Reviews tagging 'War'

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson

10 reviews

paintingmozart's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

steller0707's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Grief, and War

sshabein's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

4.0

It may have been the cover of the book that drew me in while browsing Libby, but I'm glad I read this biography of Shostakovich, which shows how his life and career intersected with that period of Russian history. There are parallels to world events today, particularly the war crime of letting an entire population starve. Heavy reading, but the information is presented in a straightforward, easy to understand way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Cannibalism, and War

Moderate: Antisemitism

claireh6's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and War

ionamcewan's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beautiful heart wrenching exploration of one of the darkest moments in soviet history. It makes clear some of the soviet history I’ve always struggled to understand and somehow captures the broad strokes and the minute with Extream care and gentleness. I highly reccomend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cannibalism, Murder, and War

deanjean_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

ian_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Incredibly gripping, moving, inspiring.

"Ksenia Matus mused to Vulliamy, "So many years have passed since that day and memory is a funny thing, like drying paint. It changes color as it dries. But that symphony has stayed with me the way it was that night. Afterwards, it was still a city under siege, but I knew it would live. Music is life, after all. What is life without music? This was the music that proved our city had come back to life after death."" 
Pg 349

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Genocide, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and War

tams_j's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism and War

render's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

The physical and audio versions of this book are a delight. One of the best nonfiction books I've read, let alone about Shostakovich and Leninist/Stalinist USSR. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Police brutality, and War

Moderate: Genocide, Miscarriage, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

houndoflove1985's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail