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whatname's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of stories from the women that fought in the war. The events described, the life experiences retold, heartbreaking
amiboughter's review against another edition
4.0
“Everything we know about war we know with "a man's voice." We are all captives of "men's" notions and "men's" sense of war. "Men's" words. Women are silent. No one but me ever questioned my grandmother. My mother. Even those who were at the front say nothing.”
Svetlana Alexievich traveled thousands of miles and conducted hundreds of interviews to preserve the history and memory of the Soviet women who served on the frontlines in WWII. They were daughters, sisters, and wives, who trained to become snipers, surgeons, pilots, tankers, and partisans, among many other things. They were volunteers, eager to do their part in what they called The Great Patriotic War, and the overwhelming majority of them were very young. These women showed remarkable bravery in horrific conditions. They carried out their duties, and if they were lucky enough to survive, many of them returned from the war and were shunned into silence about their service, while their male counterparts were celebrated.
The Soviet Union suffered tremendous losses in the war, with civilian and military casualties far surpassing those of the Western Front. Many veterans returned to their villages to find both their homes and their families gone. It was crushing to read that so many of the women Alexievich interviewed were sharing their memories from the war for the first time, decades after the fact.
Side note: I had to put this book down several times because the stories were so upsetting. Maybe I should listen to that bookmark I found that encouraged me to read something cheerful...
Svetlana Alexievich traveled thousands of miles and conducted hundreds of interviews to preserve the history and memory of the Soviet women who served on the frontlines in WWII. They were daughters, sisters, and wives, who trained to become snipers, surgeons, pilots, tankers, and partisans, among many other things. They were volunteers, eager to do their part in what they called The Great Patriotic War, and the overwhelming majority of them were very young. These women showed remarkable bravery in horrific conditions. They carried out their duties, and if they were lucky enough to survive, many of them returned from the war and were shunned into silence about their service, while their male counterparts were celebrated.
The Soviet Union suffered tremendous losses in the war, with civilian and military casualties far surpassing those of the Western Front. Many veterans returned to their villages to find both their homes and their families gone. It was crushing to read that so many of the women Alexievich interviewed were sharing their memories from the war for the first time, decades after the fact.
Side note: I had to put this book down several times because the stories were so upsetting. Maybe I should listen to that bookmark I found that encouraged me to read something cheerful...
gl00my_gh0st's review
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
I wanted to rate this book 4.5 stars - but because of some issues i had to lower my rating.
This book is definitely absolutely heartbreaking - some memories devastated me. The amount of cruelty that those women had to go threw is unspeakable .
My biggest problem is the fact, that Germany seems to be portrayed as an Evil and Soviet Union as only a Victim. I'm fully aware that most of those women meant the time after German's attack, but they weren't the only predator during WW II. USRR had as well killed, tortured, raped etc. millions of people (especially from Poland); they had death camps - Gulags; tortured even their own soldiers.
It seems a bit like propaganda: trying to absolve Soviet Union's sins by making Germany a bigger evil.
Personally i'd prefer more in depth interviews with only a few individuals + a bigger diversity of these women.
This book is definitely absolutely heartbreaking - some memories devastated me. The amount of cruelty that those women had to go threw is unspeakable .
My biggest problem is the fact, that Germany seems to be portrayed as an Evil and Soviet Union as only a Victim. I'm fully aware that most of those women meant the time after German's attack, but they weren't the only predator during WW II. USRR had as well killed, tortured, raped etc. millions of people (especially from Poland); they had death camps - Gulags; tortured even their own soldiers.
It seems a bit like propaganda: trying to absolve Soviet Union's sins by making Germany a bigger evil.
Personally i'd prefer more in depth interviews with only a few individuals + a bigger diversity of these women.
acmarinho3's review against another edition
5.0
"Depois da guerra, fiquei com medo do céu por muito tempo, evitava levantar a cabeça para o céu. [...] Os pássaros depressa esqueceram a guerra..."
É o segundo livro que leio da Svetlana e o murro no estômago manteve-se; a mágoa foi exatamente igual. A sensação de impotência, tristeza e luto que se sente durante a leitura é muito real e pessoal. A mim emociona-me profundamente ler estes relatos e conhecer um lado da vida que é muito distante da minha (felizmente). Sinto que não podia ser mais apropriado ler esta obra do que agora, tendo em conta a guerra na Ucrânia. São histórias que nos fazem repensar muita coisa. Uma das mulheres que dá corpo a este livro diz que enquanto há vida, há esperança. Sinto que é das mensagens mais bonitas e corajosas que alguém pode ter, especialmente depois de ter visto e vivido momentos absolutamente horríveis. A guerra não tem rosto de mulher, mas nem de homem deveria ter. A guerra não deveria ter rosto de ninguém.
