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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
This book is full of complete characters, each of whom has a detailed background and a complex mental landscape. Exploring the many different people is a fascinating joy.
I recalled from reading [b:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|17125|One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166804370s/17125.jpg|838042] ten years ago that [a:Aleksander I. Solzhenitsyn|10420|Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1204127475p2/10420.jpg] had a particular gift for emphasizing every little detail in a way that is not overwhelming, but instead emphasizes how little was to be had and therefore how much importance was given to every object.
I only wish that the book would have continued further because I felt that it had just reached the apex of the plot when it abruptly stopped. I wanted to see how these individuals with whom I had formed a close bond dealt with the aftermath of their respective crises, however I can respect the artistic decision to stop right at that moment as if to say "this does not deserve more attention because it happens all the time" and simply close the window through which we've been spying. The effect of stopping the story at the point of arrest and relocation and before anyone is released leaves me, as the reader, in a state similar to that of the characters I just left; people I've come to love have disappeared and I am uncertain about their fates. Pointing out that horrific events are commonplace within the story's world emphasizes the tragedy that they have become so unremarkable.
I recalled from reading [b:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|17125|One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich|Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166804370s/17125.jpg|838042] ten years ago that [a:Aleksander I. Solzhenitsyn|10420|Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1204127475p2/10420.jpg] had a particular gift for emphasizing every little detail in a way that is not overwhelming, but instead emphasizes how little was to be had and therefore how much importance was given to every object.
I only wish that the book would have continued further because I felt that it had just reached the apex of the plot when it abruptly stopped. I wanted to see how these individuals with whom I had formed a close bond dealt with the aftermath of their respective crises, however I can respect the artistic decision to stop right at that moment as if to say "this does not deserve more attention because it happens all the time" and simply close the window through which we've been spying. The effect of stopping the story at the point of arrest and relocation and before anyone is released leaves me, as the reader, in a state similar to that of the characters I just left; people I've come to love have disappeared and I am uncertain about their fates. Pointing out that horrific events are commonplace within the story's world emphasizes the tragedy that they have become so unremarkable.
This one holds a special place in memory, not least because I proofread the Russian version for the publisher (having been smuggled out of the Soviet Union, "V Krugye Pyervom" was typeset in Switzerland by obvious strangers to the language). Fascinating for its inner-circle portraits of Stalin and his toadies, but even more so for its portrayal of the indomitability of the human spirit.
slow-paced
A brilliant novel that leaves the readers heart trembling in fear and sadness for each character. Solzhenitsyn transports the reader into the world of the Gulag so fully that when the novel is done, one will hug one's family, eat something out of the fridge just because it's there, and cherish the freedom given them. Not only does Solzhenitsyn describe the Gulags, sharashkas (special prisons), and life in the Soviet Union more eloquently than is possible in non-fiction, he also thoroughly examines morality; from several political angles (Marxism, Socialism, Democracy) as well as a religious one, each of the zeks (prisoners) presents his case for the most moral society and leaves the reader with mixed thoughts. Solzhenitsyn's zeks reference Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Marcus Aurelius (albeit indirectly and without citation) in their discussions of politics and morality. All in all, a brilliant novel that I would recommend to anyone.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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.
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.
For those of you considering reading this – apparently there is a 'real version' so let me explain. I read (after already getting through most of this edition) that Solzhenitsyn first wrote this novel with 9 more chapters and a different beginning (Volodin calls the US embassy to warn of the USSR's attempt at nuclear capabilities) but he edited it down because he thought a lightened version might be more publishable in the USSR. It was not (shocking, I know ;-). So The First Circle wasn't published in its original form until 1978 in Russia and not until 2009 in the US. I wish I had known this before launching into this tome because I would have much rather read it as it was intended by Solzhenitsyn.
(btw- the 96 chapter version in English is available through Harper Perennial)
That aside, I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of many different things, ranging from Solzhenitsyn's other works to the comedy show The Office (roll your eyes if you must but you'll see what I mean when you read it). The sharashka zeks are well educated and are working (alongside non prisoners) on top-secret Soviet projects, the one around which this story revolves being a voice identifier. Initially, I found myself a little lost with the technical back and forth between Solzhenitsyn's cast of engineers and mathematicians, but I soon zoned it out and focused on the meat of this story – how to maintain your humanity when it is stripped away.
