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Contos de Kolim谩 #1
螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维
螘魏未慰蟿喂魏蠈 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟼 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 螘位位维未伪 蟽蠀谓喂蟽蟿维 畏 魏蠀魏位慰蠁慰蟻委伪 蟿蠅谓 未喂畏纬畏渭维蟿蠅谓 蟿慰蠀 螔伪蟻位维渭 危伪位维渭慰蠁, 蟺慰蠀 蠁蟿维谓慰蠀谓 蟽蟿慰 蔚位位畏谓喂魏蠈 伪谓伪纬谓蠅蟽蟿喂魏蠈 魏慰喂谓蠈 渭蔚 魏伪胃蠀蟽蟿苇蟻畏蟽畏 蟽伪蟻维谓蟿伪 蟽蠂蔚未蠈谓 蠂蟻蠈谓蠅谓, 蟽蟿畏谓 慰位慰魏位畏蟻蠅渭苇谓畏 渭慰蟻蠁萎 蟿慰蠀蟼, 蟽蟿畏谓 苇魏未慰蟽畏 未畏位伪未萎 蟿蠅谓 145 喂蟽蟿慰蟻喂蠋谓, 蠀蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 纬蔚谓喂魏蠈 蟿委蟿位慰 "螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 慰蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维". 螣 螔伪蟻位维渭 危伪位维渭慰蠁 苇蠂蔚喂 伪谓伪纬谓蠅蟻喂蟽蟿蔚委 未喂蔚胃谓蠋蟼 蠅蟼 苇谓伪蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺喂慰 蟽畏渭伪谓蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 巍蠋蟽慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚味慰纬蟻维蠁慰蠀蟼 蟿慰蠀 20慰蠉 伪喂蠋谓伪, 蠈蠂喂 渭蠈谓慰 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈 胃苇渭伪 蟿慰蠀 苇蟻纬慰蠀 蟿慰蠀, 伪位位维 魏伪喂 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻畏 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 尾伪蟻蠉蟿畏蟿伪, 纬喂慰 蟿畏谓 伪蟺伪喂蟿畏蟿喂魏萎 渭慰蟻蠁萎 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉谓蟿慰渭畏蟼 伪蠁萎纬畏蟽畏蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂维位蔚尉蔚 谓伪 渭伪蟼 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽喂维蟽蔚喂 蟿慰谓 味慰蠁蔚蟻蠈 魏蠈蟽渭慰 蟿蠅谓 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿慰蟺苇未蠅谓 蟽蟿伪 慰蟺慰委伪 蟺苇蟻伪蟽蔚 蟿畏 渭喂蟽萎 蔚谓萎位喂魏畏 味蠅萎 蟿慰蠀.
韦慰 胃苇渭伪 蟿慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚蟺喂未苇蠂蔚蟿伪喂 蟺位伪蟿喂伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼, 魏伪位慰位慰纬委蔚蟼, 蔚尉蠅蟻伪蠆蟽渭慰蠉蟼. 螘委谓伪喂 蠅渭蠈 魏伪喂 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 味慰蠁蔚蟻蠈. 螘委谓伪喂 畏 味蠅萎 蟽蟿慰 蠈蟻喂慰 蟿慰蠀 胃伪谓维蟿慰蠀 -蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏慰蠉, 畏胃喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂, 魏蠀蟻委蠅蟼, 蠁蠀蟽喂魏慰蠉- 蔚魏伪蟿慰谓蟿维未蠅谓 蠂喂位喂维未蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蟽蟿伪 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿蠈蟺蔚未伪 蔚蟻纬伪蟽委伪蟼 蟿萎蟼 危慰尾喂蔚蟿喂魏萎蟼 螆谓蠅蟽畏蟼 魏伪蟿维 蟿喂蟼 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委蔚蟼 '30-'50. 韦畏谓 蠅渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰 伪未喂伪谓蠈畏蟿慰 伪蠀蟿萎蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 渭伪蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻维蠄蔚喂 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 未蠀谓伪蟿萎 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭委伪 位蠈纬慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭维蟿蠅谓. 螣喂 "螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维" 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚谓蟿苇位蔚喂 苇谓伪 谓蟿慰魏慰蠀渭苇谓蟿慰, 渭喂伪 渭伪蟻蟿蠀蟻委伪, 魏伪喂 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蠂蟻慰谓伪 蠀蠄畏位萎 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪. 螣 蟺位苇慰谓 蠅渭蠈蟼 蟻蔚伪位喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 渭蟺慰位喂伪蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿慰 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽喂伪魏蠈 蟿畏蟼 蟿苇蠂谓畏蟼, 蟽蔚 蟿苇蟿慰喂慰 尾伪胃渭蠈 蟺慰蠀 慰 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿畏蟼 谓伪 未蠀蟽魏慰位蔚蠉蔚蟿伪喂 谓伪 蟿伪 尉蔚蠂蠅蟻委蟽蔚喂.
螒谓 胃蔚位萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蠈渭蠅蟼 谓伪 伪谓伪味畏蟿萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蠀蟽委伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟿苇蟿慰喂慰蠀 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉 蔚纬蠂蔚喂蟻萎渭伪蟿慰蟼 蠈蟺蠅蟼 慰喂 "螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维", 慰蠁蔚委位慰蠀渭蔚 谓伪 伪魏慰位慰蠀胃萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰未蠈 蟺慰蠀 渭伪蟼 未委谓蔚喂 慰 委未喂慰蟼 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蠈蟿伪谓 蟽畏渭蔚喂蠋谓蔚喂: "韦伪 纬蟻伪蟺蟿维 渭慰蠀 伪蠁慰蟻慰蠉谓 蟿伪 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿蠈蟺蔚未伪 蟽蠀纬魏苇谓蟿蟻蠅蟽畏蟼 蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿维 蟿慰蠀 螘尉蠀蟺蔚蟻蠉 蟿慰谓 慰蠀蟻伪谓蠈 萎 蟿慰蠀 螠苇位尾喂位 蟿畏 胃维位伪蟽蟽伪. 螔伪蟽喂魏维, 慰喂 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 渭慰蠀 蟽蠀谓喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓 慰未畏纬委蔚蟼 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟺蠅蟼 谓伪 未蟻伪 魏伪谓蔚委蟼 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 蟺位萎胃慰蟼. 螡伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈蠂喂 伪蟺位蠋蟼 位喂纬维魏喂 伪蟻喂蟽蟿蔚蟻蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 伪蟺' 蟿' 伪蟻喂蟽蟿蔚蟻维, 渭伪 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 伪位畏胃喂谓蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 伪位萎胃蔚喂伪 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪. 螕喂伪 蟿慰 伪委渭伪 蟺慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 伪位畏胃苇蟼 魏喂 伪谓蠋谓蠀渭慰".
