296 books
—
296 voters
to-read
(614)
currently-reading (11)
read (766)
did-not-finish (8)
graphic-novel (59)
history-historical (59)
women (57)
contemporary (53)
currently-reading (11)
read (766)
did-not-finish (8)
graphic-novel (59)
history-historical (59)
women (57)
contemporary (53)
classics
(48)
russian (42)
memoir (34)
short-stories (29)
biography (27)
bookish (26)
eastern-europe (24)
essays (23)
russian (42)
memoir (34)
short-stories (29)
biography (27)
bookish (26)
eastern-europe (24)
essays (23)
“You know, a government should be a good thing. The Anglo-Saxons and the Germans rejoice in the phenomenon of government. They think that the recipe for human happiness is that you should make your desires and actions concordant with those of the government. So a German and an American will try to make the government work for him, protect him, and he will be more than happy to murder to preserve that wonderful symbiosis. And if he has some money to invest, he will invest it in the government, buying government bonds. He does this regardless of whether his government happens to be trillions of dollars in debt—that is, practically bankrupt. Despite his rhetoric of private enterprise, a Westerner will invest in his government. And we, Eastern and Central Europeans, and particularly Slavs, we all consider our governments to be absolutely the worst in the world. We are ashamed of our governments, and, as a rule, our government is ashamed of us, trying to improve us statistically, to say that we work more and drink less than we do. We think that there's no greater obstacle to human happiness than the government. So even if we have an institution pregnant with democratic potential, such as workers' self-management, we never even bother to attend a meeting unless absolutely forced. And as for voting, we circle any name without looking at whose it is, out of spite. To a Slav, there is nothing more disgusting than voting. We have an aversion to investing trust in any human being. So how could we single out someone we haven't met but whom we know a priori to be a social upstart and climber? So we spend these workers' self-management meetings, where democracy could be practiced, in daydreams of sex and violence.”
― April Fool's Day
― April Fool's Day
“The past was a minefield about which few maps seemed to agree. And why should that surprise me? It's a big place.
p. 30”
― The Encyclopedia of the Dead
p. 30”
― The Encyclopedia of the Dead
“There comes a time in a man's life when to get where he has to go--if there are no doors or windows--he walks through a wall.”
―
―
“Kurti had believed in politics, and politics had deceived him, the way politics deceives everyone.”
― Liquidation
― Liquidation
“It's something to be anxious about," Manley said, "if you want to be anxious about something.”
― The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History
― The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History
Discovering Russian Literature
— 3024 members
— last activity Mar 02, 2026 04:52PM
Whether you are a newbie or an expert or simply love Russian literature... Welcome! This is a friendly group where you can share your thoughts an ...more
Dostoyevsky's Lair: Russian Literature
— 435 members
— last activity Apr 01, 2023 02:23PM
This group explores Russian literature with an emphasis on 19th/20th century authors.
Jodi’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jodi’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Jodi
Lists liked by Jodi




























