É o segundo livro que leio da Svetlana e o murro no estômago manteve-se; a mágoa foi exatamente igual. A sensação de impotência, tristeza e luto que se sente durante a leitura é muito real e pessoal. A mim emociona-me profundamente ler estes relatos e conhecer um lado da vida que é muito distante da minha (felizmente). Sinto que não podia ser mais apropriado ler esta obra do que agora, tendo em conta a guerra na Ucrânia. São histórias que nos fazem repensar muita coisa. Uma das mulheres que dá corpo a este livro diz que enquanto há vida, há esperança. Sinto que é das mensagens mais bonitas e corajosas que alguém pode ter, especialmente depois de ter visto e vivido momentos absolutamente horríveis. A guerra não tem rosto de mulher, mas nem de homem deveria ter. A guerra não deveria ter rosto de ninguém.
hansje501's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
heidilreads's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting to hear the perspectives of the women, but I would rather a more developed perspective from less women ..
lalawoman416's review against another edition
5.0
So relevant. Sadly, the perspectives are just as relevant today as they were in the 40s. You could pluck a woman from Afghanistan, Ukraine, China today and hear the same stories.
alexandriaslibrary's review
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“Another one, if he died on the battlefield, at least he was looking to the sky.“
“How was it possible to survive amid this endless experience of dying? To look at it day after day. To think. To try it on despite yourself.
“How was it possible to survive amid this endless experience of dying? To look at it day after day. To think. To try it on despite yourself.
Is it possible to talk about it? What lends itself to words and to our feelings? And what is ineffable?”
A heartbreaking collection of personal accounts from the Soviet women of World War 2. Over 200 women from every side of the war (snipers, sappers, nurses, surgeons, laundresses, partisans, etc) tell their stories, some for the first time ever. They are grouped thematically (how they joined the war, first time seeing death, love on the front, reuniting with their children). But the stories are all hopeful and tragic, full of life and so much death.
It would be a great read for anyone interested in the human condition, World War 2 buffs, or those wanting to learn more about Soviet history. Really remarkable and will stay with my for a long time
A heartbreaking collection of personal accounts from the Soviet women of World War 2. Over 200 women from every side of the war (snipers, sappers, nurses, surgeons, laundresses, partisans, etc) tell their stories, some for the first time ever. They are grouped thematically (how they joined the war, first time seeing death, love on the front, reuniting with their children). But the stories are all hopeful and tragic, full of life and so much death.
It would be a great read for anyone interested in the human condition, World War 2 buffs, or those wanting to learn more about Soviet history. Really remarkable and will stay with my for a long time
beiiadonna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
almags_'s review against another edition
5.0
Cada vez me vuelvo más exigente con mis lecturas y veo cómo progresivamente me cuesta más ponerle cinco estrellas a un libro. Pero este libro ha hecho que vuelva a sentir el verdadero fin de la lectura: el sentimiento y el saber. Este libro es mucho más que las cinco estrellas. Es la vida de cientos de mujeres que son algo más que un frío número para calificar sus historias. Es la demostración de los límites del género humano.
Al comenzar la lectura no me esperaba lo que terminé leyendo. Esperaba más datos, más fechas y lugares, más nombres de militares destacadas, no de francotiradoras a las que, al final de la guerra, las rechazaran por haber realizado una misión tan "masculina", "deshumanizadora". Vamos, una información mucho más objetiva de una guerra y no el testimonio de una ex soldado en el que explica cómo se apañaban las mujeres de la milicia en los días de menstruación entre tanto caos y violencia. Y aunque no fuera lo que me esperaba, este conjunto de relatos han sido mucho más instructivos a nivel personal que un libro que cita fechas y causas.
A lo mejor me ha fascinado tanto porque no he leído mucho ensayo biográfico o muchas obras de no ficción, o a lo mejor porque me emociona la visiblización (complicado sustantivo, que el DRAE no recoge pero sí aceptó la RAE en su cuenta de twitter [https://twitter.com/raeinforma/status/639763854038302721?lang=es]) de la mujer en la historia y, sobretodo, en los conflictos bélicos.
Recomiendo este libro a todo el mundo, no solo a interesadas/os en la historia.
Al comenzar la lectura no me esperaba lo que terminé leyendo. Esperaba más datos, más fechas y lugares, más nombres de militares destacadas, no de francotiradoras a las que, al final de la guerra, las rechazaran por haber realizado una misión tan "masculina", "deshumanizadora". Vamos, una información mucho más objetiva de una guerra y no el testimonio de una ex soldado en el que explica cómo se apañaban las mujeres de la milicia en los días de menstruación entre tanto caos y violencia. Y aunque no fuera lo que me esperaba, este conjunto de relatos han sido mucho más instructivos a nivel personal que un libro que cita fechas y causas.
A lo mejor me ha fascinado tanto porque no he leído mucho ensayo biográfico o muchas obras de no ficción, o a lo mejor porque me emociona la visiblización (complicado sustantivo, que el DRAE no recoge pero sí aceptó la RAE en su cuenta de twitter [https://twitter.com/raeinforma/status/639763854038302721?lang=es]) de la mujer en la historia y, sobretodo, en los conflictos bélicos.
Recomiendo este libro a todo el mundo, no solo a interesadas/os en la historia.