konflikt między Stalinem i Trockim, który rozszerza temat książki o wątki dotyczące zdobycia władzy przez bolszewików, konfliktów między nimi i wreszcie eliminowania wszystkich, którzy stali na drodze do Kremla Stalinowi.
"Trocki jest wrogiem nie dlatego, że ma tak wielu zwolenników. Trocki jest wrogiem, bo to jedyny człowiek na ziemi, który może zająć moje miejsce na Kremlu. Hitler mógłby napaść i zagarnąć Rosję i pozbawić mnie życia, ale nigdy nie mógłby zająć mojego miejsca jako przywódcy Rosji Radzieckiej. Trocki nadal pozostanie wrogiem, nawet jeśli jego organizacja zostanie rozbita i ostanie się jedynie on sam. Jeśli odmówisz przyznania, że służyłeś Trockiemu w przeszłości, będzie to oznaczać, że służysz mu obecnie. A to jeszcze gorsze."
Książka Lauriego jest próbą wniknięcia w psychikę zbrodniarza i pokazania świata z jego perspektywy. Studium zła bez zbędnego psychologizowania i upraszczania napisane w przystępny i czytelny sposób. NIe tylko dla znawców historii.
December 19, 2019
Interesting, but nowhere near as engrossing as I expected it to be. Still, an interesting, albeit fictional exploration of the mind and motivations of one of the most violent, sadistic and dangerous men of the 20th century.
March 7, 2019
Deeply disturbing. Stalin is one of the more fascinating characters of the last century. This book gives good insight into what drove him.
June 30, 2019
Una novela impresionante, en cuánto a la narrativa muy ágil y muestra el pensamiento y sentimientos de Stalin de manera muy clara. Termina siendo aterrador entrar a su mente.
February 16, 2021
Very sharply told tale of Stalin’s paranoia. Lots of comedy around the edges. Not sure how intentional.
March 3, 2022
Knjiga otkriva mnoge zanimljivosti o Kobi. Za svaku preporuku!
December 10, 2023
Stalin was a monster. I knew that before picking up this book. But the author really plumbs the depths with this masterfully crafted faux first person narrative.
January 1, 2024
I'm reading this out of curiosity more than anything. It is interesting how world leaders can get others to do their bidding without a care for the atrocities committed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Link a mi reseña: https://sinrumbofijo.home.blog/2020/0...
July 16, 2018
Una impactante biografía de Iósif Stalin, uno de los personajes más influyentes del siglo XX. Con la enigmática frase “León Trotski intenta matarme” empieza un viaje hacia la maldad y la paranoia de un ser atormentado y complejo que pasó parte de su vida en una lucha a distancia con León Troski, para ver quién acababa primero con el otro. La novela está narrada en primera persona lo que la convierte en un relato escalofriante cargado de cinismo y frialdad: “Cuando yo era joven escribía poemas. Luego ansioso de aventuras, me dediqué al crimen. Por último me hice revolucionario, porque era lo único en lo que se aunaban la poesía y el crimen”. Richard Lourie, hijo de emigrantes judeo-rusos, y graduado en Berkeley en literatura e historia rusa, hace de “Stalin, la novela”, un documento que respetando el rigor histórico logra un nivel de suspense tal que mantiene atrapado al lector de principio a fin. Calificado como autócrata y dictador, Stalin protagonizó algunos de los hechos más aterradores del siglo, pero la gran lucha de su vida fue consigo mismo: “Ahora comprendo lo que significa realmente mi nombre: Stalin es la fuerza necesaria para soportar un mundo en el que solo existe la nada y uno mismo. Al fin he vencido a Dios en el juego de la soledad, pues estoy más solo que él”
March 23, 2020
El más malo de los malos!! Leer su biografía ayuda un poco a entender pero nunca a justificar tanta maldad.
March 16, 2013
Summary: A clever and thoughtful appraisal of an important world leader, designed as a psychological thriller in the form of an autobiography.
I found this book almost entirely convincing as a yarn by a self-obsessed yet brilliant political tactician.
Lourie's accounts of Stalin's thinking almost endeared me to him. To my mind, it's a sign of good writing when an author can counter a reader's revulsion to such an extent that we begin to feel as the hero feels.
One of many interesting threads in the story, is Lourie's idea that Stalin's winning streak came from schooling himself to welcome boredom, first in the monastery, later in Siberia. This, Lourie wants us to believe, steeled Stalin for the thousands of meetings he had to endure to win support from the working classes.