韦慰 胃苇渭伪 蟿慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚蟺喂未苇蠂蔚蟿伪喂 蟺位伪蟿喂伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼, 魏伪位慰位慰纬委蔚蟼, 蔚尉蠅蟻伪蠆蟽渭慰蠉蟼. 螘委谓伪喂 蠅渭蠈 魏伪喂 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 味慰蠁蔚蟻蠈. 螘委谓伪喂 畏 味蠅萎 蟽蟿慰 蠈蟻喂慰 蟿慰蠀 胃伪谓维蟿慰蠀 -蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏慰蠉, 畏胃喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂, 魏蠀蟻委蠅蟼, 蠁蠀蟽喂魏慰蠉- 蔚魏伪蟿慰谓蟿维未蠅谓 蠂喂位喂维未蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蟽蟿伪 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿蠈蟺蔚未伪 蔚蟻纬伪蟽委伪蟼 蟿萎蟼 危慰尾喂蔚蟿喂魏萎蟼 螆谓蠅蟽畏蟼 魏伪蟿维 蟿喂蟼 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委蔚蟼 '30-'50. 韦畏谓 蠅渭蠈蟿畏蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰 伪未喂伪谓蠈畏蟿慰 伪蠀蟿萎蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 渭伪蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻维蠄蔚喂 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 未蠀谓伪蟿萎 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭委伪 位蠈纬慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭维蟿蠅谓. 螣喂 "螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维" 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚谓蟿苇位蔚喂 苇谓伪 谓蟿慰魏慰蠀渭苇谓蟿慰, 渭喂伪 渭伪蟻蟿蠀蟻委伪, 魏伪喂 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蠂蟻慰谓伪 蠀蠄畏位萎 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪. 螣 蟺位苇慰谓 蠅渭蠈蟼 蟻蔚伪位喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 渭蟺慰位喂伪蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏维 渭蔚 蟿慰 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽喂伪魏蠈 蟿畏蟼 蟿苇蠂谓畏蟼, 蟽蔚 蟿苇蟿慰喂慰 尾伪胃渭蠈 蟺慰蠀 慰 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿畏蟼 谓伪 未蠀蟽魏慰位蔚蠉蔚蟿伪喂 谓伪 蟿伪 尉蔚蠂蠅蟻委蟽蔚喂.
螒谓 胃蔚位萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蠈渭蠅蟼 谓伪 伪谓伪味畏蟿萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰蠀蟽委伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟿苇蟿慰喂慰蠀 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉 蔚纬蠂蔚喂蟻萎渭伪蟿慰蟼 蠈蟺蠅蟼 慰喂 "螜蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 螝慰位喂渭维", 慰蠁蔚委位慰蠀渭蔚 谓伪 伪魏慰位慰蠀胃萎蟽慰蠀渭蔚 蟿畏谓 慰未蠈 蟺慰蠀 渭伪蟼 未委谓蔚喂 慰 委未喂慰蟼 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蠈蟿伪谓 蟽畏渭蔚喂蠋谓蔚喂: "韦伪 纬蟻伪蟺蟿维 渭慰蠀 伪蠁慰蟻慰蠉谓 蟿伪 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿蠈蟺蔚未伪 蟽蠀纬魏苇谓蟿蟻蠅蟽畏蟼 蠈蟽慰 伪蠀蟿维 蟿慰蠀 螘尉蠀蟺蔚蟻蠉 蟿慰谓 慰蠀蟻伪谓蠈 萎 蟿慰蠀 螠苇位尾喂位 蟿畏 胃维位伪蟽蟽伪. 螔伪蟽喂魏维, 慰喂 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 渭慰蠀 蟽蠀谓喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓 慰未畏纬委蔚蟼 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟺蠅蟼 谓伪 未蟻伪 魏伪谓蔚委蟼 渭苇蟽伪 蟽蟿慰 蟺位萎胃慰蟼. 螡伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈蠂喂 伪蟺位蠋蟼 位喂纬维魏喂 伪蟻喂蟽蟿蔚蟻蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 伪蟺' 蟿' 伪蟻喂蟽蟿蔚蟻维, 渭伪 伪魏蠈渭伪 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 伪位畏胃喂谓蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 伪位萎胃蔚喂伪 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪. 螕喂伪 蟿慰 伪委渭伪 蟺慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 伪位畏胃苇蟼 魏喂 伪谓蠋谓蠀渭慰".
1966 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
584 people are currently reading
16150 people want to read
About the author
Varlam Shalamov
85听books219听followersVarlam Tikhonovich Shalamov (Russian: 袙邪褉谢邪屑 孝懈褏芯薪芯胁懈褔 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁; June 18, 1907鈥揓anuary 17, 1982), baptized as Varlaam, was a Russian writer, journalist and poet.
Alternate spellings of his name:
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁
Varlam Chalamov
War艂am Sza艂amow
Warlam Schalamow
V. T. Shalamov
Varlam 葮alamov
Alternate spellings of his name:
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁
Varlam Chalamov
War艂am Sza艂amow
Warlam Schalamow
V. T. Shalamov
Varlam 葮alamov
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
August 18, 2024
Kolyma Tales is a book in which every story is a dirge of sorrow鈥�
Writing his book Varlam Shalamov was this man beating a road down through the virgin snow so the others could read it and follow in the footsteps of his memory.
