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A review by hadeanstars
The Gulag Archipelago, Abridged Edition by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
4.0
I have plenty of thoughts about this work, which though abridged is still monumental in scope. Except for reading One Day in the Life many years ago, I'm not very familiar with Solzhenitsyn, and this book is powerful, but is he truly a great writer, or did he just pick an utterly compelling subject? It feels to me a little like those people who take a photo of a fantastic subject, the picture might be incredible, but are they truly a great photographer? Well, food for thought, but what AS does very well, is he exhaustively presents and re-presents the case, and how could he not? The camps of the gulags were horrendous. He makes frequent comparisons between Stalin's and Hitler's death camps and bemoans the German camps' celebrity status. I guess that is the result of Stalin finding himself on the side of the "good guys" after the war.
But for all the people who cite this as a the last word on the failures of socialism, try again. Stalinism is not socialism, and to use this book as final proof of the failure of collectivism (of any degree) is akin to citing the Spanish Inquisition as proof that religion has no value. Or that Pot Noodles prove the futility of cuisine.
All that aside, this is an important and amazing work, if only for the insight into a hugely under-appreciated corner of human misery, and it shines a light into that unhappy darkness all too well. It's a work of humanity and hope, but not, I would argue in the tradition of "great" Russian literature. I don't think Solzhenitsyn writes to that standard. But wow, what a trip all the same. Bleak and dreadful, but it actually leaves you counting your blessings, and that can't be a bad thing these days.
But for all the people who cite this as a the last word on the failures of socialism, try again. Stalinism is not socialism, and to use this book as final proof of the failure of collectivism (of any degree) is akin to citing the Spanish Inquisition as proof that religion has no value. Or that Pot Noodles prove the futility of cuisine.
All that aside, this is an important and amazing work, if only for the insight into a hugely under-appreciated corner of human misery, and it shines a light into that unhappy darkness all too well. It's a work of humanity and hope, but not, I would argue in the tradition of "great" Russian literature. I don't think Solzhenitsyn writes to that standard. But wow, what a trip all the same. Bleak and dreadful, but it actually leaves you counting your blessings, and that can't be a bad thing these days.