The Confession [Mass Market Paperback]

Artur London (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 391 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 12, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345221702
• ISBN-13: 978-0345221704
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,654,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Democratic centralism, January 12, 2008

By 

Luc REYNAERT (Beernem, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Confession (Mass Market Paperback)

In this highly emotional autobiography, Artur London unmasks the diabolic wheels of a pure political trial in a State completely (politics, economics, social issues) dominated by a single political party. Into the bargain, this national party was controlled and effectively run by a foreign sister party for the latter's benefit.
Public autocritical confessions imposed by the Party, as well as regular reports by party leaders on their members constituted real and essential documents which could be used against `enemies of the people', when ideological and power clashes divided national and international parties and their leaders.
Moreover, the accusations against the `culprits' were so large that they could be used against all members of the Party, from the highest ranked ones to its lowest foot folk.
The `culprits' were submitted to inhuman interrogations which transformed them into caged animals dominated solely by their survival instinct. At the end, being completely innocent, they pleaded nevertheless guilty ... in the interest of the Party (which could never make a mistake) and socialism. Eleven received the death sentence (by hanging). Their ashes were gathered in potato bags. Three, among them the author, got life sentences.

This book is a brutal exposure of a political system based allegedly on `democratic centralism', which is in fact another expression for `bureaucratic centralism installed to kill democracy'. The Party was not a means for creating a socialist society, but an end to consolidate the power of a small bunch of Party leaders (or one of them).
This autobiography shows also the disastrous and mortal division of the Left. Anarchists, communists, socialists, Trotskyites and Titists (supporters of Tito) fought among themselves and killed one another.

This book is a human document told with a disturbing emotional intensity.
A must read.