Rating: 
Summary: Compelling
Review: I've seen movies, documentals and I have read articles and history books about life under communism. I read this book while I was traveling in the Czech Republic. I took part in a study abroad program in Prague and Brno, so I attended lectures about the history of the Czech Republic and about East Europe in general. When I was reading this book I couldn't imagine how people were leaving in East Europe. The way this book is written, in its direct and simple language, shows you the desperation and sadness of the people, the way they were oppressed and the means they got around the authorities. It's just well written and at the end it leaves a wound in your heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Now you know...
Review: If you're wondering about the impact of revolutions, falling dictotatorial regimes and the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, Cafe Europa will answer your questions. I've read third-person reportage and scholarly works on the Balkans, the region's history, and the political issues, but the daily life of those who live here has rarely been presented to me in such a personal and descriptive way. Slavenka Drakulic makes powerful associations and draws connections that allow the reader more opportunities for insights about how the people have in many ways stayed the same, and yet how the changes in government impact daily life in the tiniest and most intimate ways.The book is easy to pick up and put down, as it has topical chapters that stand beautifully as separate pieces, but that culminate powerfully in the final chapters for a strong overall effect.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic examination of the psyche of a modern Eastern Euro
Review: Slavenka does a magnificent job in briefing the Western public on what exhisted in Yugo. before the 1990 Balkan wars. Not the physical, but the mentality of the townspeople as well as the leaders. She sheds light on what a typical Eastern European feels and thinks while living in the West. She also correctly remarks on the difficulties of being an easterner in the west and how for the rest of her generation, that "easterner" stygmatism will not change. In conclusion, some of Slavenka's comments may seem absolutly unbelievable to the typical Western European, but for a native Eastern European, they are sadly realistic.
Rating:
Summary: Cafe Europa serves up a good cup
Review: Slavenka Drakulic is unquestionably a perceptive and keen observer of what is happening in Easter Europe today. However, in my opinion, she is an even better observer of the human condition in general. In fact, for me, this book went beyond the scope of the topic of Easter Europe and its people and, in a way, felt like a more general philosophical analysis of people and history. With her detailed examination of the discourteous behavior of an Easter European hotel receptionist towards Westerners, or the ingratiation with which a Croatian journalist interviews an alleged concentration camp commander or even the true meaning behind an American "hello, how are you," Drakulic exhibits an uncanny ability to read people and cultures and to understand human nature thereby enabling us to better understand ourselves.
Rating:
Summary: Opens your eyes to life in Eastern Europe. Read it!
Review: Subtitled "Life After Communism", this is a collection of articles by Slavenka Drakulic, a Croatian journalist who has become a spokesperson to the West about life in Eastern Europe. Raised in the 1950s, she grew up in a tightly controlled world under communism. She's a product of that system as well as a witness to all the changes that have occurred in her world. Privileged because of her many trips to Western Europe, and married to a Swedish journalist, she has a unique perspective which she shares on the pages of this short but very eye-opening book. I was so intrigued that I read it all at one sitting and rushed to my computer to print out a map of the Balkans so that I could see for myself where the places were. Her native land of Croatia has gone through many changes recently and yearns to be considered part of Western Europe. Several cafes have opened called "Café Europa" which try to imitate those in Vienna. But the coffee is served in heavy utilitarian cups and the pastries lack the taste and delicacy of what can be found just a few miles, but yet a world away in Austria. Ms. Drakulic writes with humor and as well as irony and passion as she discusses this and other aspects of life in her part of the world. Such as that it is impossible it is to find a clean toilet, equipped with soap, toilet paper and running water anywhere in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. There are the constant humiliations of having to cross borders and have to show her Croatian passport. And the way she and other Eastern Europeans are distrusted reach farther than just the border crossings. She talks about consumer goods and how she and others constantly have to smuggle them across the border. One especially interesting story is how she and her husband argued about whether to smuggle a vacuum cleaner to Croatia or be willing to buy it at home and pay an inflated price. She travels a lot and picks up details of the character of a place. For example, when she visits Sofia, which is the capital of Bulgaria, she is very aware that nobody smiles. To smile, in that culture, is perceived as a sign of subservience and weakness. This is just the opposite in the United States, where everyone smiles and thanks you for your business even though a phrase like "how are you today" doesn't mean that anybody cares. She also was impressed with the way that Americans value their perfect and well-kept teeth. When she returned to Croatia, she looked at the teeth of her fellow Croatians and discovered that many people had missing or rotten teeth. Even the people who could afford dental care didn't get it. It just wasn't important to them. But have no allusions. This book is not just about these rather enlightening cross-cultural social discoveries. She goes deeply into the history of Croatia and the war crimes during WW2. And her trip to Israel and how she was constantly asked about whether or not she carried any guilt even though she was born after the War. She talks about an interview by another journalist with a former concentration camp commander who is living in Argentina. Ms. Drakulic is angry because the other journalist never made him answer any hard questions or confront him with his crimes. She also discusses the Muslims of the area and ethnic cleansing. And she talks about Tito and other dictators and how so many people feel displaced by all this new freedom and yearn for a return to communism. I really learned a lot from this book even though I wasn't familiar with all the names of the political figures. It made me want to learn more. And I plan on doing just that. This is a great beginning though. And, even if I never get a chance to read any more about this area, it certainly made me understand and appreciate the Eastern European world and some of its contradictions and complexities. And she did this all in a mere 213 pages. I highly recommend this book for everybody. Read it. It will gently and firmly open your eyes to this very interesting part of the world.
