Published early in 1990, this issue focuses on the extraordinary movement to democracies from socialism that swept through many Eastern European countries in late 1989. Decades of repressive regimes fell and Soviet influence was rebelled against. The Berlin Wall fell and Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, all saw mostly peaceful transfers of power to democracies led by the will of the people. People ultimately were tired of the corruption of their leaders, the repression of personal rights and the inability to achieve a better quality of life than people in the West.
It was an exciting time to be a European, but despite this issue's focus on the changes, it fails to be remotely exciting to read. The majority of the issue is a bunch of essays by intellectuals, historians, poets and authors who are looking at the bigger picture and don't capture the elation at the new sense of freedom. The best that can be said is there's some interesting ideas about consumerism and capitalism versus systems of government that force people to be more interior and subtle in their thought and actions.
The best entries are two fiction pieces by Russian fiction writers that show first-hand life under a repressive government. Also enjoyable is the second part of Jonathan Raban's humorous memoir of moving to America, although it is way too short. ( )

not my favourite issue.
jonathan Raban vg
m. steblin-kamensky vg ( )