Masterfully written memoirs which cover the years 1944-1964 (from Buchenwald to his expulsion out of the Spanish communist party).A compelling tale with natural mingling of past and present and brilliant associations.Semprun gives us a memorable picture of the terrible atmosphere in Buchenwald with its different classes of prisoners (based on the functions they exercised), the starvations, the hangings.Remarkable are his reminiscences of the infightings at the top of the communist parties (e.g. the struggle for the succession of Stalin and the liquidation of Beria, or the cynicism of a Santiago Carrillo), of the relations between the CP's of different countries (Brothers, they said, yes, like Cain and Abel), the sclerosis of the ideology (Hegel and his dialectic used to justify everything necessary to keep the power) and the betrayal of the intellectuals, mesmerized by the power of the omnipotent party.This book is a bitter confession, where the author looks back at the cruel (physical and mental) past, his own past, with unbelief.A masterpiece.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.