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| -Obits- |
| Reverence but No Outpouring for Solzhenitsyn |
| 2008-08-05 |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 I read Cancer Ward and The First Circle more than 30 years ago. Then read Gulag and August 1914. The impression I had then of Solzhenitsyn is the one I have now: One, tough, hard sonuvabitch with an unwavering thirst for the truth. He is known for his novels, but for some real insight into what the man was up against, read his 1969 letter to the Soviet Writers Union. Solzhenitsyn was the bravest writer of the last 200 years. Like James Lileks pointed out a couple of days ago, the "truth-to-power" writers of today aren't even in the same solar system as Aleksandr Isayevich. |
| Posted by: mrp 2008-08-05 19:46 |
| #4 I stared reading August 1914 once. After about a hundred pages I decided to wait for the movie. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-08-05 15:47 |
| #3 I read "Gulag Archipellago" many years go, I thought it was nothing more than an highly upset person's semi-insane attempt at vengance. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-08-05 15:19 |
| #2 His political ideals are quite out of step with most Russians even under the Soviets. |
| Posted by: Bernardz 2008-08-05 09:34 |
| #1 I was trying to find the scathing reviews of the Gulag Archipelago when it came out, but didn't find anything. As I remember, there were some seriously pissed-off leftists who accused him of being a liar, a Nazi sympathizer, delusional, and worse. It would be good to hold these up to the light of day. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-08-05 00:26 |