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sydneyqamar's review against another edition
3.0
This book masterfully portrays life of a zek in a 1959 Soviet gulag. That said, as a realistic novel,the book can become a bit monotonous due to the plot line. Exquisite descriptions aside, I grew tired of reading about unappetizing rations at the camp. Ultimately, I'd recommend this book, but with everyone's long lists of to-read's, I wouldn't bump it to the top.
chez_abaa's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely a must. Can't wait for my next read of Solzhenitsyn. Strongly strongly recommended.
daja57's review against another edition
5.0
The breakthrough novel by the Nobel Laureate, this book does what it says on the title: it records a single day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a political prisoner in a 'special' work camp in Siberia. It was first published in November 1962; Soviet leader Khruschev had to give permission for publication.
Shukhov's day is controlled by the prison guards and by all the little tricks and trades that a prisoner must do to stay alive, such as cheating the cook into providing an extra bowl of skilly for breakfast, and hiding a discovered hacksaw blade (a turning point for the day, occurring at the 50% mark of the book), and buttering up his team leader so her gets an extra ration for lunch, and borrowing tobacco. Throughout his day he is in constant peril of being caught by the guards breaking a regulation and being sent to the cells. The main part of the day involves the prisoners being marched out to a building site and, in sub-zero temperatures, building a wall.
Every moment is described in meticulous detail, told entirely from Shukhov's point of view, unchaptered, and in the third person past tense. The reader is told his thoughts, rather than being left to infer them. This technique added a certain distance and made it more difficult to empathise with the character; I couldn't feel him from the inside but then, as he says on page 23: "How can you expect a man who's warm to understand one who's cold?" But if I wasn't inside his skin, I was watching from a close distance and admiring and learning how a man with his attitude could survive even such a terrible environment.
At the end of the day, when he reflects on all that has happened, he decides that it has been a good day. Some critics think this shows the that the human spirit can triumph over the most appalling circumstances. I don't agree. Triumph is the wrong word. The word I would use in its place would be 'endure'.
But it is a miniature mesmerising masterpiece.
Shukhov's day is controlled by the prison guards and by all the little tricks and trades that a prisoner must do to stay alive, such as cheating the cook into providing an extra bowl of skilly for breakfast, and hiding a discovered hacksaw blade (a turning point for the day, occurring at the 50% mark of the book), and buttering up his team leader so her gets an extra ration for lunch, and borrowing tobacco. Throughout his day he is in constant peril of being caught by the guards breaking a regulation and being sent to the cells. The main part of the day involves the prisoners being marched out to a building site and, in sub-zero temperatures, building a wall.
Every moment is described in meticulous detail, told entirely from Shukhov's point of view, unchaptered, and in the third person past tense. The reader is told his thoughts, rather than being left to infer them. This technique added a certain distance and made it more difficult to empathise with the character; I couldn't feel him from the inside but then, as he says on page 23: "How can you expect a man who's warm to understand one who's cold?" But if I wasn't inside his skin, I was watching from a close distance and admiring and learning how a man with his attitude could survive even such a terrible environment.
At the end of the day, when he reflects on all that has happened, he decides that it has been a good day. Some critics think this shows the that the human spirit can triumph over the most appalling circumstances. I don't agree. Triumph is the wrong word. The word I would use in its place would be 'endure'.
But it is a miniature mesmerising masterpiece.
paola_mobileread's review against another edition
4.0
A window on tough life in work camps. Beautiful, compelling read.
100reads's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Giving it 3.75 ⭐️, coz I didn’t pay much attention while listening to it. Need to reread.
kscaldwell's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
"“Can a man who's warm understand one who's freezing?”
What I have to say might spoil the book. And so here are two quotes from two other Nobel laureates, the first describes the book well enough and the second is in case you feel depressed after on condition of humanity after reading it:
Writer " cannot put himself today in the service of those who make history; he is at the service of those who suffer it."
-Albert Camus
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”
― Pablo Neruda
notaturnip's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not going to pretend I have something new to say about this book, but I will say the following things:
- This is the easiest book by a Russian that I've ever read (linguistic simplicity that is, not that it's basic)
- Solzhenitsyn has a wicked turn of phrase
- I've never had a story make me feel so cold, I read half of it in bed with a jumper on
This is a relatively quick read that's well worth your time. If you're quick you can get through it in a few hours. Pick it up and read it already.
- This is the easiest book by a Russian that I've ever read (linguistic simplicity that is, not that it's basic)
- Solzhenitsyn has a wicked turn of phrase
- I've never had a story make me feel so cold, I read half of it in bed with a jumper on
This is a relatively quick read that's well worth your time. If you're quick you can get through it in a few hours. Pick it up and read it already.
murvexe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
zhespy's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of my all-time favourite books. Mortar block mortar block mortar block! When Ivan (Shukhov) is building that wall, and time is running out, man it doesn't get more thrilling than that! You would assume that he would be dying to get back to have some more time for himself but no he is determined to use the mortar determined to see a job done right. I have seen people boil this book down to 'communism bad' but I think that is a very easy way to handle the message Solzhenitsyn is portraying here. What you're reading is the exploitation of labour something that happens across the globe, even in 'previous' capitalist societies, by those of a higher power. This is also a scene in 'For the Good of the Cause' another short work of Solzhenitsyn where the labour of teenagers, which was first given gladly so they could have a new school, was robbed of them by powerful figures to use the fruits of their hard work for their endeavours, leaving the kids with nothing. I saw a comment once that said that they were happy to be living in the United States away from situations like this but what they don't realise is that under their very noses in their countries' prisons are prisoners used as slave labour, just like Ivan, every day.