Though these zeks inhabit the 'first circle' of the Soviet prison system, ('limbo' in Dante's work) the effects of losing your freedom can be just as severe as those in more labor-intensive/deadly camps. Some characters even openly admit that they would prefer physical labor to being forced to work on projects that they don't morally agree with, so the main struggle throughout this novel is whether to cooperate or not and at what cost. (yay for Nerzhin!!!) The side to which you find yourself leaning at the end (meaning – do you find it a happy ending or a sad ending) should tell you a lot about your own moral standards.
The entire novel, though over 500 pages takes place in just a few days and so your insight into these characters is deep and you will find yourself self reflecting the entire time, which can be a good thing or a bad thing - I couldn't read this at night because it got my mind going too much to fall asleep.
Oh – and the portrait of Stalin is a total winner ;-)
(btw- the 96 chapter version in English is available through Harper Perennial)
That aside, I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me of many different things, ranging from Solzhenitsyn's other works to the comedy show The Office (roll your eyes if you must but you'll see what I mean when you read it). The sharashka zeks are well educated and are working (alongside non prisoners) on top-secret Soviet projects, the one around which this story revolves being a voice identifier. Initially, I found myself a little lost with the technical back and forth between Solzhenitsyn's cast of engineers and mathematicians, but I soon zoned it out and focused on the meat of this story – how to maintain your humanity when it is stripped away.
Though these zeks inhabit the 'first circle' of the Soviet prison system, ('limbo' in Dante's work) the effects of losing your freedom can be just as severe as those in more labor-intensive/deadly camps. Some characters even openly admit that they would prefer physical labor to being forced to work on projects that they don't morally agree with, so the main struggle throughout this novel is whether to cooperate or not and at what cost. (yay for Nerzhin!!!) The side to which you find yourself leaning at the end (meaning – do you find it a happy ending or a sad ending) should tell you a lot about your own moral standards.
The entire novel, though over 500 pages takes place in just a few days and so your insight into these characters is deep and you will find yourself self reflecting the entire time, which can be a good thing or a bad thing - I couldn't read this at night because it got my mind going too much to fall asleep.
Oh – and the portrait of Stalin is a total winner ;-)
The first circle of hell would be Limbo, and the sharaska depicted in this book could certainly be seen as just that. The prisoners here have been sent to work on various electrical devices or other such work of engineering and design. These inmates are people with higher education that can be deemed adequately safe to keep in an environment less strict than the regular prison camps. Sometimes the prisoners of the sharaska get sent home after serving their sentences, other times their sentences are prolonged (again and again). Amongst them are spies who listen and look for any sign of dissidents among them (funny siden note: look up the word dissident on tyda.se (an online english - swedish translator) and you will find a picture of Solzhenitsyn himself)), which constantly keep everyone on guard (if caught, next stop might be Siberia = ruthless/hard work until death). And the people locked in have often very much to say, but those thoughts are better kept unspoken. Some of them have been sent to prison for committing an anti-revolutionary act ("A counter-revolutionary action is any action aimed at overthrowing, undermining or weakening of the power of workers' and peasants' Soviets... and governments of the USSR and Soviet and autonomous republics, or at the undermining or weakening of the external security of the USSR and main economical, political and national achievements of the proletarial revolution"), others are there just because they could have thought of committing one. There are not really any real rules that apply to the people in charge. Sometimes you might get an appeal approved for some more flour in prison though, and in such a world as this: any fight is a good fight, and any win - no matter how small - can be of great importance to the people living in it.
I did not know much about Stalin's purges before reading this book and I am very glad that I picked this up. It is written so very well and manages to convey an incredible amount of information regarding the lives of the inmates and the surround conditions of Soviet/Russia with notions of literature and music embedded in the narration. As I am a fan of Tolstoy, Dostoyevskij and Gogol, an understanding of how these authors might be looked upon by their landsmen was welcome.
Anyway. I knew this book would not end well but there could not have been any other ending. The thought of how much a human can take before it chooses to stand up against any wrong-doing – no matter if the price to be paid is all too high – is, sadly, one that will never become obsolete in this world. Then there is also the way that Nerzhin's and Volodin's stories are told alongside each other. One of them standing up on the inside of the system where there is little (but at the same time everything) to lose, and the other on the outside with everything (but at the same time nothing(?)) to lose is just perfect. The men in prison can learn to subsist on bare necessities, tightly controlled cultural enrichment and hard work to keep the mind busy. But there is no love in their lives. And life for their wives on the outside does not get better when others learn that their husbands have been condemned. Now Volodin basically had it all (cushy diplomat job, beautiful wife, soon to be promoted and living in France) but he was still not happy (when is the mere notion of such thing ever enough if not valued). There had been adultery on both sides of the marriage and depression had probably been brooding for a while. So his act of trying to save someone connected to the time when he was younger and purer was probably one of retribution. But it could not end well. The dismantling of Volodin and his immediate mental decline could very well be seen as one of the strongest chapters in any book (in context, naturally).