Hunger, horror, fear, humiliation: everything was used to turn a thinking man into a stupid animal.
The main task of the communist state was to turn a sentient individual into a thoughtless slave blindly obeying the dictator鈥檚 will.
鈥楳artyr鈥� is derived from the Greek word 鈥榳itness鈥欌€� And Varlam Shalamov, among the millions of the silent victims, was a martyr of history too.
The main task of a human being in any inhuman conditions is to survive.
How is a road beaten down through the virgin snow? One person walks ahead, sweating, swearing, and barely moving his feet. He keeps getting stuck in the loose, deep snow. He goes far ahead, marking his path with uneven black pits. When he tires, he lies down on the snow, lights a home-made cigarette, and the tobacco smoke hangs suspended above the white, gleaming snow like a blue cloud. The man moves on, but the cloud remains hovering above the spot where he rested, for the air is motionless. Roads are always beaten down on days like these 鈥� so that the wind won鈥檛 sweep away this labor of man.
Writing his book Varlam Shalamov was this man beating a road down through the virgin snow so the others could read it and follow in the footsteps of his memory.
Supper was over. Slowly Glebov licked the bowl and brushed the breadcrumbs methodically from the table into his left palm. Without swallowing, he felt each miniature fragment of bread in his mouth coated greedily with a thick layer of saliva. Glebov couldn鈥檛 have said whether it tasted good or not. Taste was an entirely different thing, not worthy to be compared with this passionate sensation that made all else recede into oblivion. Glebov was in no hurry to swallow; the bread itself melted in his mouth and quickly vanished.
Hunger, horror, fear, humiliation: everything was used to turn a thinking man into a stupid animal.
Envy, like all our feelings, had been dulled and weakened by hunger. We lacked the strength to experience emotions, to seek easier work, to walk, to ask, to beg鈥� We envied only our acquaintances, the ones who had been lucky enough to get office work, a job in the hospital or the stables 鈥� wherever there was none of the long physical labor glorified as heroic and noble in signs above all the camp gates.
The main task of the communist state was to turn a sentient individual into a thoughtless slave blindly obeying the dictator鈥檚 will.
The poet was dying. His hands, swollen from hunger with their white bloodless fingers and filthy overgrown nails, lay on his chest, exposed to the cold. He used to put them under his shirt, against his naked body, but there was too little warmth there now. His mittens had long since been stolen; to steal in the middle of the day all a thief needed was brazenness. A dim electric sun, spotted by flies and shackled in a round screen, was affixed to the high ceiling. Light fell on the poet鈥檚 feet, and he lay, as if in a box, in the dark depths of the bottom layer of bunks that stretched in two unbroken rows all around the walls of the room.
鈥楳artyr鈥� is derived from the Greek word 鈥榳itness鈥欌€� And Varlam Shalamov, among the millions of the silent victims, was a martyr of history too.
The main task of a human being in any inhuman conditions is to survive.
January 5, 2019
Kolyma Tales was my first used book purchase via Amazon. (I feel obligated to honor our benefactor at every turn now. I even touch my breast when I say Amazon.)
Emerging from a blue period, I truly had no idea how beautiful this harrowing account would be. I don't detect any tension between the sublime and Kolyma. Imre Kert茅sz has taught me well. It is chance, it is human. Survival simply wasn't possible. Those that did emerge, were stripped of something. A loss occurred. Kolyma is a protean creation: it is a novel, a collection, a testament, an indictment, a discarded path towards something which couldn't be Hope.
Hungry men will always defend justice furiously (if they are not too hungry or too exhausted).
Consider my dilemma, I was so moved by this book over the last few days yet the events depicted are so alien and hostile as to defy comment. I kept reading, finding myself strangely hungry. I was spared the standard Kolyma dream of loaves of rye bread. Even while quaffing ale, I thought about those that drank medical alcohol at the expense of their patients. I thought repeatedly about the carpenter's puppy: that's all I can say about that particular anecdote. There are always foot rags to be adjusted, heels to be scratched time in the infirmary. There are innumerable others. I give Kolyma Tales my highest recommendation.
Emerging from a blue period, I truly had no idea how beautiful this harrowing account would be. I don't detect any tension between the sublime and Kolyma. Imre Kert茅sz has taught me well. It is chance, it is human. Survival simply wasn't possible. Those that did emerge, were stripped of something. A loss occurred. Kolyma is a protean creation: it is a novel, a collection, a testament, an indictment, a discarded path towards something which couldn't be Hope.
Hungry men will always defend justice furiously (if they are not too hungry or too exhausted).
Consider my dilemma, I was so moved by this book over the last few days yet the events depicted are so alien and hostile as to defy comment. I kept reading, finding myself strangely hungry. I was spared the standard Kolyma dream of loaves of rye bread. Even while quaffing ale, I thought about those that drank medical alcohol at the expense of their patients. I thought repeatedly about the carpenter's puppy: that's all I can say about that particular anecdote. There are always foot rags to be adjusted, heels to be scratched time in the infirmary. There are innumerable others. I give Kolyma Tales my highest recommendation.
October 23, 2013
This was a tough read but one I am very glad to have read. This was a collection of stories about the conditions in Soviet forced-labour camps during the Stalinist regime. It definitely filled in many of the knowledge gaps I had of what happened in the Siberian gulags. Only someone who spent time in a Siberian labour camp could ever have come up with such a collection of short stories, stories that capture the abysmal conditions of the camps, describe what the camp does to the human psyche (both the prisoner鈥檚 and the officer鈥檚), and the new codes the prisoners must adhere to. What I found astounding were the details included in each story. They were definitely not things most of us would consider.
鈥淣ature in the north is not impersonal or indifferent; it is in conspiracy with those who sent us.鈥�
The disease, hunger, violence and despair are all described in descriptive detail. The conditions beg the question: does anybody really deserve to be sent to such places, regardless of the crime they (allegedly) committed? Siberia is a place where winter temperatures are often around -60F, where temperatures of -13F was considered summery. Of course, what makes things even worse is the fact that most of the people sent to the camp weren鈥檛 even criminals, but innocent victims of the Stalinist regime. Plus, often their sentences were disproportionate to their supposed crimes.
