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filaret526's review against another edition
3.0
This was almost 2 1/2 stars. It was a slog to get through. I usually like Solzhenitsyn’s work, but this was hard to get through and couldn’t wait to be finished with it. It was disjointed with historical facts and then the plot line. The main character, Vorotyntsev wasn’t very likable. There were some interesting parts for sure, but not worth the 1000 pages.
vanjr's review against another edition
5.0
I began this review at about page 750 of 1000-how this will rate below 5 stars based on what I have read so far is unfathomable. This book is EPIC, as in War and Peace epic-no, as in put War and Peace as almost childs play epic. This is even more so as one considers this as the 2nd part of a multi-part Red Wheel series. This is a book to be read with patience and endurance and as a hybrid between a "historical novel" and history from Solzhenitsyn's view. I found this volume easier to read in terms of the fiction compared to August 1914 with more history written into the first one. As of this review the remaining portions of the Red Wheel are not translated into English, but rumors suggest that they may be and may be occurring even now. Oh how I hope so.
Anyone with interests in "the great war" (WW1), the Russian revolution, Russian history or related topics will find much to love about this series. It still surprises me that more do not recognize what a writer Solzhenitsyn was. IMO greater than Tolstoy and an equal to Dostoevsky. This book leaves me wanting to read the last two "knots" in the series even more.
Last chapter was certainly non-resolving.
Anyone with interests in "the great war" (WW1), the Russian revolution, Russian history or related topics will find much to love about this series. It still surprises me that more do not recognize what a writer Solzhenitsyn was. IMO greater than Tolstoy and an equal to Dostoevsky. This book leaves me wanting to read the last two "knots" in the series even more.
Last chapter was certainly non-resolving.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
Laissez à Solzhenitsyn le soin de rendre sa fiction historique presque plus difficile à lire que la non-fiction historique réelle qui examine les mêmes sujets.
rhubarb1608's review against another edition
3.0
Giving this a numbered rating is so trite. This book is so potent, so profound, that giving it three or four stars feels like shrugging it off.
Reading this was a lot of work. It took effort and discipline. But I was determined to read it for the centennial, and while I didn't love every moment, and had to physically battle my way through sections, finishing it gives me almost more satisfaction than anything else I've read this year.
Solzhenitsyn was a great voice of the 20th century. He was brilliant and insightful while at the same time poetic. Some parts of this, I couldn't tell you if it was Russia 1916 or America in 2016 -- it's just that timeless.
Beautiful and terrible. A piece of literature awesome not in the colloquial sense, but in the sense of overwhelming the reader that anyone could take on and complete such a project. I salute the translator as well; he had a gargantuan undertaking, and his work put Solzhenitsyn's work in my hands. Well done.
Reading this was a lot of work. It took effort and discipline. But I was determined to read it for the centennial, and while I didn't love every moment, and had to physically battle my way through sections, finishing it gives me almost more satisfaction than anything else I've read this year.
Solzhenitsyn was a great voice of the 20th century. He was brilliant and insightful while at the same time poetic. Some parts of this, I couldn't tell you if it was Russia 1916 or America in 2016 -- it's just that timeless.
Beautiful and terrible. A piece of literature awesome not in the colloquial sense, but in the sense of overwhelming the reader that anyone could take on and complete such a project. I salute the translator as well; he had a gargantuan undertaking, and his work put Solzhenitsyn's work in my hands. Well done.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
2.0
Solzhenitsyn is a great historian and 1916 is a political junkies book. Unlike 1914 which is more of a warriors history, 1916 looks at the politics of Russia and leaves the actual war to grind to a halt. If you are a political junky this one is for you. The research is meticulous and Solzhenitsyn's research is very mathematical. Not unusual since before Denisovich Solzhenitsyn was a mathematician. Unlike 1914 1916 has much better transitions. One is not dropped from one invigorating scene into a Kiev kitchen table and this makes 1916 much more readable. The history is dry and the fine print pages can be tedious but, if you stick with it an enjoyable read.
mimima's review against another edition
4.0
Just as it felt right to read [b:August 1914|216512|August 1914|Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311971738s/216512.jpg|900293] in August of 2014, it felt right to read this one in this month. Another fascinating glimpse into the Russia of 1916, rotating views between fictional and real characters. Although I felt that some of the historical accounts dragged just a touch and sometimes the sheer volume would cause you to get to a person who you didn't remember, I thought the ending was absolutely sublime. I am disappointed that I won't be able to read the next two knots in their proper time, as they have yet to be translated into English. (I'll keep working on my Russian to read in the original- someday, someday)
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