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The Radio 3 Boards > General Chat > News And Current Affairs > Obituary Pages > Alexander Solzhenitsyn 1918-2008
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Author Topic: Alexander Solzhenitsyn 1918-2008  (Read 673 times)
Don Basilio
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Era solo un mio sospetto
« Reply #15 on: 21:24:45, 09-08-2008 »
I saw this when I was visiting my mother last week.

My father had been an enthusiast for AS and told me that A Day in the Life of ID was "jolly good."

When I was five, he told me Gilbert and Sullivan was  "jolly good" and I've never looked back.

When I was seven he told me that Dickens was  "jolly good" and after I had worked out F R Leavis was an nasty snob, I agreed.

But about ten I realised that my dear father's taste were a bit more Boy's Own Paper than I cared for, so I tended to disregard his enthusiasm.  (There are a lot of books by Patrick O'Brien at my mother's, though thank heavens none of Andy McNab's.)

I have looked out Dad's very battered copy of Cancer Ward and I will read it some time this year. 

I have looked out his equally battered copy of The First Circle and will take it away later.

(Mum was registered blind within a year of Dad's death, so there are a lot of books in her house, which she is happy to be taken away.)

(I'm not sure Dad's copy of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom was such a good idea.  The movie was better.)
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
trained-pianist
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« Reply #16 on: 21:53:23, 09-08-2008 »
Tell us what you think about Solzhenitsyn books after you read them I probably need a second reading of most of them.

Most people love One day in the life of ID. Cancer Ward is not bad according to most. 

I read his book Lenin in Zurich and thought it was not too good or interesting. I read it in 1977 and may be my opinion needs  revision.
Sonzhenitsyn output is not even (in my view), his views are peculiar even for Russians. He has respect from all and he is treasured. I saw him being buried in Novodevichiy. They said there will be a street named after him in Moscow.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #17 on: 17:35:56, 11-08-2008 »
The death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn was featured in Last Word on Radio 4. Here's a link to the website with listen back option:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/lastword.shtml

Life stories of Simon Gray and Pauline Baynes were also included.
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
Don Basilio
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Era solo un mio sospetto
« Reply #18 on: 11:34:52, 28-08-2008 »
I have just finished Cancer Ward.  I find it difficult to say how I took it.  I was not really moved, unless the situation of the characters was so awful I was just blanking out any reaction.

It took a lot of granted about post Stalinist USSR, which I didn't know.  The condemnation of Stalinism was far more indirect than I expected.  We still saw people making decisions in their daily and personal lives.

On the whole it was a work of hope, in so far as it showed people making something of their lives in frightening and oppresive circumstances.  The cancer ward/USSR parallel that is meant to be there did not strike me so much, due to my ignorance of what daily life was like there and then.  Oleg's visit to the zoo in the last chapter seemed to me as much a metaphor for Stalinist USSR, with all the animals in cages.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
trained-pianist
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Posts: 5455
« Reply #19 on: 20:20:49, 28-08-2008 »
Don Basilio,
I agree with your post.

Out of all Solzhenitsyn works I only like One day of Ivan Denisovich.

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pim_derks
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« Reply #20 on: 20:24:57, 05-09-2008 »
A "pointer":

http://r3ok.myforum365.com/index.php?topic=3513.msg134648;topicseen#msg134648

Wink
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
trained-pianist
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« Reply #21 on: 20:36:38, 05-09-2008 »
Thank you pim_derks. Thank you very much for this information. 
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