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A
RUSSIAN JOURNAL: JOHN STEINBECK & ROBERT CAPA |
Steinbeck and
Capa took their journey in 1948. They travel from Moscow to
Volgograd and Rostov before turning back in Georgia. Much of
the tension in
this book springs from the rapidly cooling relationship
between leaders of
Russia and the United States at that point in time.
Their aim is not political. They seek to understand the
hearts of the Soviet
people. One of the amusing elements of this book is their
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with the
Soviet censors, who refuse to believe that they do not have
political motives. Steinbeck intersperses the commentary on
Russia with the
nuts and bolts of their daily travels. The method mirrors
the approach of
his 1940 collaboration in the Gulf of California, "The Log
from the Sea of
Cortez. "
Steinbeck likes to write about the universal character of
people
and this trip to Russia or his previous trip in Mexico both
speak to that
interest. His conclusion is that Russians are like people
anywhere else -
they are proud of their homes and their families and are
sincere in their
efforts to build their nascent country. Steinbeck also goes
to pains to
elicit the hope among the Russian people for peace.
Many of the things that catch their eye remain constant to
now. One
interesting change is the perspective of the Russian people
about the
direction of their country. In Steinbeck's recollection, the
people
recognize that they are sacrificing for the good of their
country. In 1948,
the Russians expect that they will eventually gain from
their hard work. Now
they seem to have less faith.
This book is a great chance to learn about the personality
of the world
famous Robert Capa. During his travels with the Hungarian
photojournalist,
Steinbeck gets pretty pesky about Capa's personal habits. It
seems that Capa
likes long baths, other people's books, and morning silence.
Steinbeck and
Capa share rooms during their trip. I really enjoyed the
secondary theme
that develops on Capa's behavior.
Everyone should read this book, not just people who want to
know about
Russia.
Andrew Sherman
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