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The un-Americans
A novel about the Spanish Civil War and HUAC from one of the Hollywood Ten.
383 pages
First published January 1, 1957
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 18, 2020
FIVE STARS FOR ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING ROGUES IN 20th CENTURY LITERATURE
Alvah Bessie was one of the famous Hollywood Ten. As he refused to testify before the HUAC he ruined his poorly paid Hollywood career and became a legend. Regarding to the quality of his novel THE un-AMERICANS I guess he would have been completely forgotten without his act of civil courage during the Mcarthy-years.
The HUAC-Auditions are the topic of this 1957 Novel, which was published after he left the Communist Party, Heroes and Antagonists are Star-Columinist and Orator Francis X. (ZAV) Lang and Ben Blau.
Both men met during the spanish civil war, and while Lang falls unluckily in Love with Dolores (a faithful and passionate communist), Ben throws the towel as a Journalist and becomes a hero in the Abraham-Lincoln-Brigade.
Lang is a sentimental left opportunist who sees Ben Blau as his better self, and while he gloryfied Blau as an american Hero and ideal Coummunist in an Article during WW II, the HUAC gives him the opportunity to save his career and to testifiy against Blau, in a shaky perjury-trial.
Zav Lang, who never got over the death of dolores (who became a victim of a Nazi Bombardement of Barcelona,while he was on his way to her to finally get his first night of a new life) is a Five-Star-Rogue, a hypocryte, an always drunk coward, who betrays his wife Anne and mistreats her any day and also abuses his mistress and secretary, as soon as she confronts him with the truth.
It is easy to hate Zav, once a personal Friend of President Roosevelt, who is humilating his wife, friends, but it is hard to understand, why such a nice and intelligent guy as Ben Blau never get's the impression that something stinks in the communist party or get's a clue that Zav is backstabbing him. „Poor guy your sacrifice was in vain, you ruined your health in prison for a Communism, that existed maybe in your haed“, I thoought after I finished this book.
Used it as a source, so I can't complain about the quality as a novel, but THE un-AMERICANS is anything but sheer reading-pleasure, maybe Hemingway-Haters will enjoy the Passages about Zavs Spanish-Civil-War-Drama. Alvah Bessie wrote somehow the same (but not that funny) about the movie-version of whome the bells toll,(Link at the End of Wikipedia-Article)
Alvah Bessie was one of the famous Hollywood Ten. As he refused to testify before the HUAC he ruined his poorly paid Hollywood career and became a legend. Regarding to the quality of his novel THE un-AMERICANS I guess he would have been completely forgotten without his act of civil courage during the Mcarthy-years.
The HUAC-Auditions are the topic of this 1957 Novel, which was published after he left the Communist Party, Heroes and Antagonists are Star-Columinist and Orator Francis X. (ZAV) Lang and Ben Blau.
Both men met during the spanish civil war, and while Lang falls unluckily in Love with Dolores (a faithful and passionate communist), Ben throws the towel as a Journalist and becomes a hero in the Abraham-Lincoln-Brigade.
Lang is a sentimental left opportunist who sees Ben Blau as his better self, and while he gloryfied Blau as an american Hero and ideal Coummunist in an Article during WW II, the HUAC gives him the opportunity to save his career and to testifiy against Blau, in a shaky perjury-trial.
Zav Lang, who never got over the death of dolores (who became a victim of a Nazi Bombardement of Barcelona,while he was on his way to her to finally get his first night of a new life) is a Five-Star-Rogue, a hypocryte, an always drunk coward, who betrays his wife Anne and mistreats her any day and also abuses his mistress and secretary, as soon as she confronts him with the truth.
It is easy to hate Zav, once a personal Friend of President Roosevelt, who is humilating his wife, friends, but it is hard to understand, why such a nice and intelligent guy as Ben Blau never get's the impression that something stinks in the communist party or get's a clue that Zav is backstabbing him. „Poor guy your sacrifice was in vain, you ruined your health in prison for a Communism, that existed maybe in your haed“, I thoought after I finished this book.
Used it as a source, so I can't complain about the quality as a novel, but THE un-AMERICANS is anything but sheer reading-pleasure, maybe Hemingway-Haters will enjoy the Passages about Zavs Spanish-Civil-War-Drama. Alvah Bessie wrote somehow the same (but not that funny) about the movie-version of whome the bells toll,(Link at the End of Wikipedia-Article)
October 11, 2007
I originally wanted to read this book as part of a Hollywood Ten research project, but it was so difficult to actually get a copy that I probably ended up enjoying it a little more than had it been easy.
April 29, 2024
I love this book. If you want to know what it was like to be a patriotic Progressive fighting the good fight starting with the Spanish Civil War all the way through the HUAC hearings, this really brings the times alive. It's entertaining as hell while teaching you so much! Heartily recommend.
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January 25, 2015I believe her first published book. What a wonderful voice she has. I can't wait for the next....
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews