Is there some rule that an anarchist may not, without disgrace, buy or read a book by someones with whose political position s/he disagrees?
Trotsky was in fact a great writer of Russian prose, possibly the best writer period in the Marxist tradition after Marx himself. The book you refer to is called Literature and Revolution, and it is very good:
Also noteworthy is Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution, a gripping literary masterpiece that rolls like a freight train and is also factually extremely accurate -- obviously the interpretations he offers are debateable, but it's a great book, Good too are Trotsky's 1905, his history of the first Russian Revolution, and his My Life, an autobiography that is with there with Herzen and Gorky among the great Russian memoirs.
--- "B." <docile_body at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Even though I pretty much hate Trotskyites and
> Trotsky-ism, I do have to admit I also think Trotsky
> was a good writer. I'd like to think that, just as
> Marx said he was no Marxist, Trotsky would say he
> was
> no Trotskyite.
>
> For example, yesterday at a bookstore I saw a book
> by
> Trotsky about literature and revolution, which I'm
> guessing must be about either literature's effects
> on
> revolution, or revolutionary literature, or both. It
> wasn't even in the Poli Sci or Philosophy section of
> the store -- it was in the Literary Criticism
> section.
> I almost bought it. And that's heterodox for someone
> who likes to tell himself he's an anarchist of some
> kind.
>
> Anyone know the book I'm talking about --
> _Revolution
> and Literature_ or something like that -- and can
> they
> recommend it, and not just because it's written by
> their Master, but because it's actually good?
>
> I have Trotsky's biography of Lenin, incidentally,
> which seems like it was very hastily written and a
> bit
> scanty. Also John Reed's _Ten Days_...
>
> -B.
>
>
>
>
> Chris Doss wrote:
> > joanna 123hop:
> > Barbara Tuchman called Trotsky one of the great
> > historians of all time,
> > and The Russian Revolution, one of the greatest
> works
> > of history of all
> > time.
> >
> > I have it on my bookshelf. I've read most
> everything
> > else he wrote, but
> > this one looks formidable.
> >
> > He's a really good writer.
> >
> > Joanna
> > --
>
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