The Doomed City

By: Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky, Andrew Bromfield - Translator

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are widely considered the greatest of Russian science fiction masters, yet the novel they worked hardest on, the one that was their own favorite and that listeners worldwide have acclaimed their magnum opus, has never before been published in English. The Doomed City was so politically risky that the Strugatskys kept its existence a secret even from their closest friends for 16 years. It was only published in Russia during perestroika in the late 1980s, the last of their works to see publication.

The Doomed City is set in an experimental city whose sun gets switched on in the morning and off at night, a city bordered by an abyss on one side and an impossibly high wall on the other. Its inhabitants are people plucked from 20th-century history at various times and places and left to govern themselves under conditions established by Mentors whose purpose seems inscrutable.

Andrei Voronin, a young astronomer taken from Leningrad in the 1950s, is a die-hard believer in the Experiment, even though his first job in the city is as a garbage collector. As increasingly nightmarish scenarios begin to affect the city, Voronin rises through the political hierarchy, with devastating effect.

©2016 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great Book

Great book you need Reed this book. strugatsky brother great writing. go bye it plez.

shocked!

this book took me so long to finish but it was worth it! love the Strugatsky’s so much!

1984 but Russian Sci-Fi. amazing read.

basically what I said in the title. it's like 1984 but based on a Russian experiment and a bit less linear than 1984. the major aspect being about the faults of communistic dictatorships.

Loooong journey

I like to read Sci-fi from a non western point of view and look forward to these authors. But this was a slog at times. It is very much like a dream where parts don’t relate to other parts and much doesn’t make sense. Seems very philosophical which doesn’t always translate well. The narrator does a great job.

still amazing

when you fall under the spell of these brothers writing, you'll search out everything available. smart strong thoughtful witty biting and fun. This novel in particular is layered and although it has a timestamp of cold war era in the background, still feels fresh and relevant in the current world environment.

Communist Dystopia

Incredibly interesting story originally written in secrecy. Though it doesn't directly refute communism, this book develops an atmosphere in which you can see the system, but also plainly can see all of it's downfalls. Throughout physical and political conflicts, as well as philosophical discussions, the Strugatskys quietly interrogate the reader about the perfect system for life. What must a collective do to create a perfect system of living and what does that have to offer to an individual? What happens if you try and fail, not just a couple times, but for years beyond counting. Absurdity can take over, take a break and be replaced by new ideas. But maybe, it's just not possible or needs to be more or less absurd. How long do you try? What should I do in a world where no one can find any answers?

Amazing book

This book was amazing probably my favorite one from The Great Strugatsky brothers. The performance from the narrator was top notch, a highly recommend it.

Good Story and Relevant

I won't compare the modern state of the US to the horrors of the Soviet Union, but the representation of nonsensical bureaucracy in this story that once represented the social minefield of communism will also ring closer to home than one may expect in this age of COVID foolishness. Never the less, the story does not read as a political criticism as the authors wanted to keep their heads intact. This means you're still getting a solid science fiction experience without the childlike political tirades of modern American story tellers.

Almost interesting.

In summary, I think you need to be Russian to get this book. It's a lot of wandering philosophy and barely interesting soliloquy that is loosely tied together by some random stuff that happens; a lot like Ayn Rand (who was born in russia... hm...). I tried so hard to like this book. There were just enough interesting hints of what and where "The Experiment" was, that i kept going, thinking they would pull it all together and I could find out if my theories were correct. But that never happened. (Possibly I fell asleep and missed the punchline. )
I just did not care enough about the characters, they were one dimensional. The main character changed jobs/responsibilities throughout his journey, and that was interesting, as if they were trying to say people become the person they have to be to do the job. I am not sure that was the point of the story tho.
As to performance, he read just fine, emotion cadence etc, but his accents were SO distractingly bad. His Asian accents sounded just like Russian, and everything else was what you would imagine some random person off the street would attempt. If not for the fact that it helped identify who was speaking in the interminable pointless dialogs, I'd wish he hadn't bothered.
If you enjoy reading about people who get beat up by life, and just take it on the chin instead of try to better their lot, then talk on and on about it, you might enjoy this.

Great Book

A great book if you're a fan of the authors but please skip the introduction as it contains minor spoilers.