As always, keeping track of all the people with their names, nick names and pun-names is a hassle. But, yeah, very worth it. Indubitably.
I did not know much about Stalin's purges before reading this book and I am very glad that I picked this up. It is written so very well and manages to convey an incredible amount of information regarding the lives of the inmates and the surround conditions of Soviet/Russia with notions of literature and music embedded in the narration. As I am a fan of Tolstoy, Dostoyevskij and Gogol, an understanding of how these authors might be looked upon by their landsmen was welcome.
Anyway. I knew this book would not end well but there could not have been any other ending. The thought of how much a human can take before it chooses to stand up against any wrong-doing – no matter if the price to be paid is all too high – is, sadly, one that will never become obsolete in this world. Then there is also the way that Nerzhin's and Volodin's stories are told alongside each other. One of them standing up on the inside of the system where there is little (but at the same time everything) to lose, and the other on the outside with everything (but at the same time nothing(?)) to lose is just perfect. The men in prison can learn to subsist on bare necessities, tightly controlled cultural enrichment and hard work to keep the mind busy. But there is no love in their lives. And life for their wives on the outside does not get better when others learn that their husbands have been condemned. Now Volodin basically had it all (cushy diplomat job, beautiful wife, soon to be promoted and living in France) but he was still not happy (when is the mere notion of such thing ever enough if not valued). There had been adultery on both sides of the marriage and depression had probably been brooding for a while. So his act of trying to save someone connected to the time when he was younger and purer was probably one of retribution. But it could not end well. The dismantling of Volodin and his immediate mental decline could very well be seen as one of the strongest chapters in any book (in context, naturally).
As always, keeping track of all the people with their names, nick names and pun-names is a hassle. But, yeah, very worth it. Indubitably.
Moscow, Christmas Eve 1949; a man makes a phone call to the American embassy to warn them about the Soviet Atom Bomb project. This call was caught on tape and quickly disconnected by The People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD). A brilliant mathematician named Gleb Nerzhin, was taken as a sharashka (known as zeks) prisoner and ordered to help track down the mystery caller. The zeks know that they have it better than a “regular” gulag prisoners but they are faced with the moral dilemma; to aid a political system they oppose or be transferred to the deadly labour camps.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a Russian author as well as a historian; he was also a critic of Soviet totalitarianism which found himself in prison much like Gleb Nerzhin. He was accused of anti-revolutionary propaganda under Russian SFSR Penal Code (Article 58 paragraph 10) which is a ‘catch-all’ criminal offence that could be used against anyone that might threaten the government. During the period of Stalinism, the crime of “propaganda and agitation that called to overturn or undermining of the Soviet power” jumped from a six month prison sentence to seven years of imprisonment, with possible internal exile for two to five years. On 7 July 1945, Solzhenitsyn was sentenced to seven years in a labour camp for comments he made in private letters to a friend. After his sentence ended, Solzhenitsyn was then internally exiled for life at Kok-Terek, which is in the north-eastern region of Kazakhstan.
The First Circle was self-censored before Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn even attempted to get it published in 1968. Originally the book was 96 chapters long but the censorship turned the novel into 87 chapters. Some changes included the man telling another doctor to share some new medicine with the French instead of warning the Americans about the atom bomb. All mention of the Roman Catholics and religion was also removed. It wasn’t till 2009 a new English translation (not sure of the details on the Russian editions) saw the book restored and uncensored; now with the title In The First Circle.
The title alone is fascinating and it allows the reader to pick up on the whole metaphor before starting the novel. Looking at Dante’s Inferno, it is easy to find that the first circle of hell is limbo. In the epic poem Virgil introduces Dante to people like Socrates, Plato, Homer, Horace and Ovid. The time between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is often referred to as the Harrowing of Hell, in which he descended into limbo and brought salvation to the righteous. However in Dante’s Inferno this meant that Christ saved people like Noah, Moses, Abraham and King David, but a lot of the intellectuals where left. This is metaphor for the penal institutions, making reference to all the intellectuals and political thinkers arrested under Stalin’s Russia.
