The Anarchist

By Daniel A. Coleman

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0970978103
• ISBN13: 9780970978103
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Willowbrook Press
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A Great Read!

In 1901 Leon Czolgosz shot President William McKinley. As justification for the killing, he said "I done my duty." But this novel is not about the killing per se. Rather it centers on a young medical student interning at the New York prison where Czolgosz is held awaiting execution. The student, who wants to be an "alienist" (what is now called "psychiatrist"), holds a series of interviews with Czolgosz in order to understand the psychological sources of Czolgosz's act and his anarchistic political philosophy. Questions arise about Czolgosz's sanity, the influence of Emma Goldman on his life, class struggle and exploitation, as well as the medical student's own values and courage and his capacity to love. The medical student's investigation puts him in the company of anarchists who, to his surprise, debate the political value and morality of Czolgosz's act. The student even meets Emma Goldman briefly at the end.This book is surprisingly good, especially since it is Coleman's first novel (as far as I can tell). He even employs the literary style of the era and he has done considerable research. If you like political fiction, buy this book. You won't regret it.