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Solzhenitsyn effectively described the prison and work camp system that incarcerated millions of Russians to suppress the population and obtain free labor. He covers arrest and interrogation, initial imprisonment, the brutality of camp life, various escape attempts, the addition of women and children, and release and exile. The abridged version has plenty of information on the subject (21 hours vs 60+ listening hours for the 3 volume series)

Wow—I can see why my uncle has been raving about this autobiography for decades! Victor Herman, his parents, brother & sister all left Detroit as part of a 3-year contract his father took to build cars in Russia in the 1930s.It took Victor over 40 years to return to America. Hailed as the Charles Lindbergh of Russia for his piloting, parachute jumps, marksmanship & boxing, his refusal to deny citizenship landed him in prison, then Siberian exile.

I‘m not sure why I didn‘t hear any buzz about this book but it‘s brilliant ☢️ a student book rec

An enjoyable short read. I was expecting a little more in regards to the structure of the Soviet Union‘s meteorological network and the work they did. It was less about that and more focused on the life in prison and brutality the meteorologist, Alexey Feodosievich, had to endure as a review on the horrors of the Great Terror. Paragraphs often hop in time which confused at times, but an overall good read for those interested.

I loved Valery and I loved Shenkov and I loved Albert the octopus but I was heartsick about all the people living (suffering) in this town while being lied to by their government. I wish the end had been handled differently but I still really like Pulley's storytelling so this is another pick for me.

My favorite read in November
#ReadingBracket2023

I love reading on snowy days. (And all other days as well 😉) Starting this one now.

This is a low pick for me. It‘s not that the story isn‘t impactful, being autobiographical fiction about a day in a Russian prison camp in the 40s. It‘s more so that the writing style made the story drag, even though it‘s only 140 pages. Nonetheless, I do feel that this was intentional. After all, time must be experienced differently in a prison camp like this, especially when one expects exile at best upon release. In the end, strong stuff.

I deeply enjoy Natasha Pulleys plots and this one was no exception. Though I feel like her main characters have very similar voices and the books tend to follow the same beat. The ending felt rushed, which i felt with The Kingdoms as well. Nevertheless once i return this to the library, i will also make the rrip to the bookstore to pick up my own physical copy!