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Does power make us better than others? Why is a stable and trusting emotional connection more important than self-sufficiency? How does altruism change the world and what will help to live as environmentally friendly as possible? Look for answers to these and other questions in our traditional selection of books – fiction and not only.
Trial of Might
“Force” Naomi Alderman
A novel by Naomi Alderman is a rare case in science fiction when a living and psychologically accurate world is adjacent to a twisted action that is difficult to tear yourself away from. The polyphony of the characters and the complex composition do not in the least interfere with catching the thread and enjoying the text, where each, even the smallest, Chekhov’s gun fires, even if some shots sound like a formidable warning.
Almost all women on earth activate “pasma” – an organ in the region of the collarbones, which allows you to release and control the most powerful electrical discharges. It is clear that if half of the people gained such a superpower, the world would change. In states with a high level of crime and lawlessness, revolutions and wars immediately begin.
The blazing fire of a world war is given through the eyes of five characters: the daughter of a British gangster, a young journalist, a preacher of a new religion, an American politician and her daughter. Each heroine, gaining strength, solves for herself, in fact, the same problem – the problem of power. Does strength make me better than others? Is it possible to achieve justice in the world with its help?
Noman Naomi Alderman also talks about another, most constructive power – power over yourself
Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified 1959 types of power back in 6: the power of coercion or punishment, the power of reward, the power of the standard (charisma), the power of law, as well as the power of information and the power of an expert. On purpose or not, five of them are consistently revealed by Naomi Alderman using the example of five heroes.
The power of coercion turns out to be destructive both for the owners and for those around them, which is predictable. The rule of law is not much different, since it is rooted in the same violence and coercion. As soon as women become physically stronger, in countries where there was patriarchy before, matriarchy sets in.
The heroine-preacher Alli is an example of the power of the standard, which is also dangerous, since the standard or role model sooner or later ceases to be one. As for the power of the reward and the power of the expert, this can be useful, because everyone here shares something in exchange for their influence.
However, Naomi Alderman’s novel also speaks of another, not the most obvious, but the most constructive power – power over oneself. Those who manage to refrain from the use of force, from participating in a general slaughter or from revenge, eventually survive and even find relative happiness in the new conditions.
Translation from English by Anastasia Gryzunova. Phantom press, 464 p.
Love: on the swing of affection
“Days of Solitude” by Elena Ferrante and “Feeling in Love” by Sue Johnson
The case when a popular science book and a novel perfectly complement each other. Both lyrics are about love and breakups. Based on attachment theory, couples therapist Sue Johnson criticizes the cult of self-sufficiency: codependency is dangerous, of course, but a stable and trusting emotional connection is necessary and useful. As evidence, Johnson cites the results of experiments and blitz polls. At the same time, a significant part of her work is devoted to a breakup, when love breaks down implicitly and irreversibly – spouses hush up problems, hide discontent.
The most important attachment, according to Johnson, can begin both with the first and with the thousandth glance.
Ferrante’s laconic and expressive novel Days of Solitude is just an illustration of this case. The main character Olga suddenly leaves her husband, and later she realizes that the connection between them broke up a long time ago. Without work, with children and a dog, Olga is going through the crisis described by Johnson; she becomes aggressive, is on the verge of psychosis. But the same children, the same stable emotional connection, although not romantic, save her, and the rescue scene feels like a breakthrough in a dead blockade.
Olga is learning to live independently step by step. True, something is still missing. One day she gets to the concert of her unsightly neighbor and sees him as if for the first time. The finale of “Days of Solitude” again refers us to “Feeling in Love” – after all, the most important attachment, according to Johnson, can begin both with the first and with the thousandth glance.
“Days of Solitude” by Elena Ferrante. Translation from Italian by Elena Arabadzhi, Inna Bezrukova. Corpus, 256 p.
“Love Feeling” by Sue Johnson. Translation from English by Emma Kairova. MYTH, 416 p.
Altruism
Churov and Churbanov by Ksenia Buksha
Altruism is a very rational quality. When we take care of others, we take care of ourselves too. This idea is impregnated with a dynamic, funny and slightly gloomy novel by the winner of the National Best Ksenia Buksha.
As students, Churov and Churbanov find out that their hearts literally beat in sync. They are very different in character and attitude to life: exemplary, responsible Churov and the “wrong” rebel boy, adventurer Churbanov. But both of them, when faced with people who need help, cannot stand aside.
An old woman besieged by collectors, a teenage girl with suicidal thoughts — adding more harmony to the world, the antipode heroes feel both life drive and long-awaited calmness.
AST, Edited by Elena Shubina, 288 p.
Health
“ECOSAPIENS. The Simple Rules for Living Consciously by Natalie Fee
Public transport improves mental well-being, and using reusable tableware saves time. Sounds like a joke, but it’s actually scientifically based, says environmental educator Natalie Fee. She tells how to live as environmentally friendly as possible and at the same time useful for yourself, and reinforces the reasoning with personal experience. Almost devoid of alarmism, the witty advice is about both our health and the health of the planet.
Although not without a certain amount of edification, but with a clear belief in the ability of a person to change the world for the better, “Ecosapiens” goes through all areas of everyday life, from brewing tea to bank accounts, to demonstrate that an eco-friendly lifestyle does not just save you from the coming “once there” catastrophe, and often tritely profitable here and now.
Translation from English by A. Usacheva. Bombora, 208 p.