by SimonSebagMontefiore (Author)
'Montefiore's skill in transferring Stalin's tactics and the revolutionary dynamic to a story of schoolboy rivalry ensures that what might have been a narrative corset becomes a metaphorical mirror. Schoolboy machinations mimic Soviet power struggles and both, in turn, wittily reflect the daily political manoeuvrings of many organisations. The camaraderie fostered by a cause, the corruption of power and the glamour of evil are all anatomised with a light touch and an honest eye...Engaging and assured...a thoroughly nourishing confection.' The Times.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Edition: New Ed
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 26 Jun 1998
ISBN 10: 0753801582
ISBN 13: 9780753801581
Book Overview: 'A comis Tour de Force. My Affair with Stalin is a breathtakingly intelligent, funny, and wholly 'accurate' translation of Stalin's life into the picaresque career of Willian Conroy, an 11 year old pupil at Coverdale Preparatory School.'The Independent. 'Ingenious satire' Sunday Telegraph. 'Brilliantly plotted and paced with the hurtling speed of a doomed and reckless journey, My Affair With Stalin would make a first class television film... a hilarious, shattering, sobering tale that lingers in the mind long after you have finished it.' New Statesman. 'Montefiore is wonderfully funny and a master of bathos' Daily Express.