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jvanwagoner's review against another edition
4.5
I grew up hearing about Axeksandr Solzhenitsyn, but I had never read his works. I grabbed this book and saw why he was a famous writer.
This book is a fictional account of the prison system in the USSR and is semi-autobiographical. It describes the prison system for intellectuals who work on actual projects for the government. They have virtually no rights and minimal contact with their families. Their prison sentences start short but always get extended, and there is little hope for them. It also shows people's fear of even thinking about what is unacceptable to the government.
The book is a good reminder of the evils of totalitarian governments. It is a long book, but worth while for those interested in the subject.
This book is a fictional account of the prison system in the USSR and is semi-autobiographical. It describes the prison system for intellectuals who work on actual projects for the government. They have virtually no rights and minimal contact with their families. Their prison sentences start short but always get extended, and there is little hope for them. It also shows people's fear of even thinking about what is unacceptable to the government.
The book is a good reminder of the evils of totalitarian governments. It is a long book, but worth while for those interested in the subject.
dogpro's review against another edition
4.0
Is it only me? Or do you guys think that the latter part was a bit hard to get through?
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
For those of you considering reading this – apparently there is a 'real version' so let me explain. I read (after already getting through most of this edition) that Solzhenitsyn first wrote this novel with 9 more chapters and a different beginning (Volodin calls the US embassy to warn of the USSR's attempt at nuclear capabilities) but he edited it down because he thought a lightened version might be more publishable in the USSR. It was not (shocking, I know ;-). So The First Circle wasn't published in its original form until 1978 in Russia and not until 2009 in the US. I wish I had known this before launching into this tome because I would have much rather read it as it was intended by Solzhenitsyn.
(btw- the 96 chapter version in English is available through Harper Perennial)
That aside, I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of many different things, ranging from Solzhenitsyn's other works to the comedy show The Office (roll your eyes if you must but you'll see what I mean when you read it). The sharashka zeks are well educated and are working (alongside non prisoners) on top-secret Soviet projects, the one around which this story revolves being a voice identifier. Initially, I found myself a little lost with the technical back and forth between Solzhenitsyn's cast of engineers and mathematicians, but I soon zoned it out and focused on the meat of this story – how to maintain your humanity when it is stripped away.
Though these zeks inhabit the 'first circle' of the Soviet prison system, ('limbo' in Dante's work) the effects of losing your freedom can be just as severe as those in more labor-intensive/deadly camps. Some characters even openly admit that they would prefer physical labor to being forced to work on projects that they don't morally agree with, so the main struggle throughout this novel is whether to cooperate or not and at what cost. (yay for Nerzhin!!!) The side to which you find yourself leaning at the end (meaning – do you find it a happy ending or a sad ending) should tell you a lot about your own moral standards.
The entire novel, though over 500 pages takes place in just a few days and so your insight into these characters is deep and you will find yourself self reflecting the entire time, which can be a good thing or a bad thing - I couldn't read this at night because it got my mind going too much to fall asleep.
Oh – and the portrait of Stalin is a total winner ;-)
(btw- the 96 chapter version in English is available through Harper Perennial)
That aside, I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of many different things, ranging from Solzhenitsyn's other works to the comedy show The Office (roll your eyes if you must but you'll see what I mean when you read it). The sharashka zeks are well educated and are working (alongside non prisoners) on top-secret Soviet projects, the one around which this story revolves being a voice identifier. Initially, I found myself a little lost with the technical back and forth between Solzhenitsyn's cast of engineers and mathematicians, but I soon zoned it out and focused on the meat of this story – how to maintain your humanity when it is stripped away.
Though these zeks inhabit the 'first circle' of the Soviet prison system, ('limbo' in Dante's work) the effects of losing your freedom can be just as severe as those in more labor-intensive/deadly camps. Some characters even openly admit that they would prefer physical labor to being forced to work on projects that they don't morally agree with, so the main struggle throughout this novel is whether to cooperate or not and at what cost. (yay for Nerzhin!!!) The side to which you find yourself leaning at the end (meaning – do you find it a happy ending or a sad ending) should tell you a lot about your own moral standards.
The entire novel, though over 500 pages takes place in just a few days and so your insight into these characters is deep and you will find yourself self reflecting the entire time, which can be a good thing or a bad thing - I couldn't read this at night because it got my mind going too much to fall asleep.
Oh – and the portrait of Stalin is a total winner ;-)
theohume's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
carl_floodingisland's review against another edition
5.0
Solzhenitsyn's First Circle is a work of history, which describes the strange and terrible forced intellectual labor system of Stalin, where Stalin compelled engineers and scientists to create technology to be used for war and espionage, and if they refused he sent them to forced physical labor. The title is from Dante's Inferno, where Dante describes 9 levels of hell, with the 9th level as the worst, and the 1st level as almost not hell. It is a book of history and story, and a study of ethics and how difficult it can be do do the right thing.
carl_floodingisland's review against another edition
5.0
Solzhenitsyn's First Circle is a work of history, which describes the strange and terrible forced intellectual labor system of Stalin, where Stalin compelled engineers and scientists to create technology to be used for war and espionage, and if they refused he sent them to forced physical labor. The title is from Dante's Inferno, where Dante describes 9 levels of hell, with the 9th level as the worst, and the 1st level as almost not hell. It is a book of history and story, and a study of ethics and how difficult it can be do do the right thing.
impreader's review against another edition
5.0
I now must re-read this. Solzhenitsyn, like Dostoyevsky before, seems less to create than to relay, and the characters he explores through showing their lives and interaction are beyond a single read's knowledge. I think I have to sit with it for as long as a Russian winter. And wonder.
khoystoboy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
No page is just filler. Even though this book is 700 pages and only set over around 4 days, it is extremely rich and has the classic Solzhenistyn cast of characters (that is, a lot, but the character list certainly helps). I also thoroughly enjoyed the perspectives from Stalin, Abakumov, and the other various prison officers and free workers. There's even a little bit of romance if nothing else will keep you reading.
shoulberg's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brmstory's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, this book was quite the undertaking. 741 pages isn't the longest I've read, but the longest Russian literature I've completed by a good margin. I've been good at liberating myself from the shackles of books that have lost my interest, but I never felt the need to put this one down. I never became engrossed to the point where I read for an hour longer than I should at night, I didn't have the itch to get back to it, and I frequently found myself nodding off after a few pages, but I never felt the desire to stop. The writing felt very contemporary. And even though the plot progresses over only a few days' time, so much happens! But I did feel like I was in the first act for about 85% of it. There are so many characters (nearly 60) that I was still learning about them, their histories and motivations nearly until the end. But by careful notes and frequent review, I had only a little trouble telling characters apart. And even though character intros went on so long, they were all just so interesting!
I picked this up after a podcast about Solzhenitsyn on the EconTalk podcast with Russ Roberts. He recommended this one for a first ever book club he's leading. I'm sure I'm very late to the game, but glad I decided to read this nonetheless.
I picked this up after a podcast about Solzhenitsyn on the EconTalk podcast with Russ Roberts. He recommended this one for a first ever book club he's leading. I'm sure I'm very late to the game, but glad I decided to read this nonetheless.