tmackell's reviews
177 reviews

this definitely seemed like a good intro for someone who doesn't know much about the topic (me) while also being pretty seemingly comprehensive with the names and dates, unfortunately that was mostly what it consisted of and I would've liked some more "intellectual history" or analysis of events but it was really cool to learn about all the people involved and their internal conflicts while also always focusing on the way the struggle stemmed from unified masses. I like how this book is necessarily critical of various sides of the revolutionaries while also humanizing them, explaining their reasoning in such difficult times. It seems that something great and good existed in the kernel of the Bolsheviks' thinking if not the trajectory and so their struggle is still inspiring today when we need some sort of leftist unity and revolution more than ever.

this book is good as far as it could be read as an anti-war story but it’s still too sympathetic to the english patient himself who is a piece of shit and represents a pretty bland idea of “what is a border or nation anyway??” in a way that could have been done a lot better than “man feels no allegiance to anything but himself”
still pretty beautifully and surreally written tho

really good as far as it points out the rampant violence of misogyny but also makes some islamophobic comments equating veiling to oppression

beautifully hyper referential, super entertaining philosophy, art theory, media studies essays on oppression in technological post-capitalist times hence the clever Fanon referencing title

honestly one of the best most raw, genuine, beautiful, inspiring authors i’ve ever read. gave me newfound appreciation/nostalgia for poetry, philosophy, vermont, writing, reading, living!! full of lots of good quotes (both mary’s and others) from various big and small name poets, philosophers etc. i guess this is in the vein of that “auto-theory” maggie nelson type wave? it’s cool because it gives the satisfaction/feeling of learning that reading good theory does while also being very emotional/personal and not pretentious at all.

better even than the best american short stories 2018 collection!! lots of cool variety in here of timely theory, comics, comedy, poetry, short stories, essays etc.