Reviews - Один день Ивана Денисовича

Один день Ивана Денисовича by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

1.5k reviews for:

A simple and neutral narration of what happened in the Soviet camp. Though a story of a single person of a single day - it provides a glimpse of life from past to that day, and years to come, and of not only Ivan, but of Everyman.

Few excerpts from the book that I liked:

It was a funny thing how time flew when you were working! He was always struck by how fast the days went in camp- you didn't have time to turn around. But the end of your sentence never seemed to be any closer.

They heard somebody say it was twelve o'clock already.
"It must be," Shukhov said. "The sun's right overhead."
"If it's right overhead", the captain shot back, "that means it's one o'clock, not twelve."
"How come?" Shukhov asked. "Any old man can tell you the sun is highest at noon."
"That's what the old guys say!" the Captain snapped. "But since then, there's been a law passed and now the sun's highest at one."
"Who passed the law?"
"The Soviet Government".

"Captain, tell me what it says in those books you've studied about what happens to the old moon when it goes down."
"What d'you mean? Where does it go? You're just ignorant. It's simply you can't see it!"
Shukhov shook his head and laughed. "But if you can't see it, how do you know it's there?"
"So you think" - the Captain just looked at him - "so you think we get a brand-new moon every month?"
"Well, don't we?" If people are born every day, why shouldn't there be a brand new moon every four weeks"?

jonjas's review against another edition

3.0

I just never got into this one- I put that largely on myself, but I also can’t change it and pretend the book grabbed me more than it did- idk, I guess I just found it a bit dry from the start and just never really fell into it. I suppose it’s the tale of some generally optimistic fellow surviving a day in a life I could never imagine, yet somehow there wasn’t enough.. character for me to follow closely. I should really reread it, give Shukov a closer inspection, but after 1 read- Eh. I can imagine the stir it caused when published, but now it’s also more known, worser facts exist, and so this.. idk. Not my cup of tea but it’s a good short read, right to the point, so if it interests you give it a go.

deh85's review against another edition

4.0

inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

martimzanatti's review against another edition

5.0

"Chúkhov adormeceu, plenamente satisfeito. Tinha acumulado hoje muitos êxitos para um dia: não o meteram no cárcere, não mandaram a brigada para a Cidade do Socialismo, ao almoço tinha surripiado umas papas, o chefe de brigada tinha conseguido uma boa percentagem, Chúkhov assentou alegremente a parede, não lhe descobriram a lâmina na revista, tinha ganhado alguma coisa com Tsézar e tinha comprado tabaco. E não adoecera, aguentara-se."

Que lição de vida, Chúkhov.