鈥淭he arrests of the thirties were arrests of random victims on the false and terrifying theory of a heightened class struggle accompanying the strengthening of socialism.鈥�
I liked the structure of the book; it was divided into several short stories, each dealing with different characters. Shalamov鈥檚 tone was also very matter-of-fact, so it was easier for me to handle the gruesome details.
This is definitely such an important work of literature. I can only imagine with his 17 years of living in Kolyma, Shalamov had to get everything out of his system.
To end with a quote I really liked : 鈥淟ife repeats Shakespearian themes more often than we think.鈥�
A big THANK YOU to Vera for recommending this book to me :)
鈥淣ature in the north is not impersonal or indifferent; it is in conspiracy with those who sent us.鈥�
The disease, hunger, violence and despair are all described in descriptive detail. The conditions beg the question: does anybody really deserve to be sent to such places, regardless of the crime they (allegedly) committed? Siberia is a place where winter temperatures are often around -60F, where temperatures of -13F was considered summery. Of course, what makes things even worse is the fact that most of the people sent to the camp weren鈥檛 even criminals, but innocent victims of the Stalinist regime. Plus, often their sentences were disproportionate to their supposed crimes.
鈥淭he arrests of the thirties were arrests of random victims on the false and terrifying theory of a heightened class struggle accompanying the strengthening of socialism.鈥�
I liked the structure of the book; it was divided into several short stories, each dealing with different characters. Shalamov鈥檚 tone was also very matter-of-fact, so it was easier for me to handle the gruesome details.
This is definitely such an important work of literature. I can only imagine with his 17 years of living in Kolyma, Shalamov had to get everything out of his system.
To end with a quote I really liked : 鈥淟ife repeats Shakespearian themes more often than we think.鈥�
A big THANK YOU to Vera for recommending this book to me :)
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March 21, 2015
I鈥檝e written before about the idea of an 鈥榠rrational attachment to life,鈥� which means that no matter how awful, how painful and degrading existence is one cannot forsake it. Not only that but, with a miser鈥檚 spirit, one actively clings to it. Of course it is not true of all 鈥� otherwise there would never be any suicide 鈥� but it is certainly true of many, including me. I had a very difficult childhood, and I would fantasise a lot about getting away, but at no point did I ever not want to be here. Quite the opposite: I would often cry in bed at night because I was so scared of dying. There鈥檚 something very funny about that, in a way鈥ome kid weeping鈥egging鈥lease give me more of this excruciating, this horrible life!
Why do some of us cling to life, no matter how awful that life may be? You could argue that it is the masochistic impulse. I believe in that, certainly. I think we have both a sadistic and masochistic impulse [one of which may be more pronounced in some], and that these influence many of our behaviours. I鈥檓 not convinced, however, that the masochistic impulse is responsible in this case, because an attachment to life in awful circumstances need not involve actively seeking out those circumstances [which would be necessary for me to consider it masochistic]. I think the desire to stay alive is a more basic, primordial impulse. A few years ago my cat fell out of a window and smashed his legs and split the palette in his mouth in two, but rather than lie down and succumb to what must have been a strong desire to give in he actually managed to drag himself out of the way of immediate danger and under a car. His instinct for survival was, you might say, absurdly strong, but there it was, urging him to protect what was left of his pain-wracked body. It鈥檚 an extraordinary thing, although It鈥檚 not necessarily admirable.
Varlam Shalamov spent, in total, seventeen years in prison and labour camps or Gulags. After his final release he commenced work upon a collection of short stories that dealt with camp and prison life. This collection came to be called Kolyma Tales. Kolyma is the name of the region where the camp was located in which the author served ten years. As this book, and others, attest life in the Russian labour camps was extraordinarily grim, with arctic conditions, beatings, scurvy, meagre rations, and near-unendurable work being the norm; the prisons weren鈥檛 much better.
If there is a philosophical idea behind Shalamov鈥檚 work it is what I wrote about in the opening paragraphs. Most of his characters are survivors, as was the man himself, even though the desire to survive seems absurd. Another day of this? Of starvation, misery, exhaustion? Yes. Because what else is there but another day?
On numerous occasions the author is at pains to impress upon the reader that suffering, true suffering, does not engender camaraderie or ennoble the spirit. The consequence of life in the camps is that the prisoners become animalistic, their engagement with life is reduced to that of instinct. In many of his stories the most important thing to the characters is to get warm, or attempt to; many also steal from the dead in order to give themselves a better chance of survival. However, it is, once again, important to point out that for Shalamov this survival is absolutely not heroic, it just is. This is emphasised by the author鈥檚 dispassionate or matter-of-fact style. It is a style that is reminiscent of Imre Kertesz鈥檚 Fatelessness, yet lacks the Hungarian鈥檚 subtle irony. Shalamov plays it straight, without the hint of an upraised eyebrow.
I do not want to give the impression, however, that the Russian鈥檚 stories are thinly disguised autobiography, or that they are essentially a form of documentary or reportage. To see them in this way does the writer a huge disservice. What was most impressive, for me, aside from the incredible consistency, was the literary quality of each of Shalamov鈥檚 short tales. The structure and pacing, for example, are immaculate. There is one story, In the Night, in which two men set out along a path leading to a pile of rocks. One thinks, of course, that they have been put to work, especially when they start to move the rocks. Yet the conclusion of the story reveals that what they are actually doing is digging up a deceased comrade, in order to steal his clothes. There is no unnecessary exposition, no melodrama, just a great deal of control and a sharp, quick punch in the guts at the end. In the Night is one of the earliest stories in the collection, and I knew after reading it that Shalamov was a master of the form.
