Alexander Solzhenytsin first burst on to the literary scene in this harrowing autobiographical novel based on his own experiences as a prisoner on a Siberian gulag after World War II. It was published in 1962 with the personal authorization of Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev. Ironically, it was the last time Solzhenytsin would enjoy such official sanction. Almost immediately the lid came down on him. It's easy to see why. This book shows just how rotten, vile, hypocritical, and thoroughly despicable Stalinist Russia really was, and anyone die-hard Marxist who argues the contrary needs his eyes opened. Ironically, the book's publication in 1962 was taken as proof that the Soviet Union had changed, and Communist Parties in the west were among its most enthusiastic supporters. Solzhenitsyn writes in a spare, colloquial style, with liberal use of obscenity and slang, taking us through a typical day in the life of a typical prisoner. There is no torture or undue brutality, just back-breaking labor and no personal freedom. Although the Soviet empire crumbled in the early 1990s, it's easy to see that Solzhenitsyn's message is as pertinent today as ever, especially in the aftermath of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. This is a book everyone should read at least once, whatever their ideology.