Rating:
Summary: Opens your eyes to life in Eastern Europe. Read it!
Review: Subtitled "Life After Communism", this is a collection of articles by Slavenka Drakulic, a Croatian journalist who has become a spokesperson to the West about life in Eastern Europe. Raised in the 1950s, she grew up in a tightly controlled world under communism. She's a product of that system as well as a witness to all the changes that have occurred in her world. Privileged because of her many trips to Western Europe, and married to a Swedish journalist, she has a unique perspective which she shares on the pages of this short but very eye-opening book. I was so intrigued that I read it all at one sitting and rushed to my computer to print out a map of the Balkans so that I could see for myself where the places were. Her native land of Croatia has gone through many changes recently and yearns to be considered part of Western Europe. Several cafes have opened called "Café Europa" which try to imitate those in Vienna. But the coffee is served in heavy utilitarian cups and the pastries lack the taste and delicacy of what can be found just a few miles, but yet a world away in Austria. Ms. Drakulic writes with humor and as well as irony and passion as she discusses this and other aspects of life in her part of the world. Such as that it is impossible it is to find a clean toilet, equipped with soap, toilet paper and running water anywhere in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. There are the constant humiliations of having to cross borders and have to show her Croatian passport. And the way she and other Eastern Europeans are distrusted reach farther than just the border crossings. She talks about consumer goods and how she and others constantly have to smuggle them across the border. One especially interesting story is how she and her husband argued about whether to smuggle a vacuum cleaner to Croatia or be willing to buy it at home and pay an inflated price. She travels a lot and picks up details of the character of a place. For example, when she visits Sofia, which is the capital of Bulgaria, she is very aware that nobody smiles. To smile, in that culture, is perceived as a sign of subservience and weakness. This is just the opposite in the United States, where everyone smiles and thanks you for your business even though a phrase like "how are you today" doesn't mean that anybody cares. She also was impressed with the way that Americans value their perfect and well-kept teeth. When she returned to Croatia, she looked at the teeth of her fellow Croatians and discovered that many people had missing or rotten teeth. Even the people who could afford dental care didn't get it. It just wasn't important to them. But have no allusions. This book is not just about these rather enlightening cross-cultural social discoveries. She goes deeply into the history of Croatia and the war crimes during WW2. And her trip to Israel and how she was constantly asked about whether or not she carried any guilt even though she was born after the War. She talks about an interview by another journalist with a former concentration camp commander who is living in Argentina. Ms. Drakulic is angry because the other journalist never made him answer any hard questions or confront him with his crimes. She also discusses the Muslims of the area and ethnic cleansing. And she talks about Tito and other dictators and how so many people feel displaced by all this new freedom and yearn for a return to communism. I really learned a lot from this book even though I wasn't familiar with all the names of the political figures. It made me want to learn more. And I plan on doing just that. This is a great beginning though. And, even if I never get a chance to read any more about this area, it certainly made me understand and appreciate the Eastern European world and some of its contradictions and complexities. And she did this all in a mere 213 pages. I highly recommend this book for everybody. Read it. It will gently and firmly open your eyes to this very interesting part of the world.
