The Russian Revolution

 The Russian Revolution by Sheila Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Siglo Veintiuno S.A.

Year: 2008

Translation: Agustín Pico Estrada.

How to review this book? There are countless books written about the Russian Revolution, and that is where the question arises as to which one or ones to read. Because perspective varies, and it varies greatly. I liked this book since I had read a few pages by the author and found them critical. And that was what I was looking for: criticism, because I had also read a few pages by other authors and found them atrocious—overly flattering toward "something" and detached from many realities that took place, which, if one wants to learn about them, requires turning to other texts. This author, Sheila Fitzpatrick, is a specialist in the Russian Revolution, and from what I read online, she is described as a revisionist author. I ask myself: do you have to be a revisionist to be critical? I would tend to think not; the truth is that it is difficult, or at least it was difficult for me, to find a Marxist author who is simultaneously critical—for instance, the British author Hill, at least when it comes to the Russian Revolution, given that he wrote extensively about England and I haven't read any of that. Another author on the subject who struck me as critical and interesting is another Briton, Orlando Figes; I also read a few pages by him and still have to read his book A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution in full, a title that already allows one to cast aside ideas of a triumphant and idealized revolution.

Returning to Fitzpatrick's book, it is quite concise considering the full period it covers, which makes it good: it is brief and critical. It doesn't get bogged down in details with numbers, comparisons, or technical matters that might be of interest to readers pursuing deeper studies or specific topics. This book serves as an introduction to the subject, and if you come into it with an idealized view of the Revolution, reading it brings you back down to earth. At the beginning, she devotes a section to "Writings on the Revolution," among which I would highlight the work of John Reed and that of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. I have noted the former on my reading list; of the second, I have read part of the book mentioned by the author. I also want to highlight two other books mentioned by the author, both of which I have read in full: the one by George Orwell and the one by Arthur Koestler. The latter initially caught my attention when I saw her mention Darkness at Noon, which turned out to be the English title of the book translated into Spanish as El cero y el infinito.

Returning to Fitzpatrick's book, on the back cover review, it states the following: "This book attempts to answer one of them: When did the Soviet revolution end?..." (and it continues). I really don't know if that is the question the author sets out to answer or what she tries to convey, and if it was, I missed it; what I did see and read was a magnificent summary of the events, critical enough to understand what the Bolsheviks did, what they brought about, and where they ended up. My takeaway was that if anyone lost, it was Russian society. Words like development, transformation, industrialization, and construction came at a massive social cost, leaving open the question of whether it was truly as bombastically described as it usually is. I consider it a highly recommended book to read, especially if you are interested in the topic.

Links:

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Fitzpatrick

·         http://history.uchicago.edu/directory/sheila-fitzpatrick