no more than a car.nMircea Eliade, world-renowned historiannof religion, constructs each symbolnhalf-consciously, knowing that allnexistence has a share of the universalnyet is irrevocably particular, with itsnhapless loves and often pathetic painsn—more hopeless for its limitations butnalso, of course, more beautiful.nThe political dimensions of this novelnare rather complex, as befits a complexnsituation: during the Second World WarnRomania had first been an ally of Germany,nthen fought alongside Russia—nthe fate of a small country at the mercynof larger forces. And yet this novel isnnot about politics, not about history but,nin a sense, against it; Eliade writesnabout the destiny of men caught withinnits forces, indeed, about Destiny itself.nIn truth, each character in the novel defiesnhistory in his own way—forever innvain as fate catches up with each ofnthem. At the conclusion of the novel,nStefan Viziru rides with his formernmistress (now married to another, anman she cannot love) in a car—not,nhowever, to infinity, not even to purgatory,nbut to loneliness: the lonelinessnof another person’s destiny—asnlimited, as stark, as one’s own. But thenmeeting is in a forest, the forest of symbolnand all possibility, and within itnthey become merely a man and a womannready to surrender to memory—thatnvestibule of eternity open to each ofnus. (JGP) DnSeton-Watson’snAnalysisnHugh Seton-Watson: The ImperialistnRevolutionaries; Hoover InstitutionnPress; Stanford, California.nProfessor Seton-Watson has writtenna short, but valuable and informativenfollow-up to his classic history of communism,nFrom Lenin to Khrushchev.nThis study of the polycentric communismnof the 1960’s and 1970’snconcentrates on analyzing communistn3SinChronicles of Cultttrcnpolicies and strategies, notably then”parliamentary road to power,” and socialnsituations on which communistsnhave capitalized.nControversial crises such as Vietnam,nChile, Czechoslovakia and Portugal arendiscussed briefly. Seton-Watson showsnthat “Eurocommunism” is neither andevious Soviet stratagem nor the developmentnof an independent, reliablyndemocratic movement. The treatmentnof the Soviet-Chinese conflict and thenobscure communist or semicommunistnregimes that have appeared in Ethiopia,nthe Congo (Brazzaville) and SouthnYemen is skimpy, but compared withnwhat this book offers that is a mild flaw.nSeton-Watson’s analysis of thenchanges in the world situation sincenIn FocusnEpstein’s Honest EffortnSeymour Epstein: Love Affair;nDoubleday & Co.; New York.nWhat happens when a man andnwoman—who once loved each other,nbut who both married someone elsemeetn20 years later?nOnce upon a time, when one marriednone stayed that way; infidelity existednof course, but the routine approach tonit was quite different from what wennow read about in the daily newspapers.nA gradual removal of the rudiments ofnfidelity and monogamy, culminatingnin the behavioral chaos of the 60’s andn70’s, has left men and women withnfew guidelines for ordering the morenromantic aspects of their existence.nConsequently, the absence of these conventionalnsupports results in almost asnmany solutions as there are affairs.nEach of Epstein’s characters portraysna different aspect of the man-womannrelationship. Gabe Michelson is a decent,nthoughtful married man; EvelynnWhite is divorced, independent and hasna lover, a neurotic author. Joanna, Eve­nnnI960, and his analysis of communistnsuccesses and failures since then, isndisquieting. Despite the “tremendousndefeat” suffered by the United States innVietnam and growing hostility to thenWest in the “Third World,” communistnparties have made less progress therenthan was expected in the early 1960’s—nthough Seton-Watson sees disastrousnpossibilities in southern Africa and thenMiddle East. In the advanced countries,nhowever, communists have been morensuccessful than was expected. Despitenthe conflicts in the Red World, the demoralizationnof the free nations andnthe growth of Soviet power pose a seriousnthreat. He warns, “unless currentnattitudes of mind can be changed, evennthe best of policies will fail.” (AJL) Dnlyn’s best friend, is “desperate” for anman. Contrasted against Gabe and Evelyn’snaffair is the disintegrating marriagenof Jeff and Laura, whose function seemsnto be that of showing just how nastynand vindictive people can be when fallingnout of love. It’s left to Gabe and Evelynnto illustrate the manner in whichnmature people are supposed to approachnmarriage, a love affair, divorce.nEpstein has made an honest attemptnto examine how men and women feelnwhen they know their love will hurtnother people. Contrary to media hype,na love affair is not all glamour and fun;nit also involves making choices and rejections.nEvelyn’s lover copes with rejectionnby turning to the bottle and tonthe insecure Joanna, who eventuallyncommits suicide, leaving Evelyn withna burden of guilt. Gabe has a wife, whonrepresents habit and obligation morenthan love, and two teen-age children.nIt becomes clear that you can’t alwaysn”do your own thing” without hurtingnsomeone, and it’s to his credit thatnEpstein attempts to make some sort ofn