Paul Hederer Posted 1 November , 2004 Share Posted 1 November , 2004 August 1914, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, translated Michael Glenny, 622 pp. In print. August 1914 is the first book in the "The Red Wheel Series." This Solzhenitsyn novel covers roughly the period of the Russian invasion of East Prussia, through the defeat at Tannenberg. I have to say I love this book. Solzhenitsyn's captivating writing style had me engrossed in the book's many characters (in this it reminds me of "War and Peace.") I even found myself rooting for poor ole' Samsonov, the hapless commander of the ill-fated Russian II army. His attention to historical detail and his ability to capture the converational style of the characters from generals to privates really brought me into the novel. I liked especially getting into the heads of some of the major historical characters. A good read, and one I would recommend even more highly to anyone interested in the Russian war, or the Russians. I understand there is a new printing of the book out, published in 1989, with a superior translation to my 1972 edition. This is a voluminous tome, but I felt it was well worth the time investement to read it. Paul Hederer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 16 February , 2005 Share Posted 16 February , 2005 Paul, Is this something that someone with limited knowledge of the eastern front would be able to follow? And how many pages is voluminous.....? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 16 February , 2005 Share Posted 16 February , 2005 Andy guarantee most readers of this great author and fine book have much less knowledge of eastern front than you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 16 February , 2005 Share Posted 16 February , 2005 Russian novels are like Russian music ... it is attention to detail and complete submission to passion ... I used to say the only people on earth who should be allowed to write novels over 400 pages are the Russians ... (but then my two novels went 600 ... er ... maybe I just made my own point!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ste Posted 17 February , 2005 Share Posted 17 February , 2005 I've got a copy of this, it is terrific. The author paints a rich tapestry of life and death that envelops the reader completely, until one can almost hear the lonely shot with which poor old Samsonov ended his ordeal. The comparison with War and Peace is valid, but I think that those unfamiliar with Russian literature would find Solzhenitsyn more accessible. For an easy way into the genius of Tolstoy, try his short story 'The Death of Ivan Ilyitch'. Sublime. Ste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hederer Posted 17 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2005 Oh my, I lost this thread somehow...glad to see some of you got the book and are enjoying it! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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