Three New Books Show Different Views of Power and Politics
Fiction writers explore themes of leadership, corruption, and the human mind through storytelling.
Ben Fountain's book 'Rasputin Swims the Potomac' tells a wild story about American politics. In the near future, a Trump-like president gets help from a mysterious wrestler. The wrestler claims he can heal a strange disease that makes everyone cry. He says he is the reincarnated spirit of Rasputin, a famous Russian mystic from history.
Stefan Bošković wrote 'The Minister' about a politician who makes a terrible mistake. Valentin Kovačević accidentally kills a poet during an art performance with a harpoon gun. Now he must fight to save his career and reputation. The story shows how politicians sometimes care more about their image than doing what's right.
Stephen O'Connor's book 'We Want So Much to Be Ourselves' follows a student of Sigmund Freud in 1920s Vienna. Günter Zeitz studies psychoanalysis and believes it can help make people happier. But when the Nazis take over Germany, his faith in helping people is severely tested. The story explores whether psychology can help people deal with the worst parts of history.
The book shows how killing poets turns out to be less of a problem than feeling guilty about it.
Comprehension quiz preview
1. What is the name of the disease in Ben Fountain's book that makes people cry?
2. In which city does Stephen O'Connor's story begin?
3. What weapon accidentally kills the poet in 'The Minister'?