A review by jonahksmith
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

The translator’s notes in this edition were very helpful. I read this shortly after a visit to Sachsenhausen, a NS concentration camp north of Berlin converted to a “special” camp after liberation. Though Ust-Izhma must be a very different environment, the style is sufficient to demonstrate how bleak and straightforward life must have been as a prisoner in such a camp.