Hotel Lux
An Intimate History of Communism's Forgotten Radicals
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Hotel Lux
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Narrated by:
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Maurice J Casey
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By:
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Maurice J Casey
About this listen
RTÉ Culture Book of the Week
'Tells the story of early 20th century communism through the eyes of those who lived it and felt and believed in it - while also living their entirely normal, rackety, emotional lives' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five
Hotel Lux follows Irish radical May O'Callaghan and her friends, three revolutionary families brought together by their vision for a communist future and their time spent in the Comintern's Moscow living quarters, the Hotel Lux.
Historian Maurice Casey reveals the connections and disconnections of a group of forgotten communist activists whose lives collided in 1920s Moscow: a brilliant Irish translator, a maverick author, the rebel daughters of an East London Jewish family, and a family of determined German anti-fascists.
The dramatic and interlocking histories of the O'Flahertys, Cohens and Leonhards offer an intimate insight into the legacies of the Russian Revolution from its earliest idealism through to the brutal Stalinist purges and beyond. Hotel Lux uncovers a world of forgotten radicals who saw their hopes and dreams crash against reality yet retained their faith in a beautiful future for all.
Culminating in a queer love story that saw the daughters of the Cohens and Leonhards create an enduring partnership even as their parents' political visions crumbled, this is a multi-generational rebel odyssey and a history of international communism, one which looks as much to the future as it does to the past.©2024 Maurice J Casey (P)2024 Bonnier Books UK
What listeners say about Hotel Lux
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alan Stewart
- 21-09-24
Fantastic
Began listening to this on holiday as I was to impatient to wait for the physical copy waiting on my doorstep. My full review is below but I would add that this is beautifully read by the author.
‘Hotel Lux’ by Maurice J. Casey traces the lives of three unknown radical women from the early twentieth century and explores the complex web of relationships against the backdrop of the rise of Stalin and Hitler. The narrative is so skilfully told it will probably make your ‘Books of the Year’ list. It certainly has place in mine. Beautifully written throughout, the appeal of the book lies in its subtitle – it is truly an intimate history -we learn so much about May O’Callaghan, Emmy Leonhard and Nellie Cohen as well as their milieu through the author’s detective work. Life in 1920s Moscow is finely drawn as revolutionary optimism gives way to disaster. Just as fascinating is the author’s commentary about how he first came across this story and the research involved in piecing it all together. The reflections on confronting the horrors of Stalinism as a leftist also resonate and, while much of the events described took place around a century ago, I’m struck by the many parallels with the world as it is today.
In short, this is an emotional and sympathetic portrayal of ordinary people who were passionate about changing the world for the better caught up in extraordinary times. I thoroughly recommend it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-09-24
Incredible and almost forgotten stories. Superb.
The interwoven story of these people that had a profound impact on the world we live in, along with the amazing detail of how the author found them & their stories.
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2 people found this helpful