The Infernal Library:
On Dictators, the Books They Wrote, and Other Catastrophes of Literacy
By Daniel Kalder
3.5 stars
Almost all the awful dictators wrote at least one equally
awful book all about their own beliefs, and this book sums them all up with a
healthy dose of sarcasm. Including Lenin,
Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao and all of the other despots that they beget,
Kalder discusses the literary works (including some strange fiction) that these
men left behind. The dark humor of this
book does help temper the depressing details and overall it provides a good
history behind the writing of these books.
I will say that it gets repetitive as these dictators are all really
very similar but I did come away learning some details that I didn’t already
know. I received a digital ARC of this
book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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