This essay collection from renowned journalist and novelist Slavenka Drakulic; which quickly became a modern (and feminist) classic; draws back the Iron Curtain for a glimpse at the lives of Eastern European women under Communist regimes. Provocative; often witty; and always intensely personal; How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed cracks open a paradoxical world that through its rejection of capitalism and commoditization ends up fetishizing both. Examining the relationship between material goods and expressions of happiness and individuality in a society where even bananas were an alien luxury; Drakulic homes in on the eradication of female identity; drawing on her own experiences as well as broader cultural observations. Enforced communal housing that allowed for little privacy; the banishment of many time-saving devices; and a focus on manual labor left no room for such bourgeois affectations as cosmetics or clothes; but Drakulic’s remarkable exploration of the reality behind the rhetoric reveals that women still went to desperate lengths to feel “feminine.†How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed also chronicles the lingering consequences of such regimes. The Berlin Wall may have fallen; but Drakulic’s power pieces testify that ideology cannot be dismantled so quickly; a lifetime lived in fear cannot be so easily forgotten.
#258289 in Books Harper Perennial 2000-10-17 2000-10-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .83 x 5.31l; .67 #File Name: 0060956402368 pagesGreat product!
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Further stories from the NileBy Magalini SabinaTwo years after the success of "The White Nile" (1960); Moorehead spinned further yarns of African adventurers and Nilotic history. This time the year span is from 1798 to 1858 and the location is on the Blue Nile; dealing with Sudan and Ethiopia. European exploration of this lesser but not least branch of the mighty river started further back in time because of its easier accessibility from the Red Sea coast. After a brief description of the ancient history and geography of the river; we meet Bruce; a Scottish explorer who despite his meticulous research and extraordinary scripts passed at his return home as a megalomaniac. Successive events find Napoleon's invasion accompanied by the savants and the destruction of the Mameluk rule that really represented the turning point of the modern history of the valley of the Nile. After Napoleon's departure the Turk Muhammad Ali regained power destroying a greater part of the Sudanese population. The last part of the book deals with King Theodore of Ethiopia; a mad chieftain that captured and held in ransom over 400 people for four years; and that was overcome by the British army.This book can be read alone or better as a sequel of "The White Nile". The narration is equally effective and the limits are those of a book written in the 1960's. The episodes are less dealing with only four major topics. I read the book in a day and half; considering it took me three days to read the "The White Nile". Now I have to look for further stories by this great writer.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Important history of North Africa and EgyptBy Mark my wordsThis book is a fascinating history of a part of the world that in the 1800's was remarkably sought after. Especially in contrast to the marginalization of that region only 100 years later. The story is so well told; that one almost has a sense of suspense reading it.Also; the parallels to our own twenty-first century times were so apparent to me that I consider this one of those histories to which Seneca was referring when he so notoriously said that those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. The passages on British popular opinion of war with Egypt could have easily been applied to any number of more modern wars by simply changing the names.My wife and I read this book aloud to each other; and greatly enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more by the same author. My copy was an old hardback from 's used section.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Better than Science FictionBy Taras W.This is a book I reread (actually re-audit) every few years. It's an account of the astonishing true history of 19th century African exploration that inspired thousands of adventure and fantasy stories in the intervening years.It's also very timely. In its account of the great jihad of the Mahdi in the Sudan; and the feckless response of the West; it is easy to find echoes of ISIS.
