Alexander Solzhenitsyn has died at age 89. May he rest in peace.
Growing up, we had a lot of books in the house, probably in the neighborhood of several thousand. Among those books were some written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, including The Cancer Ward, August 1914, and The Gulag Archipelago (three volumes), all of which I read as a child (it’s true, I read complicated books at a young age). While I can’t say I enjoyed them in the sense of them being a fun read, they certainly left a lasting impression.
There was a lot about Solzhenitsyn’s life that I didn’t know that I find interesting. I knew that The Gulag Archipelago was inspired by his time spent in the Gulag – eight years. But I didn’t know that, in 1974, he was stripped of his Soviet citizenship and deported for treason. What I don’t understand is why he was deported for treason instead of the traditional execution. Not that I’m complaining, mind you – just curiosity. Then in 1990, his citizenship was restored and he returned to Russia. I also didn’t know that he received the Novel Prize for Literature in 1970, although he couldn’t collect the prize until after being deported from the USSR in 1974.
I would definitely urge any of you who haven’t read his books, specifically August 1914 or The Gulag Archipelago, to read them. They provide a fascinating, if depressing, insight into the Russian and Soviet culture and history, and they are definitely worth reading.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting. I will add those to my TBR pile.
I also read complicated, no-fun books when I was young. My dad didn’t force them on me but definitely encouraged it as a way to expand my knowledge and appreciation for the things we had.
Wow, that’s a LOT of books! I recently moved into my first HOUSE, and my hubby let me turn one of the extra rooms into a library of sorts to house all of my many books…but I don’t have NEAR that kind of collection. Sigh…one day!
Heatheraynne, I think your dad’s approach is an excellent one.
Colby, the thing is, in our family, we’re pretty much all like that. I lived with my brother for the last two years of high school and never had to visit a library since his collection was so huge (also several thousand) – mostly science fiction & fantasy, thank heavens.
When I moved from Canada to Sri Lanka, I had to leave my books behind, sadly. I had well over 80 feet of paperbacks and another 50 feet at least of hardback for just those books I wanted to keep. But couldn’t.
Which makes me realize that, yes, indeed, over the years, I really have financially supported a lot of authors. Hey! Cool!
Oh, I wish I had that many books! /jealous
Sad to say I don’t know this author, but I’ll add him to my reading. (I’m not very worldly… working on it, though!)
Not familiar with the author, but it is always sad to hear of a great writer passing on.
I didn’t know him, then I asked my Dad and he handed me a book, I’ll try it out.