Rating:
Summary: Post-Communist Eastern Europe
Review: The once unimaginable became reality in 1989, and for many people what was a large problem was seemingly solved. Almost a decade later, however, the freedom and hope that the end of Communism in Europe had proven itself to be a shallow Western ideal that has little relevance to Eastern Europe. Slavenka Drakulic, a Croatian-born novelist and journalist, discusses the tribulations of a "freed" Eastern Europe, and the legacy that its sordid past has left for the new Europe to deal with. The post-Communist Europe has shaped up to be nothing close to what many people, especially the Eastern Europeans, expected it to be. The allure of the West, with its wealth and Capitalist spirit, were stark contrasts for most to what their reality was. Under the rule of Communism, Eastern Europeans lived day-to-day with shortages and lower quality technology. For Drakulic, her situation was a little better than the rest. Tito, the former ruler of Yugoslavia, had shirked Communism for his own style of dictatorship, one that allowed for contact with the West. But, as Drakulic explains, Yugoslavia and the West were still worlds apart. When the Iron Curtain fell, the Eastern Europeans began to integrate the Western way of life into their own. But this transition was not easy or desired; the end of Communist rule did not mean the end of Communist thinking, not did it change the general worldview of many who did not easily renounce their Communist past. Mixed with the re-emergence of decades old animosities, Eastern Europe began to diverge from the path it was expected to take. Within a few years, it became evident that prosperity was not to be had for all. And now, with a decade having past, the truth remains: the East and West are still worlds apart. This is a dichotomy that has troubled Europe and, more recently, the entire Western world. As has been evident in the continued tension over NATO's expansion, the perspectives of these two halves of Europe are significantly different and essentially incompatible. Throughout her essays, Drakulic makes this evident, discussing in detail the culture-shock she experienced those first few years. Now having lived and worked in Western Europe, she sees the fundamental differences between the two Europes and reflects on the causes and effects of this dichotomy. In the process, she reveals and explains the situation currently facing Europe. One of the most noticeable aspects of the post-Communist era is the re-emergence of old hatreds and rivalries. And this is no more evident than in the Balkans, where a number of brutal ethnic conflicts have taken place. On occasion, Drakulic delves into the absurdity and pointlessness of these wars, but never fails to mention the circumstances that surrounded them, and the roots they had in recent history--an aspect which is sometimes overlooked in the West. With such circumstances, another theme becomes evident. In the Balkans and most other parts of Europe, identity is a significant aspect of everyday life. In the essay "People from the Three Borders," Drakulic talks about a neighbour of hers in Isteria who at any given moment with claim to either be a Croat or an Italian. And there is another friend who holds three passports so as to get around more easily in the national patchwork of the Balkans. "'It is a matter of survival,' he says, 'one never knows what will happen here.'" Another important aspect of Eastern Europe which Drakulic discusses from time to time is the haunting effect that Communism has on the present day. In "A Nostalgic Party at the Graveyard," she recounts a time in Rumania when she came across a gathering of about 150 people conducting a surreal ceremony at the grave of Nicolae Ceausescu, the country's former Communist dictator. A more personal account is discussed in "My Father's Guilt," in which she discusses her own father's role in the Communist hierarchy. Both essays are powerful and insightful, and reveal much about the current situation in Eastern Europe. There is, of course, much more to Cafe Europa than this, and on the whole the book maintains a high degree of interest and insight. Drakulic's writing style is light, descriptive and concise. She has an astounding ability to make her stories down-to-earth and easy to grasp while not compromising the seriousness of some of the topics. Cafe Europa is a work of great significance and very much worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Problematic, but with some limited value
Review: There is an old proverb that I will roughly paraphrase: those who are within the picture cannot see the whole picture.
I read this along with the de facto companion book, How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed. Although she brings up many issues and problems, Drakulic essentially blames what she sees as the failure of Communism on:
(1) The garrison-state boundaries between the Communist bloc and the capitalist West, and the resulting effects on people's feelings of freedom.
(2) Communist countries' inability to provide basic consumer goods to their populace (notably among these, women's hygeine and cosmetic products), and their related inability to match the consumer-cultural allure of the capitalist West.
