One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

I teach Russian literature to undergraduates, and the Willetts translation of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is by far the superior translation. The work was a huge critical success in the Soviet Union due to its nuanced integration of peasant vernacular and prison slang into its narrative structures. The older translations of this novel, which were originally released in the 60s, use stiff literary language and simply do not capture the idiom of the original . In addition, I believe Willetts' translation is still the only authorized one by the author, which includes sections that were not redacted or censored by the government during the original publication. (I do believe some of the newer editions of the Glenny translation include these sections as well.)Why three stars and not five? Amazon has made it incredibly difficult to actually find this translation for reasons that are unclear to me. Although it directs to the correct edition if you put in the ISBN number, if you click to explore other options, it redirects you back to a self-published, unauthorized version of a different translation of this novel. Several of my students ended up with this version, and were unable to use it due to formatting errors and a lack of page numbers. I'm not sure if Amazon is trying to promote its vanity press, but I find this practice to be unethical, and here it is probably also in violation of copyright laws, since it appears that the translation is self-published by some anonymous person who is reaping the benefits of someone else's translation work. (I'm not sure if Solzhenitsyn's estate is also receiving royalties.) So if you intend to purchase this translation, make sure you purchase the FSG Classics, the Everyman's library hardcover, or the kindle edition linked through this site.

One assumes that those who have stumbled across this review are probably already somewhat familiar with the work Solzhenitsyn so this review can be brief. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this novel because, though it is a novel--a work of fiction--it is also a historical document, one of the most important books of the twentieth century and essential for understanding the corruption of the Soviet system.The novel literally does bring the reader along for the ride during one day in the life of the titular character, a soldier falsely accused of treason and sentenced to a term of hard labor in the Gulag system of Siberian prison camps. The utter horror of this book is contained in the rich detail with which the author conveys life inside these camps (a life the author lived for himself), not only in the extremes of their abuses but in the minutiae of everyday life. The day described is not one of the most horrifying days--to fully grasp the horror of the Gulag, one needs to read other books including Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago. Indeed, the "one day" described is portrayed as a relatively good day, a perspective which forces the reader to confront the inhumanity of a system whose good days make for a bleak and depressing read.But the book is not merely a fictionalized documentary concerning what life was like in the prison camps, it is a historical document in its own right. It was this novel that (finally) brought the evils of the Gulag system into open discussion. Imagine the experience it must have been to read such a book upon its publication in 1962 and to realize that the events it described not only *did* happen but were *still* happening to the millions of prisoners who inhabited the prison camps that dotted the bleak Siberian landscape (which existed in modified form as late as the 1980s). While it would be folly to credit Solzhenitsyn with the fall of the Soviet Union (as some writers given to hyperbole have done), it would be equally unwise to discount the impact this book's revelations had on Russian history. In that way, reading this book is necessary not only to understand the nature of life inside the forced labor camps but to understand the course of Russian history in the 20th century.From a literary perspective, this is an odd work. With few events described in excruciating detail, the novel doesn't leave much room for the expected conflict/resolution or character arc. Instead, the novel presents a snapshot of an unchanging life. Combined with the dispiriting description of the lives of political prisoners, this makes for a less-than-enjoyable yet incredibly thought provoking and intellectually stimulating read. Upon finishing, the reader is left feeling quite glad to have read the book but perhaps equally glad that it's mercifully short. A longer book with the same subject matter could easily send the reader into a deep depression.In sum, you owe it to yourself to read this book, but you would be well-advised to save it for a day when you're more in the mood for intellectual stimulation than mere entertainment.

Absolutely one of the most amazing books I've ever read. Life under Stalin was difficult esp at Work camps. I love how Solzhenitsyn describes how Ivan survives, saving his energy from too much emotion, taking pride in his work when hardly anyone else takes pride in their work, taking risks to better your standing.. the risks MAY lead to death while not taking them leads to certain death. The family inside the work camps... such a beautiful story, extremely well written and easy to follow and easy to become lost in. Sad that we only get to spend one day with Ivan Denisovich...

9/10. Parker translation.I've read the full Gulag Archipelago to give context to this (unless you're familiar with it, this book will seem surreal; even Applebaum's Gulag History won't give enough background, though it's better than nothing), and Solzhenitsyn developed as a writer in a decade between Ivan Denisovich and his magisterial history. Still powerful, but nothing can top such a comparison.Think of Ivan Denisovich as a psychological study to accompany the chapter on the Anthropology of the Zek Species from Gulag vol 2.I believe the translator may have simplified some sentences and definitely used circumlocutions ('having another ten-year stretch hung on him' is properly translated 'handed another ten-ruble bill'), and not as good as translations of Gulag Archipelago or In the First Circle.

Not a long read, but fascinating insight (and storytelling) about life in a Soviet Gulag in Siberia during the Stalin reign. Most of the inmates were there based on trumped up charges, primarily based on Stalin's objective to eliminate all dissident thought. Very descriptive of the abysmal conditions under which the prisoners' live, and how they find their own ways to bear, both physically and mentally, their fate. The whole story arc takes place in the course of a single day, but you get a sense of a longer time period - endless days exactly like this one. A truly great book.

This is a small book. You can actually read it in a day or two. But it's absolutely fantastic. Utterly gripping, I couldn't put it down. And have read it twice now. Ivan is in such a dreadful place (a gulag camp) yet somehow the book takes you on a fabulous journey with him and its not depressing at all. In fact somehow its uplifting to the point where it made me question my own reality and the way I perceive my life.

I had big expectations of this book. The history behind it is legendary and the authenticity cannot be questioned.It is a fascinating account of just one day in the camps and I'm sure it was shocking when it was published.The problem is that it has not aged well as this subject has since been reported in much deeper ways, both fictionally and factually.I found myself getting bored with it (to my shame) and was pleased that is was such a small book.

It took me the 39 years between the first time I read it till the second time I read it to realise that it was called one day in the life and only had one chapter because it was actually the story of one day. I found it shocking and moving when I was 14 but I think the intervening 39 years added a bit more depth 😱🤣😉 Thankfully .

Very short read, good intro to Solzhenitsyn's literature (especially to Gulag Archipelago). It is in fictional format.Wouldn't say it is close to Faludy's "My Happy Days in Hell", or the Gulag Archipelago, as I have read them before One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, but if you start with this book, the experience can be even better.

I found some parts a bit hard to follow and tedious to read, such as describing the work and the meals. There were also too many characters to keep track of but I really liked the overall message. It portrays the very best and worst sides of humanity. How unbelievably vindictive and petty the warders were and how resilient and stoic the main character was. It's a useful reminder of how lucky we are to live in these times and how much we take for granted.