Love of Worker Bees

Rating:
Summary: A Political and Feminist Allegory
Review: Kollontai, author of Love of the Worker Bees wrote her book during a time of the greatest upheaval ever seen in Russia. The Revolution had turned Russia from a czarist regime to a communist state, and the ensuing changes made the ousting of bourgeoise ideology difficult at best. The economic and personal change in thinking is highlighted by the characterization of Vasilisa, her marriage to Vladimir used to illustrate the failure of traditional marriage and the difficulty in turning ones political idealism to reality within relationships.

As well, the relationship between the book's protagonists can be seen as as an illustration of capitalism/communism with the latter triumphing over the capitalist mentality and lifestyle. Vasilisa can get a bit tedious with her refusal to "see" Vladimir's infidelities no matter what the evidence she is presented with, but again this might be seen as a referral to the persuasive and deceptive appeal of capitalism, with its eventual unmasking.

An excellent text for women's studies or advanced english literature where an emphasis on gender and women's writings from a global and historical perspective is pursued.

Rating:
Summary: Pathetic and pedantic
Review: This book was aimed at largely uneducated women, and it shows.

The protagonist is an utterly clueless idiot who refuses to see what's in front of her; the husband is a sorry sack of mediocrity. This is basically a mix of a lifetime channel movie and the Titanic; man-bashing in a vaguely historic setting.

The parts that deal with life in that time are interesting... but most of the novel is devoted to the boring and annoying relationship between the two main characters.

By the time the author resorted to the clichés 'the mistress is pregnant!', I was half-hoping the Germans would invade and kill the lot of them. Sadly, this didn't happen.

My only regret is reviewing this 'book' is that I had to give it at least one star.