David Andress's "The Terror"

[tearosefury.livejournal.com]

Well after two days of only taking 45min-1 hour breaks for eating, grocery store shopping and, yup that's it, I finally read all of David Andress's The Terror, which was assigned for my Modern Europe seminar, which happens to be all on France. It was quite good; more the classical narrative style than I expected, but, it was therefore plenty readable. I was surprised actually at how little unpleased I was with sitting for 3-5 hour stints of reading; I couldn't think of anything better to do, at least. But then again it was about *the Terror*, only my favorite topic in history after 1790s politics and the Enlightenment. The politics of the French Revolution are so insanley convulted, confusing and complicated that I think it's really a lifetime endeavor getting a grasp on all the characters, whose side they were at various points and why, not to mention all the various reasons, from political to purely personal, for factional infighting etc. And of course you've never heard every awful detail about how many horrible, horrible things happened; you're never fully done being shocked with the capacity of ideology and political fervor, just as much as religion or any other agent of human inspiration, to inspire the most casual cruelty and justify in the believer's mind actions which are in fact directly opposite to their most cherised ideals.

Imagine a world without the French Revolution? Amongst countless other things - basically modernity, a lot of people would claim - that wouldn't be the same or would never have developed, to me what stands out would be how much less we would know about the human condition, expierence, and our possible capabilities under certain situations and certain mindsets. Truely amazing. And, Andress' conclusion actually made me feeling sorry for Saint-Just, something that had never happened before.

Comments

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

the french revolution completly changed the world, I belive. Because of it, it set in motion so many events, also, I feel that it truly showed what the people are capable of

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

I just have to say, your icon is amazing.

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

Haha XD! Thank you! I drew that one day and got people's attention, and next thing you know, they'res an icon!

I drew more XD

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/kurotoshi/camilledje.jpg Camille being weird

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/kurotoshi/stjust.jpg Saint-Just, with his name mispelled because I drew this REEALLY late

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/kurotoshi/rob.jpg the full roby pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/kurotoshi/marat.jpg MARAT!<3

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

OhMySupremeBeing! those are adorable...

mind if i add ya?

by the way, I just added some stills in my flickr account of maxime from that history channel documentary. http://flickr.com/photos/32374889@N00/268607100/in/set-72157594326479089/
anyone who wants is welcome to take.

anyway, back to the OP, i don't think i can imagine a world without the french revolution (or the american one). i find it amazing that a bunch of dreamy lawyers were able to change the world...

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

Haha! Thank you!

yeah, sure, go ahead! But I confess - I might be boring!

OOOOOHHHHH!! NICE! THANK YOU!

No kidding! Haha, I know! The power of a couple of men!

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

awesome!

it's nice to know i'm not alone in adoring a bunch of dead rock stars in capri pants.

[cachecache.livejournal.com]

"dead rock stars in capri pants"

Haha! That's so true!!

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

and don't forget the awesome hair! and wigs!

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

How can I?!

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

Aaah! Agreed! I love LJ for making me meet so many people who feel the same way!

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

Werd! Here's to revolutionary fever.

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

*raises a wine glass* Cheers!

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

*raises a wine glass filled with really watered down wine*

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Cheers!

[citoyenne.livejournal.com]

Imagine a world without the French Revolution? Amongst countless other things - basically modernity, a lot of people would claim - that wouldn't be the same or would never have developed, to me what stands out would be how much less we would know about the human condition, expierence, and our possible capabilities under certain situations and certain mindsets. Truely amazing.

A world without the French Revolution…Personally, I would miss my number one obsession!
I would be one of those people who claim that without the revolution we would not be as modern as we are, because it enlightened us and educated us and indeed showed us how much power the common people (and "a bunch of dead rock stars in capri pants") had.
And what about the freedom of speech? Or the human rights?

When I try to tell friends and family how much influence the revolution has had on Europe (and the rest of the world), they push me away with arguments saying it's such a long time ago that it's all bygone and forgotten and that I just romanticize and overestimate the revolutions since I love them so much.
Well, at least you and me know how much influence a revluotion and The French Revolution had on the world.

Aaah! Agreed! I love LJ for making me meet so many people who feel the same way!

Vivez!

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

When I try to tell friends and family how much influence the revolution has had on Europe (and the rest of the world), they push me away with arguments saying it's such a long time ago that it's all bygone and forgotten and that I just romanticize and overestimate the revolutions since I love them so much.

Oi, that's the same reaction I get. x.x; That and "It wasn't as important as the AMERICAN Revolution!" which is a remark that I refuse to touch with a ten foot pole for obvious reasons, the most immediately pressing among them being the fact that it's rather hard to speak when one's jaw is resting upon the floor.