In the very best short stories there is a world both inside and outside of the narrative. This is true also of Shalamov鈥檚 work. Take In the Night again where there is the actual narrated action, but also a host of unanswered questions about who the dead man is, how he died, who the two men digging him up are, how they came to be incarcerated, and so on. In this way I was reminded strongly of Raymond Carver, whose snapshots are similarly restrained and yet suggestive of a more detailed narrative that is ultimately left to your imagination. Also like Carver, and Chekhov too, Shalamov is essentially apolitical and totally non-judgemental. For Carver and Chekhov that would have would been, one imagines, an easier feat than for this writer, whose tales all deal with people arrested [often on trumped up charges] under Stalin鈥檚 government. This refusal to fully engage with politics, the distance Shalamov maintains from the political climate of the time, serves to emphasise just how isolated, how cut off, his characters are from the outside world.
Shalamov does, however, make frequent references to literature. In certain stories he writes about Pushkin and Chekhov; in others he mentions a deck of playing cards that are made out of a Victor Hugo novel and discusses how inmates who can retell well-known or published stories are called novelists. More interestingly, some of the prisoners are named after famous Russian characters, such as Tolstoy鈥檚 Vronsky; and Andrei Platonov, a real life figure, and fellow writer, also makes an appearance, even though we know, of course, that he never served time in a prison. Russian writers, it has always struck me, are the most self-referential, but Shalamov, I imagine, wasn鈥檛 merely giving shout-outs. If you take Platonov as an example, he himself was a controversial figure, who Stalin apparently disliked, and so one might argue that he could easily, on this basis, have ended up in a camp, which were full of intellectuals anyway. I think in using Platonov and Vronsky and so on, he is saying that this could literally happen to anyone, that anyone, no matter what their status is, could find themselves in this horrific situation. Furthermore, by populating his tales with well-known Russians, in pointing to the country's golden past or literary heritage, one might argue that Shalamov, whether intentionally or not, is subtly saying: look how we have come from that to this.
Why do some of us cling to life, no matter how awful that life may be? You could argue that it is the masochistic impulse. I believe in that, certainly. I think we have both a sadistic and masochistic impulse [one of which may be more pronounced in some], and that these influence many of our behaviours. I鈥檓 not convinced, however, that the masochistic impulse is responsible in this case, because an attachment to life in awful circumstances need not involve actively seeking out those circumstances [which would be necessary for me to consider it masochistic]. I think the desire to stay alive is a more basic, primordial impulse. A few years ago my cat fell out of a window and smashed his legs and split the palette in his mouth in two, but rather than lie down and succumb to what must have been a strong desire to give in he actually managed to drag himself out of the way of immediate danger and under a car. His instinct for survival was, you might say, absurdly strong, but there it was, urging him to protect what was left of his pain-wracked body. It鈥檚 an extraordinary thing, although It鈥檚 not necessarily admirable.
Varlam Shalamov spent, in total, seventeen years in prison and labour camps or Gulags. After his final release he commenced work upon a collection of short stories that dealt with camp and prison life. This collection came to be called Kolyma Tales. Kolyma is the name of the region where the camp was located in which the author served ten years. As this book, and others, attest life in the Russian labour camps was extraordinarily grim, with arctic conditions, beatings, scurvy, meagre rations, and near-unendurable work being the norm; the prisons weren鈥檛 much better.
鈥淲e have to squeeze everything out of a prisoner in the first three months 鈥� after that we don鈥檛 need him anymore.鈥� 鈥� Naftaly Frenkel, Camp commander [from Solzhenitsyn鈥檚 Gulag Archipelago].
泻芯薪褔械薪褘泄
Translation: 鈥榞oner鈥� or 鈥榙oomed.鈥�
If there is a philosophical idea behind Shalamov鈥檚 work it is what I wrote about in the opening paragraphs. Most of his characters are survivors, as was the man himself, even though the desire to survive seems absurd. Another day of this? Of starvation, misery, exhaustion? Yes. Because what else is there but another day?
On numerous occasions the author is at pains to impress upon the reader that suffering, true suffering, does not engender camaraderie or ennoble the spirit. The consequence of life in the camps is that the prisoners become animalistic, their engagement with life is reduced to that of instinct. In many of his stories the most important thing to the characters is to get warm, or attempt to; many also steal from the dead in order to give themselves a better chance of survival. However, it is, once again, important to point out that for Shalamov this survival is absolutely not heroic, it just is. This is emphasised by the author鈥檚 dispassionate or matter-of-fact style. It is a style that is reminiscent of Imre Kertesz鈥檚 Fatelessness, yet lacks the Hungarian鈥檚 subtle irony. Shalamov plays it straight, without the hint of an upraised eyebrow.
I do not want to give the impression, however, that the Russian鈥檚 stories are thinly disguised autobiography, or that they are essentially a form of documentary or reportage. To see them in this way does the writer a huge disservice. What was most impressive, for me, aside from the incredible consistency, was the literary quality of each of Shalamov鈥檚 short tales. The structure and pacing, for example, are immaculate. There is one story, In the Night, in which two men set out along a path leading to a pile of rocks. One thinks, of course, that they have been put to work, especially when they start to move the rocks. Yet the conclusion of the story reveals that what they are actually doing is digging up a deceased comrade, in order to steal his clothes. There is no unnecessary exposition, no melodrama, just a great deal of control and a sharp, quick punch in the guts at the end. In the Night is one of the earliest stories in the collection, and I knew after reading it that Shalamov was a master of the form.
In the very best short stories there is a world both inside and outside of the narrative. This is true also of Shalamov鈥檚 work. Take In the Night again where there is the actual narrated action, but also a host of unanswered questions about who the dead man is, how he died, who the two men digging him up are, how they came to be incarcerated, and so on. In this way I was reminded strongly of Raymond Carver, whose snapshots are similarly restrained and yet suggestive of a more detailed narrative that is ultimately left to your imagination. Also like Carver, and Chekhov too, Shalamov is essentially apolitical and totally non-judgemental. For Carver and Chekhov that would have would been, one imagines, an easier feat than for this writer, whose tales all deal with people arrested [often on trumped up charges] under Stalin鈥檚 government. This refusal to fully engage with politics, the distance Shalamov maintains from the political climate of the time, serves to emphasise just how isolated, how cut off, his characters are from the outside world.
