The Anarchist: A Novel Review

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The Anarchist: A Novel ReviewThe author admits that "historical novels are, by nature, a unique amalgam of fact and fiction, conjecture and illusion, and [this novel] is no exception." Not said is that such works can often frustrate the reader; the interspersing of fact and fiction is confusing and dissatisfying. The central act described in this work, that is, the assassination of Pres McKinley on Sept 6, 1901, by Leon Czolgosz, is historical fact. Beyond that, the intermingling of persons, places, and philosophies is presented in such an uneven, vague, even filmy, manner that the reality of the times and of various events in the book remains elusive. Outside the actual assassination, the book is commentary on the social unrest of the times, focusing somewhat on the sharp social cleavages tied to industrialization and the accumulation of vast fortunes and the largely ineffectual efforts of worker-based movements, such as anarchism, to alleviate or counteract the terrible conditions that most workers faced.
The book begins with a Pinkerton man, John Norris, arriving in Buffalo form Washington DC to uncover possible anarchist plots against the president prior to a visit. The author does not clarify his actual position with the gov nor the basis of those beliefs. Norris is recruiting Moses Hyde, a canawler, or canal worker, and sometimes attendee of anarchist meetings, to be an informer. Both Hyde and Norris are key figures in the author's telling, both before the assassination and afterwards in foiling attempts to free Czolgosz and to detonate explosives. Hyde is the most interesting person in the book because his dual sympathies require him to make difficult, life-threatening decisions that don't raise suspicions with either party: the anarchists or the police. It is an open question as to whether they both are simply probable characters or actual participants. Big Maud's bordello is prominently featured as a meeting ground for anarchists and their women friends/relatives - again factuality not known.
Czolgosz, a young man in his late twenties, is shown, throughout the book, as a strangely calm and determined person given his mission to eliminate the president. According to the author, he suffered from a miserable childhood, was subjected to harsh work regimes in various factories, was immersed in radical literature, was a virtual recluse, and had a near worshipful regard for Emma Goldman, the most famous spokesperson for anarchist thinking of the era. Attempts to determine his sanity become little more than snappy repartee among various characters. Actually, he seems more a vaguely drawn character than a person. Despite Czolgosz' constant reference to worker oppression, there is not much in the way of a substantive investigation of general working conditions or an attempt to explore the legal basis of work, the labor movement, relevant political philosophies, etc. Mentioned often is the Haymarket Square bombing of 1886, blamed on anarchists, which provides incentive for parties on both sides of the violence issue. Perhaps the clearest contrast between workers and elites is provided in the noticing of the trappings surrounding the well-fed McKinley, including the close attention of a personal physician, Presley Rixey. His condescending to rub elbows with the people, who surely all love him, for only ten minutes resulted in his getting shot.
The book suffers from a fundamental lack of definition: is it an attempt at a plotted story or is it an attempt at history? In one, characters are created and developed; in the other, accurate, not creative, capturing of character is required. In this case, the reader is left wondering what to believe in terms of characters and actions, not to mention expectations of story development and intent. Essentially, all that is definitely learned is that a president was assassinated by a person of vague motivation and mental state and that other real or imagined persons acted on the periphery. As important as it was to Czolgosz, the social turmoil of the times is left in limbo.
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