penguinlost's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
psalmcat's review against another edition
3.0
I mostly snagged this so I can say I have read Solzhenitsyn, even if it's not one of his famous publications. These stories are good snapshots of a certain time and place (pre-1950, post-Revolutionary Soviet Union) and while they differ in major details, they are similar in tone. The tone is dismal, somewhat cynical, and angry at the corruption of the country that continued after the fall (and murder) of the Tsar. Nothing changed, except that different people were running things, and poor people still starved.
I didn't finish all the stories. I got through two that were more-or-less centered on the Eastern Front during World War II, and just couldn't swallow anymore. I wouldn't have made it that far if I didn't know some history of the era, though. The most memorable one for was a very depressing story about a young idealistic college graduate trying to teach Russian literature to children; every year the curriculum changes, the ideology changes, the list of "allowed" authors changes...horrible.
I didn't finish all the stories. I got through two that were more-or-less centered on the Eastern Front during World War II, and just couldn't swallow anymore. I wouldn't have made it that far if I didn't know some history of the era, though. The most memorable one for was a very depressing story about a young idealistic college graduate trying to teach Russian literature to children; every year the curriculum changes, the ideology changes, the list of "allowed" authors changes...horrible.
milos_dumbraci's review against another edition
3.0
Pe de-o parte, povestirile reușesc foarte eficient să aibă un efect psihologic extrem de puternic: fiecare m-a lăsat plin de furie, scârbă, ură și amărăciune față de stalinism și jegurile de oameni care au ieșit atunci la suprafață (ca peste tot când s-a impus ideologia cea mai criminală și ticăloasă din istorie).
Pe de altă parte, strict literar majoritatea sunt real proaste: curg greoi și sacadat, un fel de rapoarte mai degrabă, nu au personaje conturate, multe nu au o poveste în sens narativ. Surprinzător la Soljenițîn, care în ”Arhipelag”are un har deosebit de povestitor.
Aici textele sunt mai degrabă un fel de vignete semi-documentare, ceva între literatură, memorialistică și istorie, fără a fi cu succes niciuna dintre acestea.
Pe de altă parte, strict literar majoritatea sunt real proaste: curg greoi și sacadat, un fel de rapoarte mai degrabă, nu au personaje conturate, multe nu au o poveste în sens narativ. Surprinzător la Soljenițîn, care în ”Arhipelag”are un har deosebit de povestitor.
Aici textele sunt mai degrabă un fel de vignete semi-documentare, ceva între literatură, memorialistică și istorie, fără a fi cu succes niciuna dintre acestea.
stephend81d5's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
took awhile to get into this book but once I did loved it and felt like I was back in the soviet union
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