Victor serge, chronicler of revolution the charnelhouse. Translator and biographer richard greeman reflects upon the journalist, novelist, and poets anarchist youth in france with the bonnot gang, his involvement in the bolshevik revolution, his imprisonment in stalins gulag, and his enduring dissident or libertarian marxism. On the occasion of the first complete translation of. More than a key figure of the pci in the early 1920s, gramsci worked for the communist international or third international in moscow and vienna in this period. Victor serge and the russian revolution the anarchist library. His experience of the highs and lows of revolutionary struggle across the globe is one shared by few people. Serge tells of his upbringing among exiles and conspirators, of his involvement.
Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge the book site. From the outset, and by its very nature, making sense of the russian revolution was controversial. When you read a biography of trotsky, you may feel you have encountered the ultimate in tragic revolutionary lives. Part of what makes the memoirs in particular so fascinating is the way it surveys serges time as a political revolutionary. The memoirs of victor hugo by victor hugo free ebook.
We reproduce an excerpt from memoirs of a revolutionary, 1945 by victor serge on the kronstadt rebellion against the bolshevik autocracy, its dictatorship over the proletariat. On the 70th anniversary of victor serges memoirs of a revolutionary. Victor serge lived a remarkable life in the cause of revolution. On the 70th anniversary of victor serges memoirs of a. The worst of the anarchists victor serge 18901947 is experiencing something of a revival. He was critical of the stalinist regime and remained a revolutionary marxist until his death. As serge related their conversation, the secret is that everything has been betrayed.
By victor serge memoirs of a revolutionary 1984 09 16 hardcover. Victor serge 18801947 was one of the most important revolutionary writers of the last century. Victor serge 18901947 was an anarchist who initially supported the russian revolution. Victor serge, memoirs of a revolutionary based on this quotation, what conclusion can you draw about the author. He is best remembered for his memoirs of a revolutionary and series of seven witnessnovels chronicling the lives of revolutionaries of the first half of the 20th. The first chapter of victor serge s autobiography, memoirs of a revolutionary, is captioned world without possible escape. The new executive still possessed neither personnel nor offices. For a study of serge s relation to anarchism, see luc nemeth, victor serge et les anarchistes, in victor serge, vie et.
She is one of many who have admired serges work and life, such as george orwell. Memoirs of a revolutionary, 19011941 by victor serge, 1963. In memoirs of a revolutionary, serge, mortified, recounts saying to callemin, who has just been sentenced to death, you live and learn. Originally a participant in the anarchist movement, serge became a committed bolshevik upon arrival in russia during 1919 and lent his considerable talents to the cause of spreading the revolution across europe. Recounts the life victor serge in his own words as an artist, author, and activist from his childhood influences, his political activism, his role in the russian revolution, and the end of his life in mexico. Serge immediately began pushing for the abolition of the death penalty and the secret police. In 1926, a former cheka man confided in victor serge, an old revolutionary, his secret knowledge of a monstrous plot. Victor serge 18901947 was an anarchist who initially supported he russian revolution. With memoirs of a revolutionary, victor serge adapted the title of russian anarchist peter kropotkins 1899 memoirs. Memoirs of a revolutionary recounts a thrilling life on the front lines of history and includes vivid portraits not only of trotsky, lenin, and stalin but of countless other figures who struggled to remake the world.
In her posthumous book, susan sontag 2007 has an essay, unextinguished. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Memoirs of a revolutionary victor serge, richard greeman. By victor serge memoirs of a revolutionary 1984 09 16 hardcover victor serge on. Serge is a revolutionary, who participates in the russian revolution from 1919 as a core bolshevik. This is understandable, given the power of serge s prose and the events and people he wrote about. I was tougher inside, and enjoyed as i think a broader vision of the revolution, as well as having less individualistic sentiment in my makeup. Seventy years ago, victor serge put the finishing touches on his masterpiece memoirs of a revolutionary. This is understandable, given the power of serges prose and the events and people he wrote about. A book chat with richard greeman, translator of victor serge s memoirs of a revolutionary and russia in danger, held on 8 may 20 at the new school. His experience of the highs and lows of revolutionary struggle. By victor serge memoirs of a revolutionary 19840916.