The progress of the book's main argument left a deep impression on me. Clever intellect (exemplified by Trotsky) matters less in politics than mobilising support (Stalin).
A rider to this equation - Organise People Rather Than Ideas - is one I'm still reflecting on, especially since I naturally tend to be a words-&-ideas person. Hang on a moment, I'm not running for political office! Does this maxim have wider application, perhaps?
The outcomes of Stalin's choices, as the story unfolds, reinforced the sense of dread with which I began reading the book (so strong I delayed starting for two years). Here, indeed, is a man obsessed and possessed by evil desires, who was extremely effective in achieving them - but at great personal, social, and political cost!
I don't know enough Russian history to determine how accurate Lourie's appraisal of Stalin might be, but it certainly presented a good backdrop for further investigation.
I read fiction to learn as well as enjoy, and had to resist the temptation to highlight sentences that were succinct and wise. I realised it would be misleading to publish quotes as "wisdom from Joseph Stalin!" Of course, I could attribute them to Richard Lourie, a more worthy source.
I found this book almost entirely convincing as a yarn by a self-obsessed yet brilliant political tactician.
Lourie's accounts of Stalin's thinking almost endeared me to him. To my mind, it's a sign of good writing when an author can counter a reader's revulsion to such an extent that we begin to feel as the hero feels.
One of many interesting threads in the story, is Lourie's idea that Stalin's winning streak came from schooling himself to welcome boredom, first in the monastery, later in Siberia. This, Lourie wants us to believe, steeled Stalin for the thousands of meetings he had to endure to win support from the working classes.
The progress of the book's main argument left a deep impression on me. Clever intellect (exemplified by Trotsky) matters less in politics than mobilising support (Stalin).
A rider to this equation - Organise People Rather Than Ideas - is one I'm still reflecting on, especially since I naturally tend to be a words-&-ideas person. Hang on a moment, I'm not running for political office! Does this maxim have wider application, perhaps?
The outcomes of Stalin's choices, as the story unfolds, reinforced the sense of dread with which I began reading the book (so strong I delayed starting for two years). Here, indeed, is a man obsessed and possessed by evil desires, who was extremely effective in achieving them - but at great personal, social, and political cost!
I don't know enough Russian history to determine how accurate Lourie's appraisal of Stalin might be, but it certainly presented a good backdrop for further investigation.
I read fiction to learn as well as enjoy, and had to resist the temptation to highlight sentences that were succinct and wise. I realised it would be misleading to publish quotes as "wisdom from Joseph Stalin!" Of course, I could attribute them to Richard Lourie, a more worthy source.
October 15, 2020
Didn’t expect much from this boom but the author really nailed Stalin. It’s interesting that he used Trotsky’s book m Stalin (which doesn’t generally get much praise) as the scaffolding for his character. Only Amis’ Koba the Dread can compete as fictional explanations of Stalin’s dreadful malevolence.
January 23, 2019
"Leon Trotsky is trying to kill me."
Those seven words rank high on my list of favorite opening sentences because of their simplicity and effectiveness. The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin: a novel is a superbly written book that takes us deep into the mind of a pathologically paranoid dictator, a manipulative tyrant who reduces everyone he sees to his/her political use-value and above all, sees treason everywhere he looks. At its best, the novel can stand toe-to-toe with the likes from Kurt Vonnegut and Chuck Palahniuk.
Why then a mere three star rating? The book deserves a four, perhaps even five star review, if not for one important digression. In its treatment of the origin story of history's greatest monster, there is a strange emphasis on the idea that it was Darwin's On the Origin of Species which shaped the worldview of Joseph Stalin.
This theme of Stalin-the-godless-nihilist comes up early in the novel and is repeated throughout, right down to the last page. But the fact is that Stalin hardly cared about Darwin's scientific discoveries. Even more damning is the fact that the theory of evolution was actually suppressed in the Soviet Union for its supposed capitalist undertones. Instead, Stalin supported the pseudoscience of Lysenkoism, an odd blend of Lamarckian evolution and marxist philosophy. Needless to say, Lysenkoism died with Stalin in the '50s.
Considering the fact that Stalin is often put forth as the prime example of how atheism leads to immorality and ultimately genocide, repeating this lie (or to stay in marxist territory: this revisionism) is harmful business, even if it's presented as mere fiction.
