Opposing Forces: a memoir

by Francis Mont, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

As I am writing this memoir, in 2021, memories keep flooding into my mind, documenting my life leading from ignorance to confusion, to clarity. I am calling this memoir an intellectual autobiography because, what’s important to report on are not the actual events that happened, but the stages of mental development that transformed my idealistic and romantic self to the mindset of an old curmudgeon, with bone-cutting honesty and total lack of illusions.

Audible Audio

Published April 2, 2025

About the author

Francis Mont has been living in Canada for the past 50 years, after he emigrated from his native Hungary where he studied science and received a degree in Theoretical Physics. Over the years he did research, application and teaching in Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. He is interested in profound questions, both in science and in social philosophy. He is a 'big picture' person, focusing on fundamental principles and the defining essence of the topic at hand. He also pursues independence and self-reliance to the best of his abilities, as his solar power system and year-around greenhouse demonstrate. He writes poetry, plays classical violin, dabbles at wood carving and has not yet stopped building the house where he and his wife and (currently) five cats live.

Reviews

[Chris Angelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposing Forces, by Francis Mont, is a memoir — or, as its author aptly calls it, "an intellectual autobiography" — that certainly fulfills what a memoir should be about: showing how, regardless of our individual histories, we all share similar dreams and aspirations, and are plagued by similar fears and setbacks.

From a purely narrative viewpoint, the story flows smoothly and naturally, with emphasis placed not on highly detailed but largely inconsequential descriptions, but rather on the way events shaped the author's thought processes. In plain terms, the focus is not on "what happened" but on "how it felt", which is great news for the prospective reader, as that's precisely where our common stories reside: on affective impact.

The chapters are logically organized, following a sense-making trajectory that highlights the author's passage from youthful enthusiasm to pragmatism, from naivety to understanding, and, ultimately, from frustration to acceptance. Most importantly, the narrative is presented in a way that makes it very easy for the reader to empathize with the author's plight and, one would hope, reflect on their own sociocultural background, doubting the things they have taken for granted.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

As reviewd by Readers' Favoite:

Reviewed by Jon Michael Miller for Readers' Favorite:

"Opposing Forces: A Memoir by Francis Mont is stated by the author to be “an intellectual autobiography” in which actual events are not as important as the “stages of development” that led to his final disillusionment. He traces these stages from Attila’s youth in communist Hungary through his defection to Canada via Finland and Sweden; through him and his wife Marta’s first exuberant taste of personal freedom; through the vicissitudes of career-building in the capitalist west; through the rude awakenings of professional competition, adoption, divorce, remarriage, job issues in computer engineering; and finally through a philosophical reflection of his life experience and its uncertain conclusion. He writes of his intellectual conflict between the opposing forces in his surreptitious reading of Orwell and Huxley versus the ironic nihilism of Kazohinia: Gulliver’s Travels among the Hins by Szathmári Sándor, a book by a Hungarian author that keeps popping up in the narrative.

Though Francis Mont insists that in his fictional memoir events are subservient to ideas, for me the most engaging parts of this captivating book are Atilla’s time as a youth in Budapest, his and Marta’s defection to the West, and their early years in freedom, relishing their mind-opening experiences in Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the States. Mr. Mont made me feel Atilla’s excitement and unfettered joy of the streets, parks, and neighborhoods of Toronto, the magnificence of Niagara Falls, his first sight of New York City from a helicopter, and his delight at the ease of entry into financial self-support. These descriptions made me feel a quiet satisfaction of having grown up taking such sensations for granted. Of course, the difficulties of adjusting to a new system soon come into play, and it is fascinating to watch Atilla's and Marta’s struggles as their new idealism is inevitably eroded by the challenges of capitalistic competition and its many injustices. I won’t tell you the results of Attila’s processing the opposing forces of Ayn Rand and Noam Chomsky, but this memoir ultimately ends not with communism vs. capitalism, East vs. West, but with the much more cosmic issues of despair vs. hope. For anyone wrestling with ideas of how to view humanity and its future, Opposing Forces: A Memoir by Francis Mont must be required reading."

[R.Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the trials and tribulations of a man who escaped from Communist Hungary, who was expecting freedom in the west, and found himself re-thinking what his life was about. He and his first wife, who escaped with him, first went to Finland, then Sweden, and finally to Canada. Trying to save their marriage by adopting two young siblings, they divorced anyway, and she left. He married again, kept the two children (I would have liked to know more about these troubled kids as they grew up.), and went through a succession of jobs to support them. Fortunately, author Francis Mont was a brilliant computer programmer and seemed to have no problem finding the next job when he became disillusioned with capitalistic-style management foibles. Although Physics was his first love, he never achieved his goal in finding a career in that discipline, so in addition to company jobs in computer programming and starting his own small businesses, he and his second wife finally reached a point where they were at least financially stable and more or less content.
Mont is a voracious reader and an astute thinker. Although I cannot agree with some of his insights, he and I come from such different histories and backgrounds, I cannot discount them either. I just ask myself, "In his situation what would I think?"

[Nicki Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Read

Opposing forces is a memoir about a young man from Hungary who leaves his country of origin looking for a better life. Eventually he finds one after many encounters with capitilistist America. The book was interesting in the beginning but was a slow read when the author discussed his many jobs and living arrangements. Also, the author has strong thoughts and opinions based on his readings and first hand experiences on what can make a successful society both in America and Europe.