Moscow 1937: My Visit Described for My Friends

by Lion Feuchtwanger, Irene Josephy (Translator)

It will be reassuring to Russia’s sympathizers—and enlightening to doubters—to read this vigorous and enthusiastic report from a non-partisan visitor. Lion Feuchtwanger’s reputation has been made in a field remote from politics, but his mind is trained to the shrewd analysis of human motives, his pen skilled in the use of words, and he builds up from his impressions of the new Russia a really convincing picture of recent [i.e. 1930s] progress in the Soviets. The spirit of the nation fascinates him, and he gives many examples of the ways in which individuals both in the cities and on the farms attack and solve the problems which confront them. He shows how by foresight and planning the new Russia has risen upon the grave of the old, tells what shortcomings still exist, explains how the people propose to erase these deficiencies. He takes pains to answer the complaints of André Gide and several other critics.

In Stalin and Trotsky he finds a dramatic conflict between two great and antithetical personalities. He shows Trotsky as the victim of disappointed ambition, and gives Stalin the credit for being the organizing genius and the practical leader that Russia needed.

Feuchtwanger was an eyewitness at the Radek trial; his report of the proceedings, tense with the excitement of those hours, at last presents that perplexing episode in terms credible to Western minds. In sum, the book is an informal but penetrating report on the biggest social experiment in modern history, written by a man whose temperament and training have fitted him to see wisely and report well.
—from the back cover

pre-ISBN edition

Genres: History, Travel, German Literature

151 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Lion Feuchtwanger was a German Jewish emigre. A renowned novelist and playwright who fled Europe during World War II and lived in Los Angeles from 1941 until his death.

A fierce critic of the Nazi regime years before it assumed power precipitated his departure, after a brief internment in France, from Europe. He and his wife Marta obtained asylum in the United States in 1941 and remained there in exile until they died.

Reviews

[Dmitri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars because this was eye-opening: I never realized just to what extent Feuchtwanger bought the whole damn thing. I read the Russian version. In the book I read, Moscow 1937 is paired with Andre Gide's much more somber, and perspicacious, assessment.

[Chet]

Reading inter-war and WWII-era literary journalism by communists is an easy way to remind oneself what a hack George Orwell was. Probably the most overrated author of the 20th century. Feuchtwanger's chapter on Stalin and Trotsky is worth reading alone if you don't want to take time for the whole book. It puts "Snowball" nonsense to shame. And despite fully exposing the actual fascist and terrorist Trotsky was, Feuchtwanger still finds the literary grace to offer a sympathetic psychological portrait of the man. He's capable of mining deeper understanding in a single sentence than Orwell could muster in his entire bibliography. Given I know maybe two words of German I feel incredibly blessed that a considerable amount of Lion Feuchtwanger's work is available in English. Most 20th century communist writers were ignored (and purposefully suppressed) by the Anglo translation industry.

[Ерофе́ев · Rating 1 out of 5]

a book full of embarrassing lies

[Yaroslav Kotyshov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книга о том, в какие удивительные дали может завести человека желание видеть смысл в происходящем вокруг