Shalamov does, however, make frequent references to literature. In certain stories he writes about Pushkin and Chekhov; in others he mentions a deck of playing cards that are made out of a Victor Hugo novel and discusses how inmates who can retell well-known or published stories are called novelists. More interestingly, some of the prisoners are named after famous Russian characters, such as Tolstoy鈥檚 Vronsky; and Andrei Platonov, a real life figure, and fellow writer, also makes an appearance, even though we know, of course, that he never served time in a prison. Russian writers, it has always struck me, are the most self-referential, but Shalamov, I imagine, wasn鈥檛 merely giving shout-outs. If you take Platonov as an example, he himself was a controversial figure, who Stalin apparently disliked, and so one might argue that he could easily, on this basis, have ended up in a camp, which were full of intellectuals anyway. I think in using Platonov and Vronsky and so on, he is saying that this could literally happen to anyone, that anyone, no matter what their status is, could find themselves in this horrific situation. Furthermore, by populating his tales with well-known Russians, in pointing to the country's golden past or literary heritage, one might argue that Shalamov, whether intentionally or not, is subtly saying: look how we have come from that to this.
"I鈥檇 like to have my arms and legs cut off and become a human stump 鈥� no arms or legs. Then I鈥檇 be strong enough to spit in their faces for everything they鈥檙e doing to us."
May 27, 2020
Burada hep a莽s谋n, yorgunsun, donuyorsun鈥� Yaralar谋n iyile艧miyor, kemiklerin 谋s谋nm谋yor, bitler 眉zerinde geziniyor. T眉m g眉c眉n眉 sadece hayatta kalmak, sadece ayakta kalmak i莽in harc谋yorsun. Duygulara yer yok burada, kin tutamazs谋n ya da 枚fke duyamazs谋n, duygulara ay谋raca臒谋n her enerji zerresine ihtiyac谋n var, ayakta kalamazs谋n yoksa. O nedenle umursamazs谋n. Daha 枚nce 枚臒rendiklerin burada ge莽ersiz, entelekt眉el becerilerin seni daha zay谋f k谋l谋yor. Adi su莽lular en g眉莽l眉ler ve herkesin 眉st眉ndeler, ac谋mas谋z ve vah艧iler. Oysa Dostoyevski onlar谋 nas谋l da merhametle anlat谋yordu!
脰nce duygular谋n terk ediyor seni, sonra bili艧sel yeteneklerin. Bilin莽siz kalmaya o kadar ihtiyac谋n var ki 枚l眉 gibi yat谋yorsun, kemiklerine i艧leyen so臒u臒u, midenin bo艧lu臒unu, u臒rad谋臒谋n haks谋zl谋klar谋, g眉c眉n眉n 莽ok 眉st眉nde 莽al谋艧t谋r谋lman谋n yorgunlu臒unu ancak bu 艧ekilde unutabiliyorsun. Bir sonraki g眉ne dek.
脰yle 艧eyler g枚r眉p ya艧谋yorsun ki buradan kurtuldu臒unda ailenin yan谋na d枚nmeyi hayal edemiyorsun. Elinde kalan az谋c谋k ve 莽ok 枚nemli 艧eyleri anlayamayacaklar谋n谋 biliyorsun. Hi莽bir insan senin tan谋k oldu臒un 艧eyleri bilmemeli. Ruhun da bedenin de 莽ok yorgun, art谋k dinlenmek istiyorsun.
Ama bir sedir a臒ac谋 var, umudun a臒ac谋. Umutsuzlu臒un orta yerinde bu her daim ye艧il a臒aca bak谋yorsun, cesaretiyle ve inat莽谋l谋臒谋yla b眉y眉lenerek. Seni 枚lmeye g枚nderdikleri bu yerde, a莽l谋ktan 48 kiloya d眉艧m眉艧ken ve her yerin iltihapl谋yken onun gibi do臒rulam谋yorsun belki ama bir 艧eyler yap谋yorsun: Kendi yolunu se莽iyorsun*.
Adi su莽lulara hikaye anlatarak ve onlar谋n topuklar谋n谋 ka艧谋yarak daha rahat bir kamp hayat谋 ge莽irebilirsin, yapm谋yorsun, seni o kadar a艧a臒谋lamalar谋na izin vermiyorsun. Oyun oynad谋臒谋n谋z k枚pe臒i 枚ld眉r眉yorlar, etinden sana da veriyorlar bir par莽a, a莽l谋ktan 枚lsen de yemiyorsun. 陌ktidar谋n nas谋l bir g眉莽 ve ac谋mas谋zl谋k getirdi臒inin fark谋ndas谋n, hi莽 kimseye zarar vermemek i莽in sana en ufak bir yetki verecek t眉m g枚revleri reddediyorsun. Kendinden ba艧ka kimseye minnet duymak istemiyorsun, tek ba艧谋na 莽谋kacaks谋n bu kamptan, kendi g眉c眉nle, kendi becerinle. S枚zc眉kler seni terk ediyor, an谋lar da. Ama sevdi臒in 艧iirler h芒l芒 duruyor. Bitkinli臒in, so臒u臒un, a莽l谋臒谋n, sonu gelmez a艧a臒谋lamalar谋n bast谋ramad谋臒谋 o 艧iirler sana hayatta kalabilmek i莽in g眉莽 veriyor.
Bir g眉n 莽oktand谋r unuttu臒un kelimelerden birini hat谋rl谋yorsun. 脰yle korkuyorsun ki d枚n眉艧眉 olmayan bir yere gitmekten, tedirgin oluyorsun ama 莽oktand谋r unuttu臒un bir his yokluyor seni: Ya艧amak istiyorsun, eski hayat谋na d枚nmek istiyorsun.
