Kazhes pierakstu burtnīca

I don`t really know who told me that Heym was an important German writer. At least I remember hearing his name somewhere. I guess, he was more popular in East Germany than anywhere else mainly because of his dissidents cult status - a socialist that has his dissagreements with a socialist state. Anyhow, this book here tells us of 5 days in the history of GDR - about the workers strike on June 17 1953. There`s this socialist named Witte being somewhere among the bosses of a factory who wants to stop new requirements from the workers which would mean more work for less pay, but nobody listens to him. And this way a hell brakes loose - with the help of capitalistic agitators, having their own reasons for doing what they do - telling that the Americans would come to help, which they don`t, of course. As a historical material this book may have its value, and it is quite thrilling to read (not the whole time though) but as a piece of literature it`s very far from the best the 20th century could produce. It`s a piece of socialistic realism, although not in the ideological sense but in the form it seems pretty lame to me.