This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
Is This An Overview?
A composition of stories about Czechoslovakia.
Stories meant to remind people of the power and value of history, of the
power and value of laughter. Societies
become forgotten, by their people and by others, when their culture is
destroyed. Those in power then rewrite the
society’s history, to suit their needs.
To validate claims of those in power.
People seek power to change the past.
The struggle against power, is a struggle to not forget. By forgetting history, people are kept innocent. Kept incapable of making decisions for
themselves.
The stories are
from a time when Czechoslovakia was invaded by Russia, with Soviet Russia
imposing their ideology on the people.
Seemingly favorable ideas, became destructive to the people of Czechoslovakia. Anyone who disagreed or was in any way
critical of Russian socialist ideology, was removed. Removed from any position held, and removed
from history. Erased from
photographs. Portraying an untainted
society, and a unified political organization.
No alternatives to state accepted claims were tolerated. The stories are about those who in their way,
tried to overcome the persecution methods.
Who laughed as a response to the absurd, or a way to distract
from the tragic situations. Joy is a
valuable tool to the persecuted.
Caveats?
The stories have different
qualities, with interest in the stories depending on the reader. Most stories are for a mature audience, as
there is a lot of sexual content in the book.