Peter sedgwick 19341983 was a translator of victor serge, and author of a number of books including psychopolitics. Jan 22, 2012 year one of the revolution victor serge account of the russian revolution written by victor serge, a bolshevik who had become disillusioned with anarchism. Dec 31, 2002 victor serge 18901947 was an anarchist who initially supported the russian revolution. Memoirs of a revolutionary by serge, victor and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Despite serge remaining an albeit highly critical bolshevik apologist and remaining in the camp of those who claimed kronstadt as a tragic necessity, he is honest enough to describe the facts of the situation in. Serge details the development of powerful mass revolutionary forces, with vivid examples of vast armed peasant leagues and secret societies imposing their law in the countryside as well as of unions and workers organization, many of them armed, sustaining general strikes in chinas largest cities and successfully boycotting western. Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge abebooks. The bandits had committed a series of robberies and murders for which serge s close childhood friend raymond callemin would be executed. Year one of the russian revolution by victor serge, paperback. Victor serge, who was born in 1890 and died in 1947, was an anarchist, a bolshevik, a trotskyist, a revisionistmarxist, and, on his own confession, a personalist. Throughout his life, through his political commitment and his activity as a writer, serge remained a revolutionary. A complete translation of his memoirs of a revolutionary memoirs1 was.
Memoirs of a revolutionary summary and analysis like. Serge s memoirs of a revolutionary, detail much of this experience and are essential for socialists today. Originally an anarchist, he joined the bolsheviks five months after arriving in petrograd in january 1919 and later worked. Serges writingpamphleteering, poetry and novels, histories, an invaluable memoircomposed as he ranged from one revolution to the next. Originally a participant in the anarchist movement, serge became a committed bolshevik upon arrival in russia during 1919 and lent his considerable talents to the cause. Victor serge 18901947 was an international revolutionary and writer. Victor serge 18901947 played many parts, as he recounted in his indelible. Victor serge memoirs of a revolutionary 1901 1941 victor serges life was a unique one.
Pierre pascal quietly withdrew from the party and earned his living as a translator, at the same time working on his history of the schism of the russian church. Achetez neuf ou doccasion memoirs of a revolutionary serge, victor, greeman, richard, hochschild, adam, sedgwick, peter, paizis, george livres. When he died, he left behind a body of books and articles, novels and poems that responded to nearly 50 years of activity and involvement in key moments of the socialist movement. For this reason, serge serves as a bridge between the revolutionary communities of the early 20th century and the diffuse, nonhierarchical. From the years when lenin was alive, treason has wormed its way into the central committee. Jul 20, 2012 serge immediately began pushing for the abolition of the death penalty and the secret police. Victor serge memoirs of a revolutionary 1901 1941 victor serge s life was a unique one. Chapter 1 part 2 from memoirs of a revolutionary by. Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge, paperback. Memoirs of a revolutionary 19011941 victor serge on.
Chapter 1 part 1 from memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge even before i emerged from childhood, i seem to have experienced, deeply at heart, that paradoxical feeling which was to dominate me all through the first part of my life. Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge goodreads. Originally an anarchist, he joined the bolsheviks five months after arriving in petrograd in january 1919 and later worked for the comintern as a journalist, editor and translator. The memoirs tells a harrowing story serge spent most of his adult life in prison andor exile and saw the russian revolution, which for him was the pinnacle of his life in radical activism. Memoirs of a revolutionary, 19011941 by victor serge. Memoirs of a revolutionary, 19011941 victor serge snippet view 1963. A great many scholarly texts, memoirs and collections of documents have been written. His perspective on the totalitarianism and the economic system of the old soviet union was inconsistent and required another step for a more profound reflection. Description of the book memoirs of a revolutionary.
