Solzhenitsyn's gripping epic masterpiece, the searing record of four decades of Soviet terror and oppression, in one abridged volume, authorized by the author
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“Best Nonfiction Book of the Twentieth Century” (Time magazine )
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Text: English, Russian (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The line between good and evil runs through the heart of every human being."
This abridged edition of Solzhenitsyn's hauntingly intimate portrait of his own arrest, interrogation, imprisonment, rebellion, and eventual release during Stalin's purges is a book like no other. This book, written by a constantly watched and persecuted dissident - bent but not broken by the brutality of Stalinist work camps, shares the author's (and his other inmates') personal experiences falling into this dark, usually fatal, abyss. Solzhenitsyn's original work was published in 1971 and produced an absolutely damning indictment of communism in Russia. Indeed, the stunning quality and importance of his writing earned him a Nobel prize.
Besides his own experiences, Solzhenitsyn collected personal stories from hundreds of his fellow inmates. The sadism of interrogators, the cruelty of guards, the indifference of neighbors, the paranoia of the public, the betrayal of stoolies, and the true comradery of innocent inmates are presented in vivid, factual detail. In addition to this, the author also presents an encyclopeadic knowledge of the entirety of the gigantic Stalinist security apparatus (normal labor camps, special labor camps, transfer camps, railroad transfers, prisons, holding cells, interrogation cells, NKVD, SMERSH, commissars, exile communities, and still more).
But at the heart of it all, the book remains an unforgettable journey through man-made hell. Stalin meant to destroy every man, woman, and child arrested, regardless of their innocence, and he largely succeeded. But survivors like Solzhenitsyn did truly 'tear down the wall' and made this world a far better place to live in. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude!
This abridged edition of Solzhenitsyn's hauntingly intimate portrait of his own arrest, interrogation, imprisonment, rebellion, and eventual release during Stalin's purges is a book like no other. This book, written by a constantly watched and persecuted dissident - bent but not broken by the brutality of Stalinist work camps, shares the author's (and his other inmates') personal experiences falling into this dark, usually fatal, abyss. Solzhenitsyn's original work was published in 1971 and produced an absolutely damning indictment of communism in Russia. Indeed, the stunning quality and importance of his writing earned him a Nobel prize.
Besides his own experiences, Solzhenitsyn collected personal stories from hundreds of his fellow inmates. The sadism of interrogators, the cruelty of guards, the indifference of neighbors, the paranoia of the public, the betrayal of stoolies, and the true comradery of innocent inmates are presented in vivid, factual detail. In addition to this, the author also presents an encyclopeadic knowledge of the entirety of the gigantic Stalinist security apparatus (normal labor camps, special labor camps, transfer camps, railroad transfers, prisons, holding cells, interrogation cells, NKVD, SMERSH, commissars, exile communities, and still more).
But at the heart of it all, the book remains an unforgettable journey through man-made hell. Stalin meant to destroy every man, woman, and child arrested, regardless of their innocence, and he largely succeeded. But survivors like Solzhenitsyn did truly 'tear down the wall' and made this world a far better place to live in. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude!
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
For any who have any nostalgia for the Soviet Union, this book should put it to rest. This book is hard to categorize; it is more than one man's opinion, but less than an objective history. It is, as Solzhenitsyn puts it, "an experiment in literary investigation": a combination memoir and dissertation on the evils of Communism and its inevitable product, the forced labor camp. Some have criticized Solzhenitsyn as an anti-Communist/pro-Western polemicist, but that is not an accurate description. He is a realist, showing not only the faults of Communists, but also those of the West and Western leaders. This should be required reading for European and world history classes. Volume 1 (of 3) describes the arrest and interrogation procedures, as well as life in the Gulag.
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How thin is the veil we call Civilization!! This book is indeed a tedious read by virtue of its length. However, Solzhenitsyn's history is written with the prosaic style of a Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Captain in the Soviet Army as it charged through Nazi occupied Poland when he was arrested on trumped-up charges in February 1945. Thus began his odyssey through Gulag, "the country within a country". The perpetually weak economy of Communism could not survive without the forced labor of millions of is own citizens who became prisoners for one reason or another, or no reason at all. Solzhenitsyn relates his own experiences as well as those of other prisoners with whom he became acquainted while incarcerated. He relates how ordinary Russians were arrested and charged with fraudulent charges (if charged at all), interrogated, tortured and forced to confess under extreme duress, and sent off to labor for the good of the Motherland.
Throughout the book, Solzhenitsyn asks the reader incredulously, "how did we let this happen?" That is no doubt one of the most important questions posed in all of human history. If we study history in order to prevent the repetition of our mistakes, then Solzhenitsyn's work should be required reading of all residents of Planet Earth.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Captain in the Soviet Army as it charged through Nazi occupied Poland when he was arrested on trumped-up charges in February 1945. Thus began his odyssey through Gulag, "the country within a country". The perpetually weak economy of Communism could not survive without the forced labor of millions of is own citizens who became prisoners for one reason or another, or no reason at all. Solzhenitsyn relates his own experiences as well as those of other prisoners with whom he became acquainted while incarcerated. He relates how ordinary Russians were arrested and charged with fraudulent charges (if charged at all), interrogated, tortured and forced to confess under extreme duress, and sent off to labor for the good of the Motherland.
Throughout the book, Solzhenitsyn asks the reader incredulously, "how did we let this happen?" That is no doubt one of the most important questions posed in all of human history. If we study history in order to prevent the repetition of our mistakes, then Solzhenitsyn's work should be required reading of all residents of Planet Earth.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must 20th Century Read
For some, truth can be stranger than fiction. Certainly, it can often be more compelling. This real life personal version of Orwell and Kafka combined is available in this abridged... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. R. Trtek
4.0 out of 5 stars
the gulag
see my review on First Circle, and the Cancer Ward was another one of his great books, started reading them when I was 17 and am now 69.
Published 3 months ago by Rex
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkable Story
This is the kind of book that you wonder how people can live without!
It's life-changing and sobering. A very excellent read.
It's life-changing and sobering. A very excellent read.
Published 4 months ago by pinkjules
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gulag Archipelago
Excellent book. Everyone should be required to read this. It's hard to believe that so many people went thru so much and now their history is being hidden from everyone!
Published 10 months ago by Bearcat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Biased but I know it and love it!
The author spent 10 years in one of these prison camps, this work is going to be biased. I have to admit that this book despite the bias that is inherent it is a great book. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Runamuck
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solzhenitsyn - one of Russia's Greatest Heroes
I had always imagined Solzhenitsyn as some kind of fiery Biblical prophet, full of righteousness and rhetoric, hurling verbal thunderbolts at his enemies and damning them to... Read more
Published 16 months ago by John Fitzpatrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read for All Americans
This book is arguably the most important book of the 20th Century. I had put off reading it, but wish I had not. Read more
Published 17 months ago by W. Owens
5.0 out of 5 stars
1984... but real
This book is a must read for anyone interested in the world's history. This book is the first of three volumes (with the total work being split into 7 parts; Volume one contains... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Christian R. Unger
5.0 out of 5 stars
History repeats itself
The powers that be in the good old USA seem to have read this book and borrowed a few tricks from it. Read more
Published on May 2, 2011 by bookie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Recreation of Stalin's Gulags
Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) used these memorable pages to describe the Soviet Union's harsh gulags in the era of Stalin. Read more
Published on March 5, 2011 by K.Goldberg
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