In Remains of Socialism, Maya Nadkarni investigates the changing fates of the socialist past in postsocialist Hungary. She introduces the concept of "remains"-both physical objects and cultural remainders-to analyze all that Hungarians sought to leave behind after the end of state socialism.

Spanning more than two decades of postsocialist transformation, Remains of Socialism follows Hungary from the optimism of the early years of transition to its recent right-wing turn toward illiberal democracy. Nadkarni analyzes remains that range from exiled statues of Lenin to the socialist-era "Bambi" soda, and from discredited official histories to the scandalous secrets of the communist regime's informers. She deftly demonstrates that these remains were far more than simply the leftovers of an unwanted past. Ultimately, the struggles to define remains of socialism and settle their fates would represent attempts to determine the future-and to mourn futures that never materialized.

About the Author

Maya Nadkarni is Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Swarthmore College.

Reviews

Remains of Socialism is an examination of 'mature' postsocialism that aptly demonstrates the ongoing disciplinary relevance of the region. Nadkarni offers her astute observations in clear, confident, accessible prose.

* American Anthropologist *

Multi-layered, intimate, and insightful on many levels, this remarkable and beautifully written book sets a new standard in the field of memory studies.

* Association for Women in Slavic Studies *

[Remains of Socialism] constitute[s] highly valuable contributions to the literature on the memory of the socialist past and the elements of nostalgia and retro in this memory. [The book] also offer[s] a new, more reflective, analytical reading of nostalgia.

* H-Soz-Kult *

Nadkarni is a superbly well-informed anthropologist. It is almost a hopeless endeavor to scrutinize her text for factual inaccuracies, misunderstandings, or mistranslations. Her grasp of both the language and the gestures of her interviewees likely finds those anthropologists struggling to make sense of the production of meaning in their field research envious.

* Austrian History Yearbook *


Awards
Commended for Barbara Heldt Prize for Best Book by a woman in any area of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (United States). Short-listed for Council for European Studies Book Award (CES) 2022 (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9781501750182
Author Maya Nadkarni
Format Paperback
Page Count 252
Imprint Cornell University Press
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 454g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 18mm