This novel made me feel a lot smarter than I actually am, there is a lot of information within In The First Circle however Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn presented them in accessible way. Going into the book I knew a little about Solzhenitsyn’s life and the metaphor in the title was explained in the Goodreads synopsis. So I was able to witness how everything came together without doing any research. The book sometimes goes into Russian history; I was fascinated with everything I learnt.
I have read so many books set in Cold War Russia but I don’t think there have been many actually written by a Russian. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has lead an interesting life and I am keen to read more of his novels before attempting The Gulag Archipelago, his three volume book on the history of a gulag labour camp. If you have paid attention to my best of 2014 list you would have noticed that In The First Circle did make the list. This was a wonderful book that was both thrilling and educational, I would recommend it to anyone interested in Russian history, especially the Cold War era.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2015/01/09/in-the-first-circle-by-aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a Russian author as well as a historian; he was also a critic of Soviet totalitarianism which found himself in prison much like Gleb Nerzhin. He was accused of anti-revolutionary propaganda under Russian SFSR Penal Code (Article 58 paragraph 10) which is a ‘catch-all’ criminal offence that could be used against anyone that might threaten the government. During the period of Stalinism, the crime of “propaganda and agitation that called to overturn or undermining of the Soviet power” jumped from a six month prison sentence to seven years of imprisonment, with possible internal exile for two to five years. On 7 July 1945, Solzhenitsyn was sentenced to seven years in a labour camp for comments he made in private letters to a friend. After his sentence ended, Solzhenitsyn was then internally exiled for life at Kok-Terek, which is in the north-eastern region of Kazakhstan.
The First Circle was self-censored before Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn even attempted to get it published in 1968. Originally the book was 96 chapters long but the censorship turned the novel into 87 chapters. Some changes included the man telling another doctor to share some new medicine with the French instead of warning the Americans about the atom bomb. All mention of the Roman Catholics and religion was also removed. It wasn’t till 2009 a new English translation (not sure of the details on the Russian editions) saw the book restored and uncensored; now with the title In The First Circle.
The title alone is fascinating and it allows the reader to pick up on the whole metaphor before starting the novel. Looking at Dante’s Inferno, it is easy to find that the first circle of hell is limbo. In the epic poem Virgil introduces Dante to people like Socrates, Plato, Homer, Horace and Ovid. The time between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is often referred to as the Harrowing of Hell, in which he descended into limbo and brought salvation to the righteous. However in Dante’s Inferno this meant that Christ saved people like Noah, Moses, Abraham and King David, but a lot of the intellectuals where left. This is metaphor for the penal institutions, making reference to all the intellectuals and political thinkers arrested under Stalin’s Russia.
This novel made me feel a lot smarter than I actually am, there is a lot of information within In The First Circle however Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn presented them in accessible way. Going into the book I knew a little about Solzhenitsyn’s life and the metaphor in the title was explained in the Goodreads synopsis. So I was able to witness how everything came together without doing any research. The book sometimes goes into Russian history; I was fascinated with everything I learnt.
I have read so many books set in Cold War Russia but I don’t think there have been many actually written by a Russian. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has lead an interesting life and I am keen to read more of his novels before attempting The Gulag Archipelago, his three volume book on the history of a gulag labour camp. If you have paid attention to my best of 2014 list you would have noticed that In The First Circle did make the list. This was a wonderful book that was both thrilling and educational, I would recommend it to anyone interested in Russian history, especially the Cold War era.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2015/01/09/in-the-first-circle-by-aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/
A brilliant novel that leaves the readers heart trembling in fear and sadness for each character. Solzhenitsyn transports the reader into the world of the Gulag so fully that when the novel is done, one will hug one's family, eat something out of the fridge just because it's there, and cherish the freedom given them. Not only does Solzhenitsyn describe the Gulags, sharashkas (special prisons), and life in the Soviet Union more eloquently than is possible in non-fiction, he also thoroughly examines morality; from several political angles (Marxism, Socialism, Democracy) as well as a religious one, each of the zeks (prisoners) presents his case for the most moral society and leaves the reader with mixed thoughts. Solzhenitsyn's zeks reference Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Marcus Aurelius (albeit indirectly and without citation) in their discussions of politics and morality. All in all, a brilliant novel that I would recommend to anyone.