Those seven words rank high on my list of favorite opening sentences because of their simplicity and effectiveness. The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin: a novel is a superbly written book that takes us deep into the mind of a pathologically paranoid dictator, a manipulative tyrant who reduces everyone he sees to his/her political use-value and above all, sees treason everywhere he looks. At its best, the novel can stand toe-to-toe with the likes from Kurt Vonnegut and Chuck Palahniuk.
Why then a mere three star rating? The book deserves a four, perhaps even five star review, if not for one important digression. In its treatment of the origin story of history's greatest monster, there is a strange emphasis on the idea that it was Darwin's On the Origin of Species which shaped the worldview of Joseph Stalin.
"Future historians may conclude that Darwinism + Leninism = Stalinism." (p. 36).
This theme of Stalin-the-godless-nihilist comes up early in the novel and is repeated throughout, right down to the last page. But the fact is that Stalin hardly cared about Darwin's scientific discoveries. Even more damning is the fact that the theory of evolution was actually suppressed in the Soviet Union for its supposed capitalist undertones. Instead, Stalin supported the pseudoscience of Lysenkoism, an odd blend of Lamarckian evolution and marxist philosophy. Needless to say, Lysenkoism died with Stalin in the '50s.
Considering the fact that Stalin is often put forth as the prime example of how atheism leads to immorality and ultimately genocide, repeating this lie (or to stay in marxist territory: this revisionism) is harmful business, even if it's presented as mere fiction.
December 31, 2015
I can't help but be underwhelmed by this. I went into this expecting an in-depth look at Stalin's mind, at least in the eyes of the author. And I did get that, at least a little bit. The problem for me lies in the fact that it basically stops at 1940. I was hoping to get a peak into Stalin's mind as Operation Barbarosa was underway or perhaps as the Soviet Flag was raised over the Reichstag or even as the Nazi leader himself died. But instead, we get many a rumination on the revolution, imprisonment, Lenin and a whole lot of Trotsky. Now, I'm as interested in Stalin's rivalry and power struggle with Trotsky as the next guy, but there is much more substantive material that could've been focused on. Yalta, Potsdam, world leaders, the division of Germany, Nikita Kruschev, his daughter, the Korean War, etc. There are of course historic liberties that are taken by the author and there's a few historical inaccuracies but if you're looking to read something substantive about Stalin or the USSR under his reign, you should look elsewhere. If you're looking for a light read of the ruminations a dubious dictator, this might not disappoint.
February 11, 2014
An authentically chilling mini-biography of the great demon Stalin, once the great saviour of the Motherland(funny how history turns the tables),that focuses largely on his obsession with killing Trotsky , a deed which he was,of course, able to accomplish. If you 'd like a trip inside the mind of a man with no scruples, no God and no love except for himself,then this is a short ride to hell and thanks to its brevity, you get the essence of the man without lingering too long.Much longer real biographies have been written of Stalin but I doubt anyone has captured his psyche as well as Lourie.A recommended read for those fascinated by Soviet history and those who would understand how evil thinks.
September 7, 2014
This book will creep you out but it is so well written, it will take you into the sadistic, psychotic, paranoid psyche of one of the 20th century's most ruthless Communist Dictators/Killers. If that grosses you out, keep away, but if you think you can face the devil and slay him, dive right in. I won't give you any spoilers except to say the ending is perfect, like a shot of vodka and some blinis on a cold winter's night. In Siberia.
November 3, 2015
Z dwóch znanych powieści tego autora ta jest zdecydowanie lepsza. Pisane w pierwszej osobie dzieje Stalina a konkretnie wyrywek dotyczący obławy na Trockiego, uzupełniona wspomnieniami dotyczącymi kariery w partii komunistycznej i dochodzenia do władzy z zaskakującą i ciekawą puentą. Bardzo ciekawe są też fragmenty dotyczące zasad sprawowania władzy, tworzenia atmosfery strachu i - takie kafkowskie - momenty bezradności ofiar Stalina. Ciekawa i fajna.
June 5, 2008
I read this at some point during high school, and re-read it during college. Absolutely brilliant first and last sentences, which I still remember offhand (it begins, "Leon Trotsky is trying to kill me" - I won't give away how it ends here). Rather brilliant in between, as well - incredibly imaginative.
February 14, 2016
Even after multiple readings, I find new layers to the 'Autobiography of Joseph Stalin'. More than a great many other novels, it manages to capture many of the dark themes that dominated the terrible events of the early and mid-twentieth century. Though this book doesn't seem widely known, I would highly recommend it.
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