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‘Obviously,’ said Richard, grinning in irritation. ‘Just like that - but what price your precious values - Tommy’s been brought up on the beauty and freedom of the glorious Soviet fatherland.’
‘I’m not discussing politics with you, Richard.’
‘No,’ said Anna, ‘of course you shouldn’t discuss politics.’
‘Why not, when it’s relevant?’
‘Because you don’t discuss them,’ said Molly. ‘You simply use slogans out of the newspapers.’
‘Well can I put it this way? Two years ago you and Anna were rushing out to meetings and organizing everything in sight…’
‘I wasn’t, anyhow,’ said Anna.
‘Don’t quibble. Molly certainly was. And now what? Russia’s in the doghouse and what price the comrades now? Most of them having nervous breakdowns or making a lot of money, as far as I can make out.’
‘The point is,’ said Anna, ‘that socialism is in the doldrums in this country …’
‘And everywhere else.’
‘All right. If you’re saying that one of Tommy’s troubles is that he was brought up a socialist and it’s not an easy time to be a socialist - well of course we agree.’
‘The royal we. The socialist we. Or just the we of Anna and Molly?’
‘Socialist, for the purposes of this argument,’ said Anna.
‘And yet in the last two years you’ve made an about-turn.’
‘No we haven’t. It’s a question of a way of looking at life.’
‘You want me to believe that the way you look at life, which is a sort of anarchy, as far as I can make out, is socialist?’
Anna glanced at Molly; Molly ever-so-slightly shook her head, but Richard saw it, and said, ‘No discussion in front of the children, is that it? What astounds me is your fantastic arrogance. Where do you get it from, Molly? What are you? At the moment you’ve got a part in a masterpiece called The Wings of Cupid.’
‘We minor actresses don’t choose our plays. Besides, I’ve been bumming around for a year, not earning, and I’m broke.’
‘So your assurance comes from the bumming around? It certainly can’t come from the work you do.’
‘I call a halt,’ said Anna. ‘I’m chairman - this discussion is closed. We’re talking about Tommy.’
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About
The Golden Notebook is a collaboration between if:book London and Apt.
Principal funding by Arts Council England.
HarperCollins, the publisher of The Golden Notebook, digitized the book for us and generously gave permission to reproduce it here in its entirety at no cost.
Additional support from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and New York University
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