No doubt communism has been terrible for mankind as historically implemented. Knowing what we know about incentives (e.g. the level of prudence by which someone will act when they have little/no ownership), we might predict that it is unlikely to ever work as long as humans act like humans. And yet, the novel felt a little too complicit in bashing the revolution, ignoring its causes; it's not like Russian peasants had a great life under Tsarist rule! By following the saga through the eyes of a former aristocrat, the reader definitely gets only a one-sided view.
But the novel is entertaining, humourous and educational enough that I did finish it despite its length. I've been getting more ruthless about cutting bait when I'm not enjoying a book, and this one still made the cut.
Enjoy!
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