(3) The stubborn remaining feeling of equality and class-consciousness among post-Communist peoples and their inability to submit their wills appropriately for jobs involving personal servitude.* This includes a certain bitterness among these peoples for having a rug of social security pulled out from underneath them and suddenly being subjected to the damaging effects on people of "free market" wages determined by those with economic power.
* Sidenote: In number (3), I have characterized her argument a bit sardonically, as I feel hers is quite unfair to the people described. In fact, at the same time she levels the conclusion that post-Communist people still suffer from an endemic and damaging "feeling of entitlement," she betrays her own "feeling of entitlement" as one of the new, for lack of a better term, yuppy class of the post-Communist countries. It is as if she says, "I am educated, professional, fairly well-paid, and still I have to deal with a bunch of people who do not recognize my financial entitlement to service with a smile where I pay for it. I deserve better." Those "you deserve it" cosmetics commercials apparently have paid off.)
These assertions of causality are extremely problematic, and ignore many other more important factors and causes which a fair treatment would need to consider at a minimum. Examples: (a) the developmental economic and industrial disadvantages Russia and the Eastern countries, with some notable exceptions, would have experienced under _any_ socioeconomic system -- recall that this _was_ Russia's industrial revolution! --; (b) the constant hostility and efforts to undermine by the West (i.e. the Cold War and its many venues); and (c) the absolute mendacity of the idealized vision of the West broadcast to Communist countries; etc. -- which, ironically, she recognizes.
Of course, to be fair to Mrs. Drakulic, her collection of essays do not purport to be a fair and scholarly monograph on the communist experience, but rather an anecdotal commentary from "inside the picture." But this does not completely excuse the fact that her arguments and statements presume much that is highly questionable at best and outright fallacious at worst.
Nevertheless, although her conclusions are flawed by narrowness of vision, she gives very good insight into a sort of liberal "repentant ex-socialist" post-Communist viewpoint that one can only imagine is fairly prevalent among educated central Europeans. And, most importantly, one sees, in her insights, facts and experiences that would lead many very reasonable people in similar circumstances to come to the same conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: The party is over. Life after communism.
Review: This book covers 25 essays on life in Eastern Europe after Communism has gone to the wood pile. I like Drakulic's sense of humor and commentary about life after Communism. Many of these stories are about her native Croatia. She focuses on both the excesses of both Communism and Fascism. Each essay would require its own commentary, but here is my general impression. It will take many years for Eastern Europeans to overcome the legacy of the Communist era. During this time, a market economy will be slow to develop, and the social consequences will be great. Older people will adapt the least and be the most affected. Democracy will also be slow to develop, as can be seen in her Croatia. Croatia was until recently ruled by Tudjman who was a Communist General in the Yugoslav Army. Tudjman controlled Croatia even though it was suppossed to be a democratic state. He was allied with some of the Fascists who created a Croatian state in World War II. A strange combination, but one which shows the nationalism controlling Eastern Europe. Monarchy is also a possibility in this region. The slow prospect of reform in all the region. Society has been slow to cast off the restraints of the old system. People still rever the old authorities, when they should adopt new systems and leaders. Drakulic poses all these questions to the reader. I'm not sure all are relevant, but it makes good reading.
Rating:
Summary: The party is over. Life after communism.
Review: This book covers 25 essays on life in Eastern Europe after Communism has gone to the wood pile. I like Drakulic's sense of humor and commentary about life after Communism. Many of these stories are about her native Croatia. She focuses on both the excesses of both Communism and Fascism. Each essay would require its own commentary, but here is my general impression. It will take many years for Eastern Europeans to overcome the legacy of the Communist era. During this time, a market economy will be slow to develop, and the social consequences will be great. Older people will adapt the least and be the most affected. Democracy will also be slow to develop, as can be seen in her Croatia. Croatia was until recently ruled by Tudjman who was a Communist General in the Yugoslav Army. Tudjman controlled Croatia even though it was suppossed to be a democratic state. He was allied with some of the Fascists who created a Croatian state in World War II. A strange combination, but one which shows the nationalism controlling Eastern Europe. Monarchy is also a possibility in this region. The slow prospect of reform in all the region. Society has been slow to cast off the restraints of the old system. People still rever the old authorities, when they should adopt new systems and leaders. Drakulic poses all these questions to the reader. I'm not sure all are relevant, but it makes good reading.
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