Goal of the day: 630 words. Written: 309.
These are the stories of the victims of Stalin's repression. Lithuanians like you and me. Living people made of compounds of calcium and carbon atoms.
The book "Svečiuose pas meška" (Guests at the Bear) by Vytautas Račickas, an almost legendary Lithuanian youth author, tells the story of the same big, red... Well, bear. In the room.
Exile and its desperate joys.
The confusion, the ugliness, the inescapable nature of human cruelty.
This book makes me want to be the Terminator, to go back in time and stab Sarah Konor Stalin the Hardcore. For being the work of his desire to be in power.
(It's not for nothing, they say, that countries, corporations and militaries are run by the biggest psychopaths of all. Only they can endure a job where concessions to morality and ethics have to be made every day, and where the most brutal and incorruptible of all win.)
((Douglas Adams, in his book "Hitchikers guide to the galaxy", wrote that anyone who could easily become president of a country is a particularly unsuitable candidate for the job.))
But. Let me calm my feelings.
This book makes you angry at the cruelty of the world. It makes you weep for the past of our ancestors. It makes us glad that we do not even remember it now.
This book for children and teenagers is just 128 pages long and is based on the true stories of survivors of the exile.
How do you feel about it?
- Book design: 8/10. It's not an outstanding book, but it's obviously a lot of work. Quality cover, interior layout and printing. This book is a pleasure to hold.
- Writing style: 9/10. I would say it is concise. It is not complicated, and can certainly be read even when cooking for oneself or during a break between jobs. At the same time, the simplicity helps you to make the most of the details in the descriptions and to imagine even more... Details!
- Book's distinction: 8/10. It is a pity that it was marketed as a book for young people. If the author Vytautas had been more courageous, this book could have passed for adults. Especially for followers of Andrius Tapinas and other modern Facebook liberals. But the book is really good, subject-wise. Better than The Adventures of Bunny or Slipper. *bites and blinks one eye*
This book moved me. It helped me to remember that the world will not be as it is today for much longer (Hooray, internets!). And to look at myself from a different angle - what if I had gotten a free trip?
Excited,
Daniel