| Abstrakt: |
"Authoritarian Laughter: Political Humor and Soviet Dystopia in Lithuania" by Neringa Klumbyt is a historical ethnography that explores the role of humor in Soviet-occupied Lithuania through the lens of the popular satire magazine, Brooni. The book delves into questions of freedom, opposition, censorship, and political intimacy, tracing the magazine's life from 1956 to 1998. Klumbyt's research is grounded in extensive archival research and interviews with journalists and artists who worked for the magazine. The book reveals the banality of Soviet power and the complex lives of the artists and editors who navigated the boundaries of what was allowed to be laughed at and ridiculed. It also examines the experience of power through the lens of political intimacy, highlighting the personal relationships cultivated by the magazine's editors with high-ranking Communist Party officials. The book challenges the perceived universality of the Soviet experience and offers insights into the effectiveness of opposition to authoritarianism. [Extracted from the article] |
