Finished reading Benjamin's Moscow Diary. Very interesting and pleasurable to read. It is the chronicle of Benjamin's visit to Moscow and his frustrated desire for Asja Lacis, his internal struggle over whether or not to join the Communist party, and his attempts to get by in a difficult Soviet society despite speaking almost no Russian. It is also filled with colorful and beautiful descriptions of the city, its churches, museums, culture and inhabitants.In one passage Benjamin records his friend Reich's observation that
"in great writing the proportion between the total number of sentences and those sentences whose formulation was especially striking or pregnant was about one to thirty - whereas it was more like one to two in my [Benjamin's] case."
This density of style is apparent in Benjamin's works, but I had not thought of it as a flaw in his writing...the style just requires more time spent decoding. However, I can see that it could discourage some from reading him. However, Moscow Diary is direct and fresh, as well as insightful and interesting, making it a good choice for someone who is interested in trying Benjamin but wants an easier read. I highly recommend.
Further reading: In my Russian lit class, The Soviet Experience, we read an essay Benjamin had written that was based on his Moscow diary. I don't remember the name of the essay, but we read an analysis of it by my prof Zhenya called "The Withering of Private Life: Walter Benjamin in Moscow." I recommend both.
Well, perhaps I may be accused of relating everything to Orwell, but I do see some similarities here between Orwell and Benjamin. These two differed from most left-leaning intellectuals in that era, who were enamored with Soviet communism. Like Benjamin, Orwell was repelled by the brutal authoritarianism of the Soviets, which eclipsed the value of their pro-worker and pro-equality philosophy.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Benjamin, as you describe it, apparently devoted much space to describing the city of Moscow - a kind of echo of Bely's Petersburg!
Sounds quite good - now on my "want to read" list!
The comparison to Orwell seems fair, but I don't know that much about Orwell's private life.
ReplyDeleteThe depiction of the city is common in Russian lit, and it is very interesting to see Moscow through the eyes of a non-Russian intellectual.
In "Why Orwell Matters", Hitchens says Orwell was painfully ill at ease with women and, in one of his few conspicuous failures, virulently homophobic. He comes across as being highly uncomfortable with sexuality and emotion that isn't political - quite different, it sounds like, from Benjamin!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this.
ReplyDeletere describing the city of Moscow: Benjamin is extremely interested in the architecture and geography of metropolitan spaces in general. He does really interesting things with Paris in The Arcades Project.
yeah, you would definitely enjoy this Colin.
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