Reviews

In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Only show reviews with written explanations

ckadams5's review against another edition

5.0

If you read this book several decades ago, it was called "The First Circle," and it was edited in a way that the author hoped would allow it to be published in the Soviet Union (though it wasn't, only being published in the West in 1968.) The version I read was published in 2009 and restores his original intent in writing the novel, restoring nine chapters that had been cut, and reverting to the original plot, which had been modified as well.

The novel is about prisoners who live occupants of a sharashka, which is kind of an R&D facility made up of political prisoners. The sharashka is in Moscow, and life in the sharashka is significantly better than living in the gulags. However, the inmates live in constant danger of being shipped to Siberia (and many of them spent time there.) The title refers to Dante's first circle of Hell in The Divine Comedy--in the first circle of hell, "good" pagans live in a walled garden, unable to enter heaven, but able to enjoy a bit of freedom in Hell. To the prisoners in the sharashka, they are in the first circle of hell.

The novel is a tour-de-force, exploring themes of authoritarianism, dissent, the arc of Soviet history, etc. I found the chapters that described Stalin and his inner thoughts fascinating (and a bit frightening when being read in conjunction with watching the reality show that is the Trump White House.) Not saying that Trump is Stalin, but, well, you gotta read it. Highly recommended.

vanjr's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Wow. Everytime I finish a Solzhenitsyn masterpiece I am amazed. The First Circle (not the censored edition) is an incredible masterpiece. The character development was much greater imo than The Gulag Archipelago" and the story line, while overall simple was captivating.

When you ask one if they have read Solzhenitsyn they either respond with a "Who is that?' or if they are well educated they tell you that they read A DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH. This is when I just want to scream. To say you have read Solzhenitsyn when you have read A Day in the Life is like saying you have read the Bible when you read John 3:16! Sure it is technically true but you have no idea of the depths you are missing. If you have read all volumes of The Gulag Archipelago, or maybe instead The Red Wheel or In the First Circle, then and only then has one read Solzhenitsyn.

tajeip's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Basically the soul of man under Stalinism

feeona's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Keine leichte Lektüre, aber ein sehr beeindruckendes Buch über Gefangenschaft, Liebe und Freundschaft.

ghahn3's review

Go to review page

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

bobbo49's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

If not for the Russian names and the utter grimness of the story, I'd give five stars to this magnificent descent into Dante's First Circle of Hell, presented in the vision of a scientific work camp to which the primary narrator and his fellows are sentenced in the post-World War II Soviet Union. Brilliant philosophical insights and literary references are interspersed with Solzhenitsyn's first-hand knowledge of the Gulags; the depths to which men can fall, and the clarity of vision offered by the loss of illusion and hope, are nowhere better described. A hard read, because it is so real and true.