Peter sedgwicks fine translation of memoirs of a revolutionary was abridged when first published in 1963. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of victor serges memoirs of a revolutionary. The third congress of the communist international met at moscow, in an. Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge 576 ratings, 4. Almost uniquely amongst the famous names to come to global prominence after the russian revolution, he actually started his revolutionary life as.
More important, he was also a writer of rare integrity, who left behind a remarkable eyewitness record in fiction, journalism, and above all his masterwork, memoirs of a revolutionary. December 30, 1890 november 17, 1947, was a russian revolutionary and writer. But his victories were short lived and the cheka only grew in strength. Serge and the chinese revolution the invisible international.
The third international had just been founded in moscow it was now march 1919 and had appointed zinoviev as president of its executive the proposal was actually lenin s. Translated and edited, with an introduction, by peter sedgwick. Memoirs of a revolutionary by victor serge university of iowa press. The son of anticzarist exiles in brussels, serge was a young anarchist in paris. These experiences imbibe serge s novel unforgiving years. Victor serge 18901947 was an anarchist who initially.
It doesnt happen very often, but i love it when i pick up a book simply planning to scan the first few pages and find myself still reading an hour later. On february 28, 1943 he wrote the following entry in one of his carnets notebooks, which recently came to light in mexico and were published for the first time in france in 2012. In doing so, he tied himself to the colorful history of european radical activism and the russian revolutionaries and carried that heritage well into the twentieth century. Victor serge is one of the great men of the 20th century and one of its great writers too.
His account of the russian revolution and civil war in year one of the russian revolution is similarly indispensable. Feb 01, 2001 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Courtesy of the victor serge foundation w hen you read a biography of trotsky, you may feel you have encountered the ultimate in tragic revolutionary lives. Petr kropotkin memoirs of a revolutionist 1899 this text was taken from the 1st edition of memoirs of a revolutionist, houghton mifflin company, boston and. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. When rabindranath tagore landed in russia on september 11, 1930. The russian anarchists slogan is the perfect motto for the life of the writer and revolutionary victor serge 1890 1947. Similarly, serge s clear analysis of the bolshevik mistakes of the civil war period turns out to have been partially subverted in the. We do not necessarily agree with it all but reproduce it for reference. Originally an anarchist, he joined the bolsheviks five months after arriving in petrograd in january 1919 and later worked for the comintern as a journalist, editor, and translator.
Victor serge, who worked with him in the early comintern in vienna, remembering him as an industrious and bohemian exile, late to bed and late to rise, tells us. The scope of serges series of witnessnovels grew to embrace a full epoch of historical struggle from the prerevolutionary movement, through the russian revolution, civil war, and nep to the stalinist counterrevolution, the rise of fascism and the extermination of a serges unique revolutionary generation. He was a devoted bolshevik who strongly supported lenins policies to create a communist state. The conscience of a revolutionary victor serges commitment to. They are constantly frightening the emperor with threats of revolution, and here,you see it yourselfwe need merely to show. Belgian by place of birth and upbringing, french by adoption and in literary expression, russian by parentage and later by citizenship, he eventually became stateless and was put. Victor serge 1890 1947, was a russian revolutionary and writer. Jun 28, 2012 his classic memoirs of a revolutionary and his great last novels, unforgiving years and the case of comrade tulayev the latter also published by nyrb classics, were written for the desk drawer and published posthumously. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. He was an anarchist, an agitator, a revolutionary, an exile, a historian of his times, as well as a brilliant novelist, and in memoirs of a revolutionarymemoirs of a revolutionary. Indeed, very little time is spent discussing his literary career, and.
1547 1009 1257 85 827 740 968 1189 911 903 1618 562 1148 1612 820 709 295 315 58 1097 763 264 1599 27 1380 865 1007 520 1370 439 802 34 1299 1184 1626 1277 698 389 1235 1065 961 1482