Maxim Gorky, "Boredom"

These articles come from the August 8, 1907, issue of The Independent magazine. This is one of the most famous impressions of Coney. Gorky uses beautiful prose to describe the island, especially the beautiful land of light bulbs it becomes at night. If you have seen any video documentaries of Coney Island, it is a safe bet several of the quotes from this article. It is a very pleasant read and although a bit difficult, one of the best looks at Coney one can find. I think that one reason Gorky has such a unique look at the parks is because is was a Russian writer touring America. The country had been a major disappointment, in fact Gorky felt very few things differed between the countries in 1907. But, Coney brought a smile to his face and allowed him to live with a better impression. Although he though some Coney's facets were bad (or deplorable), he did recognize that it brought smiles to visitors. John F. Kasson, author of Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century, says that Gorky was the first (and one of the few) writers to realize that Coney was not a large instrument of change, but rather the "summer safety valve" that let the often turbulent urban culture grow with the extreme one-sided balance of power it possessed.

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