The eternal evil

Approximately ten years ago I read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. 

It is a thriller and a gothic novel at the same time, and it weaves in the threads of the ancient European history.

Ten years ago I could not put the book down, it was so addictive and overpowering. However, when I was done with it, I searched in vain for the main message.

The book focuses on the eternal evil in the world. 

In the story, the evil takes the shape of Vlad the Impaler (Drakula), who is still around us, with us and has plans for us. The resistance against, and the victory over, the evil takes years, costs the lives of many, and extracts the last drop of dedication and strength from the main characters. But all of this struggle was lost on me. The eternal evil did not exist around me or even in my mind.

Recently, I re-read the book. Why? Finally, in my life a collided with the evil. No, it was not in the shape and form of Drakula, it was just a regular looking guy at my job, who wrecked our work community, demolished the careers of many colleagues, ousted them from their positions, and tried to do the same to me. 

I finally stared at the face of evil. A vague and depressed feeling of despair and fatality pushed me to take The Historian from the shelve and read it again.

This time, I read the book slowly. I truly enjoyed the cinematographic quality of the narrative, the tours through some of the most picturesque and some of the most obscure places in Europe. I also relived the horror of the characters, who for the first time realized that evil existed.

Finally, a message emerged.  The message was to accept that evil exists and that even when the struggle with evil is unequal and unfair, I should carry it on and defend my identity and dignity. 

Once I read that a true art elicits individual interpretations. The same book or drawing, if true art, would elicit different thoughts, emotions and associations in different people. 

The message I received from The Historian is likely to be a very personal one, but I hope that if you read the book, you will discover your own.

Who Stole the American Dream

I just watched a thought-provocative talk: "How the Rich Bought America: Why the Middle Class Is Struggling - Personal Finance (2012)" by Hedrick Smith.

Smith was a reporter and editor for The New York Times, a producer/correspondent for the PBS show Frontline, and is the author of several books.The talk is based upon one of these books, "Who Stole the American Dream?". 

This book was published in 2012, made The New York Times national bestseller's list, and I never heard about the publication until today. The talk on YouTube probably re-surfaced because of all the commotion around the upcoming elections. It is ironic that everything Smith said in 2012 is still relevant and nothing has been done, no improvement has been achieved in the past four years.

If you have not read the book, might be of interest to listen to the talk. Especially NOW, before the elections of 2016. I was so impressed by the talk that I will seek to read the book.