The Gulag Archipelago, Volume 1

An Experiment in Literary Investigation

By: Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

“BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY.” —Time

Volume 1 of the gripping epic masterpiece, Solzhenitsyn's chilling report of his arrest and interrogation, which exposed to the world the vast bureaucracy of secret police that haunted Soviet society. Features a new foreword by Anne Applebaum.

“The greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever leveled in modern times.” —George F. Kennan

“It is impossible to name a book that had a greater effect on the political and moral consciousness of the late twentieth century.” —David Remnick, The New Yorker

“Solzhenitsyn’s masterpiece. . . . The Gulag Archipelago helped create the world we live in today.” —Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag: A History, from the foreword

©2015 Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Hard to explain...

Just finished Volume 1 and it’s difficult imagine what Solzhenitsyn wrote is what actually took place. This is not to say I don’t believe it... on the contrary. It must be believed and it must never be forgotten.

The narrator does an exceptional job with his cadence and tone. His cheeky and at times humorous tone captures the good nature of Solzhenitsyn, as he endeavors to recount the most depressing atrocities of known to man. 5 stars to Davidson.

I will not venture to describe or review the story. It is what it is and it deserves to be read (or heard) by all who value liberty, believe in the dignity of the individual, and care for democratic principles. This is the story of what happens when those things are replaced with the tyranny of communism.

A somber reading of brutal fascism.

I found it a bit dry for nearly 30 hours. But what time it took me to listen was far more pleasant than the time experienced by the people in the story. It reminds me to stay sharp & keep a look out for tyranny.

Powerful and Disturbing

a terrifying glimpse into the darker parts of the human soul that will leave you scarred and, hopefully, grateful to be in better circumstances.

GRIPPING. DARK. TERRIBLE*

Like an ocean- or perhaps like the leviathan that is Soviet Russia, this is a literary work that defies summarization. In any case, I am attempting to deliver a distillation which may have the terroir and notes of its flavors and a sample of its texture.

Akin to Shirer's anthology on the Third Reich, Solzenhitsyn has written a story that MUST be read by everyone yet CANNOT be read by everyone. This is a painful read, not because it is poorly written or badly narrated (quite to the contrary) but in that the atrocities therein wound the reader. This is not a book you will be able to boast about, but this book will stretch you.

In many respects this story is a miracle. That it exists at all, took the monumental effort of brave souls buried beneath the behemoth that was the Gulag Archipelago. Soviet communism did its best to erase it, we are lucky to have it.

I am an English speaker, and will most likely never learn the Russian language. I cannot speak to the translation directly, to compare this to the original. I can say that despite this gulf I earnestly believe the efforts of the translator and the narrator leave you with a feeling of having sat across a table from the author and listened to his story first hand.

*Do not be afraid of this book, you need to hear what it has to say.

Enlightening

So many of us believe we are not capable of the atrocities committed by those described here. Sadly we are.

An important book...

Although it is a difficult listen with the clear, but dry and monotonous, narration, this is something I've been meaning to experience for a while. I promised to give the unabridged version a try because of the impact this investigation had on understanding the true nature of Soviet society and their tactics on the population. This book really gets into the nitty gritty and I don't think you need to listen to the unabridged version to get the points he makes, but the scope and detail here really does drive it home again and again. Worth your time if you are a student of history.

Mismatched Narrator and Type of Book

This non-fiction book is interestingly devastating. Nothing against the narrator, but, His style would be better suited with classical books rather than this type of factual storytelling. It may have have been more impactful were it delivered by one who has a more casual cadence.

The substance of the book itself however, was quite moving and sobering.

Great

performer did great but there are often times where you can hear other voices. kind of distracting. otherwise great.

Terrific book, terrible reading.

This is one of the most influential books of the 20th century. This book can be repetitive at times, but that only reinforces the idea that horror was the norm in the Gulag. The worst thing about this book is the reading. You can hear a voice in the background, as if this book and another were recorded in the same room. I’m not a fan of the voice, so much so I need a break from reading the second and third volume. The “performance” part, taking on different tones and accents falls short, it is the same impression for all characters, male and female alike.

Eye opening!

What an amazing firsthand account of a communistic society. How quickly we forget the lessons of the past.