The next book
A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (I think)
Well, this Ivan dude is known as "Shukhov". And he spends a day labouring in the Gulag... Well, ten years labouring in the Gulag really, but we only get to read about one day. He gets up, eats not enough food, builds a wall, goes and eats some more (but still not enough) food, then sleeps.
Well-written (depending on the translation I suppose), pretty interesting in the sense that you get a good impression of day-to-day life of prisoners on the Gulag. It's pretty depressing but not because of the cruelty, or violence or anything. Just the way the prisoners have become so institutionalised they don;t seem to even care too much about getting free... let's face it, being "free" in Soviet Russia was hardly a picnic. And all the political prisoners were exiled anyway after their "release".
They obsess over how to get a little bit more food and how to keep warm, or hoard things they're not allowed... the scary part is how important things I take for granted every day have become to these people... food and shelter are more important than political ideals etc... It's quite an eye opener in that sense.
so... half a thumb up, because it was a little boring. But educationally, it was good. And it's not hard to read and not too long, so meh.
I started "East Of Eden" which seemed fantastic but left it in Granny's. So back to the library with me tomorrow. Think I'll try fine "Of Mice And Men", John Steinbeck is wonderful.
Well, this Ivan dude is known as "Shukhov". And he spends a day labouring in the Gulag... Well, ten years labouring in the Gulag really, but we only get to read about one day. He gets up, eats not enough food, builds a wall, goes and eats some more (but still not enough) food, then sleeps.
Well-written (depending on the translation I suppose), pretty interesting in the sense that you get a good impression of day-to-day life of prisoners on the Gulag. It's pretty depressing but not because of the cruelty, or violence or anything. Just the way the prisoners have become so institutionalised they don;t seem to even care too much about getting free... let's face it, being "free" in Soviet Russia was hardly a picnic. And all the political prisoners were exiled anyway after their "release".
They obsess over how to get a little bit more food and how to keep warm, or hoard things they're not allowed... the scary part is how important things I take for granted every day have become to these people... food and shelter are more important than political ideals etc... It's quite an eye opener in that sense.
so... half a thumb up, because it was a little boring. But educationally, it was good. And it's not hard to read and not too long, so meh.
I started "East Of Eden" which seemed fantastic but left it in Granny's. So back to the library with me tomorrow. Think I'll try fine "Of Mice And Men", John Steinbeck is wonderful.