Ve hayatta kal谋yorsun. Binbir zorlukla geri getirdi臒in kelimelerle t眉m o anlat谋lamaz ac谋y谋 aktar谋yorsun. Sana g枚re edebiyat莽谋 kendi bildi臒i ger莽e臒i anlatmal谋 zaten. Sen de 枚yle yap谋yorsun, g枚rd眉臒眉n, bildi臒in 艧eyleri anlat谋yorsun, kendini ac谋nd谋rmadan, mecaz kullanmadan, s眉slemeden, do臒rudan. Cehennem de ancak b枚yle anlat谋labilirdi zaten ve sen bunu ba艧ar谋yorsun. Ne de olsa cehennemden d枚nd眉n.
* Toplama kamplar谋nda ya艧ayan bizler, o kamptan bu kampa ko艧an, ellerindeki son ekmek k谋r谋nt谋lar谋n谋 vererek ba艧kalar谋n谋 teselli etmeye 莽al谋艧an insanlar谋 anlayabiliriz. say谋lar谋 az olabilir, ama bu bile bir insandan bir 艧eyin d谋艧谋nda her 艧eyin al谋nabilece臒ini yeterince g枚sterir: 陌nsan 枚zg眉rl眉klerinin sonuncusu; yani, belli ko艧ullar alt谋nda insan谋n kendi tutumunu belirlemesi, kendi yolunu se莽mesi . (Victor Frankl -陌nsan谋n Anlam Aray谋艧谋)
October 28, 2020
Il primo sentimento che questo libro suscita 猫 rispetto per un uomo sopravvissuto a 17 anni di stenti, fatica, umiliazioni, fame, freddo, privazione della libert脿. Man mano che la lettura procede, si innestano commozione per il livello di sopportazione e rabbia per il livello di crudelt脿 che esclude carcerieri - e spesso anche detenuti - dal genere umano, allontanandoli anche da quello animale, perch茅 la ferocia gratuita non appartiene nemmeno alle belve.
Dal carcere duro, 艩alamov e altri prigionieri vengono deportati nel grande Nord. Dopo l鈥檌niziale sollievo generato dall鈥檌dea di abbandonare una cella per lavorare all鈥檃perto, lo sconforto 猫 immenso. Si aprono le porte di un inferno bianco, fatto di neve, ghiaccio e temperature estreme al di l脿 dell鈥檌mmaginazione. 脠 un inferno popolato da esseri in via di trasformazione, sia fisica che mentale. Si perde peso, ci si ricopre di piaghe, la pelle cambia colore e l鈥檈spressione del viso diventa sguardo fisso perduto nel vuoto. Lo stesso vuoto si avverte all鈥檌nterno, al posto dell鈥檃nima, che scompare per sempre, perch茅 anche chi, come l鈥檃utore, riuscir脿 a rivedere il mondo non lo vedr脿 pi霉 come prima e sar脿 profondamente diverso.
Si perdono le parole, ridotte a un linguaggio essenziale che sa di fame, dolore e stanchezza. Si perdono i valori. Per quanto si lotti contro questa disumanizzazione, prima o poi ci si arrende, sentendosi ormai nell鈥檃nticamera della morte, che pu貌 sopraggiungere in ogni momento e per qualunque motivo, per mano delle guardie o dei compagni di pena, per un pezzo di pane o per un maglione, per una quota di lavoro non raggiunta o per sfinimento, malattia, fucilazione, suicidio.
La morte sembrerebbe in effetti preferibile, ma ci si aggrappa a qualunque cosa per sopravvivere.
Si continua a lavorare a qualunque temperatura e in qualunque condizione per una minestra acquosa e un pezzetto di pane.
I contatti con l鈥檈sterno sono interrotti, anche mentalmente. Si pensa al presente. Passato e futuro non hanno senso.
Quando 艩alamov riconquister脿 la libert脿, avr脿 comunque perso tutto. Vivr脿 per scrivere della Kolyma e morir脿 solo, in un ospizio.
Ho letto soppesando le parole, riconquistate, con cui l鈥檃utore descrive l鈥檌nferno, denunciando la propria rabbia e il proprio odio, la vergogna per la perdita di dignit脿, le crudelt脿 subite e i pochi gesti di solidariet脿 ricevuti, importanti perch茅 gli hanno salvato la vita, fedele alla regola tratta dalla sua esperienza:
鈥淧rima di tutto bisogna restituire lo schiaffo e solo in un secondo tempo l鈥檈lemosina. Ricordare il male prima del bene. Ricordare tutto il bene ricevuto per cent鈥檃nni, e tutto il male per duecento鈥�.
Dal carcere duro, 艩alamov e altri prigionieri vengono deportati nel grande Nord. Dopo l鈥檌niziale sollievo generato dall鈥檌dea di abbandonare una cella per lavorare all鈥檃perto, lo sconforto 猫 immenso. Si aprono le porte di un inferno bianco, fatto di neve, ghiaccio e temperature estreme al di l脿 dell鈥檌mmaginazione. 脠 un inferno popolato da esseri in via di trasformazione, sia fisica che mentale. Si perde peso, ci si ricopre di piaghe, la pelle cambia colore e l鈥檈spressione del viso diventa sguardo fisso perduto nel vuoto. Lo stesso vuoto si avverte all鈥檌nterno, al posto dell鈥檃nima, che scompare per sempre, perch茅 anche chi, come l鈥檃utore, riuscir脿 a rivedere il mondo non lo vedr脿 pi霉 come prima e sar脿 profondamente diverso.
Si perdono le parole, ridotte a un linguaggio essenziale che sa di fame, dolore e stanchezza. Si perdono i valori. Per quanto si lotti contro questa disumanizzazione, prima o poi ci si arrende, sentendosi ormai nell鈥檃nticamera della morte, che pu貌 sopraggiungere in ogni momento e per qualunque motivo, per mano delle guardie o dei compagni di pena, per un pezzo di pane o per un maglione, per una quota di lavoro non raggiunta o per sfinimento, malattia, fucilazione, suicidio.
La morte sembrerebbe in effetti preferibile, ma ci si aggrappa a qualunque cosa per sopravvivere.
Si continua a lavorare a qualunque temperatura e in qualunque condizione per una minestra acquosa e un pezzetto di pane.
