This book is a rather lengthy look at the Soviet labor camps. And in passing, I hope I never have to live through anything like that. And I truly think that as used to freedom as we Americans are, it’ll be a while before we could behave like the Soviets. Not that we are better people than they were, but we have a whole different attitude and society. The czars, or tsars as I prefer because it looks cooler, weren’t much better than the commies, so Russians were already used to the idea of going to jail for saying or thinking wrongly. I can’t fathom why they didn’t beat these guys up and kick them out. That’s why America has a ways to go still. But there’s no accounting for human behavior. We could probably turn on a dime and then I’d be sorry.
But on with our story. It was stuffed to the gills with facts and figures, without ever quite giving up the human side of the suffering. It came darn close though. IMHO, most of the problem was she used the metric system, no doubt because that is what the original information was in. But to me, 500 grams of bread means nothing. Is that a loaf? Is it a bun? What? Later on in the book, like two-thirds of the way through, some of this was clarified, but it was far too late by then.
This book is, I think, very even-handed in its consideration of the matter. She presents the facts, a great deal taken from recently declassified Soviet material, clearly and logically. It was easy to follow the chronology. The book is divided into three parts; the beginning of the system and its early years; a look at life from the inside; and the later years. It felt to me to concentrate on the Stalin years, but with enough prior to Stalin to see how the system came into being, and after Stalin it was just in mop-up mode. Quotes and descriptions from survivors memoirs are used quite well throughout to humanize the facts and figures and clarify the vast amounts of suffering taking place.
I would definitely recommend it to those who are interested in and know nothing about the Gulag. In the end, I’m glad I read it, but I won’t be rereading it. I would rather reread Gulag Archipelago.
P.S. As soon as I find a new book to read, I’ll change the sidebar. I know you were worried.
Not So Fast 