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srm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A brutal, difficult read, and absolutely worth it. Alexievich somehow gets these remarkable personal stories from people, and then presents them in such a compelling way, that no matter how painful, you just have to keep reading.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abortion, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
skitch41's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
The fall of the Soviet Union is a watershed moment in the history of the 20th century and is often viewed by the West as a triumphant moment. But what about the people of the Soviet Union who lived through it? Svetlana Alexievich attempts to gives voice to the ordinary Russians and people living under the Soviets in this book and, many times, offers compelling oral testimony about what the end of communism looked like on the inside, but too often is unbearably slow and lacking in any meaningful context to help a Western reader orient themselves.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Antisemitism
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