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A review by shtey
Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A sprawling panorama of Soviet society at the height of the Second World War. At times so depressing I had to put the book down and walk away. More than anything it’s about the dignity of the individual in the face of the barbarism of war and an inhuman state. Every character, no matter how unsympathetic their politics or actions, is imbued with a profound humanity. It’s long, it’s slow in places, but it’s infinitely rewarding. Read this book
Edit: on further reflection, I was perhaps too hasty to give this a perfect score. It is very long. Some chapters are the most heart wrenching you will ever read; others drag on for longer than you’d like. Grossman never got the chance to finish the book and it probably could’ve done with a bit of an edit, but even still it is a truly transformative read that still occupies a corner of my mind.
Edit: on further reflection, I was perhaps too hasty to give this a perfect score. It is very long. Some chapters are the most heart wrenching you will ever read; others drag on for longer than you’d like. Grossman never got the chance to finish the book and it probably could’ve done with a bit of an edit, but even still it is a truly transformative read that still occupies a corner of my mind.