Reviews
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson
cozywanderlust's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve never cried so much reading a non-fiction book. My heart is broken in so many immeasurable ways. A brutal but necessary masterpiece about the ways in which humanity, arts, and music rise above death and suffering.
saramarie08's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a bit to get into this book, but that was only my personal reservations for reading nonfiction. After I got over my hang ups, this book was fascinating and wonderfully written. I love Shostakovich’s music, which is what originally drew me to this book, but I also loved reading about a slice of history I don’t know much about: Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi campaign in Russia. There are also some wonderful photos to go along with the text, which really helps me when reading nonfiction. Sometimes, you forget this really happened, so seeing historic photos really helps cement it.
mdettmann's review against another edition
4.0
"History is not simply the great tumults and tragedies but the accumulation of tiny movements and gestures."
4.5. What a fantastic historical read! I never knew about Shostakovich, his music, and how awful life was in Russia in WW2 (We just never really talked about it in my history classes! My bad!). The descriptions can get pretty gruesome but this story is one I couldn't put down. I'd also recommend listening to Shostakovich's symphonies while you read it.
4.5. What a fantastic historical read! I never knew about Shostakovich, his music, and how awful life was in Russia in WW2 (We just never really talked about it in my history classes! My bad!). The descriptions can get pretty gruesome but this story is one I couldn't put down. I'd also recommend listening to Shostakovich's symphonies while you read it.
the_magiccrack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Review copy: final copy from publisher
This is a unique look at the Siege of Leningrad. It follows Dmitri Shostokovich and his life up to and beyond WWII and how his music played a role in the siege. I was fascinated by the story. The story was told powerfully. It was very hard to look at the death though. The numbers are mind-numbing. There was a point where I was overwhelmed by the horror, but Anderson must have known that it would be difficult for readers to continue because right after that, he turned he focus to people who did amazing kind and loving things. He started to share stories of people who were brought together during the siege rather than torn apart.
This will be a story that stays with me.
This is a unique look at the Siege of Leningrad. It follows Dmitri Shostokovich and his life up to and beyond WWII and how his music played a role in the siege. I was fascinated by the story. The story was told powerfully. It was very hard to look at the death though. The numbers are mind-numbing. There was a point where I was overwhelmed by the horror, but Anderson must have known that it would be difficult for readers to continue because right after that, he turned he focus to people who did amazing kind and loving things. He started to share stories of people who were brought together during the siege rather than torn apart.
This will be a story that stays with me.
internationalkris's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the early-release copy of this book that I picked up at a library conference this summer. The narrative follows Shostakovich's childhood in Tsarist-Russia, through his coming of age during the revolution, then beyond that to life under Stalin's heavy-handed rule and finally the book centers on the devastation (and resilience) shown by the citizens of Leningrad during the longest siege in military history. An absolutely captivating look into an pivotal age of the Soviet era.
lindasdarby's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a long time to read this book partially because it had to keep putting it down because it was so upsetting. I love the idea of writing about the history of Leningrad/St Petersburg and Shostakovich. It was just horrible the atrocities the people suffered due to Crazy sociopath leaders - Lenin and Stalin and then finally Hitler during the siege of Leningrad. I loved learning about Shostakovich and am anxious to listen to his symphonies - especially the seventh. This book was heartbreaking but Incredible. I highly recommend.