I contatti con l鈥檈sterno sono interrotti, anche mentalmente. Si pensa al presente. Passato e futuro non hanno senso.
Quando 艩alamov riconquister脿 la libert脿, avr脿 comunque perso tutto. Vivr脿 per scrivere della Kolyma e morir脿 solo, in un ospizio.
Ho letto soppesando le parole, riconquistate, con cui l鈥檃utore descrive l鈥檌nferno, denunciando la propria rabbia e il proprio odio, la vergogna per la perdita di dignit脿, le crudelt脿 subite e i pochi gesti di solidariet脿 ricevuti, importanti perch茅 gli hanno salvato la vita, fedele alla regola tratta dalla sua esperienza:
鈥淧rima di tutto bisogna restituire lo schiaffo e solo in un secondo tempo l鈥檈lemosina. Ricordare il male prima del bene. Ricordare tutto il bene ricevuto per cent鈥檃nni, e tutto il male per duecento鈥�.
August 21, 2021
It was with some trepidation that I picked this one off my shelf. I didn鈥檛 quite know what to expect. I found it remarkable! It鈥檚 a collection of short stories; my volume has well over fifty stories contained at slightly over 500 pages. They are under the titles of Kolyma Tales, The Left Bank, The Virtuoso Shovelman, Essays on the Criminal World, and Resurrection of the Larch.
Kolyma is in North-eastern Siberia and the author spent decades there as a political prisoner in forced labour camps. There are two types of prisoners 鈥� criminal and political. Political prisoners were at the bottom of the totem pole.
Conditions were atrocious and the stories reflect this 鈥� there is brutality, starvation, freezing cold, extreme isolation, and hard arduous work. This can make for relentlessly glum reading 鈥� but all the stories are different and some have a sardonic twist, albeit dark. Life was on a day-to-day basis.
One interesting story was on Russian prisoners of war who were 鈥渓iberated鈥� by Stalin鈥檚 armies 鈥� and then sent immediately to the Gulag (Siberia, Kolyma) to spend twenty or so years for having been captured by the Nazis. Soviet soldiers were not supposed to surrender.
Page 242 (my book) from short story Major Pugachov鈥檚 Last Battle
The arrests of the thirties were arrests of random victims on the false and terrifying theory of a heightened class struggle鈥� The absence of any unifying idea undermined the moral resistance of the prisoners to an unusual degree. They were neither enemies of the government nor state criminals, and they died not even understanding why they had to die. Their self-esteem and bitterness had no point of support. Separated, they perished in the white Kolyma desert from hunger, cold, work, beatings, and diseases. They immediately learned not to defend or support each other. This was precisely the goal of the authorities. The souls of those who remained alive were utterly corrupted.
Page 242-43 from short story Major Pugachov鈥檚 Last Battle
New arrivals asked the surviving 鈥渁borigines鈥�:
鈥淲hy do you eat your soup and kasha in the dining hall but take your bread with you back to the barracks? Why can鈥檛 you eat your bread with your soup the way the rest of the world does?鈥�
Smiling with the crack of their blue mouths and showing their gums, toothless from scurvy, the local residents would answer the na茂ve newcomers:
鈥淚n two weeks each of you will understand, and each of you will do the same.鈥�
How could they be told that they had never in their lives known true hunger, hunger that lasts for years and breaks the will? How could anyone explain the passionate, all-engulfing desire to prolong the process of eating, the surprise bliss of washing down one鈥檚 bread ration with a mug of tasteless, but hot melted snow in the barracks?
Page 413 from short story The Red Crisis
Physical force becomes moral force.
Kolyma is in North-eastern Siberia and the author spent decades there as a political prisoner in forced labour camps. There are two types of prisoners 鈥� criminal and political. Political prisoners were at the bottom of the totem pole.
Conditions were atrocious and the stories reflect this 鈥� there is brutality, starvation, freezing cold, extreme isolation, and hard arduous work. This can make for relentlessly glum reading 鈥� but all the stories are different and some have a sardonic twist, albeit dark. Life was on a day-to-day basis.
One interesting story was on Russian prisoners of war who were 鈥渓iberated鈥� by Stalin鈥檚 armies 鈥� and then sent immediately to the Gulag (Siberia, Kolyma) to spend twenty or so years for having been captured by the Nazis. Soviet soldiers were not supposed to surrender.
Page 242 (my book) from short story Major Pugachov鈥檚 Last Battle
The arrests of the thirties were arrests of random victims on the false and terrifying theory of a heightened class struggle鈥� The absence of any unifying idea undermined the moral resistance of the prisoners to an unusual degree. They were neither enemies of the government nor state criminals, and they died not even understanding why they had to die. Their self-esteem and bitterness had no point of support. Separated, they perished in the white Kolyma desert from hunger, cold, work, beatings, and diseases. They immediately learned not to defend or support each other. This was precisely the goal of the authorities. The souls of those who remained alive were utterly corrupted.
Page 242-43 from short story Major Pugachov鈥檚 Last Battle
New arrivals asked the surviving 鈥渁borigines鈥�:
鈥淲hy do you eat your soup and kasha in the dining hall but take your bread with you back to the barracks? Why can鈥檛 you eat your bread with your soup the way the rest of the world does?鈥�
Smiling with the crack of their blue mouths and showing their gums, toothless from scurvy, the local residents would answer the na茂ve newcomers:
鈥淚n two weeks each of you will understand, and each of you will do the same.鈥�
How could they be told that they had never in their lives known true hunger, hunger that lasts for years and breaks the will? How could anyone explain the passionate, all-engulfing desire to prolong the process of eating, the surprise bliss of washing down one鈥檚 bread ration with a mug of tasteless, but hot melted snow in the barracks?
Page 413 from short story The Red Crisis
Physical force becomes moral force.
February 16, 2025
This didn't have the same impact on me as Yevgenia Ginzburg's powerful and haunting 'Journey into the Whirlwind', but it is without question one of the greats of Gulag literature.
Not that the vast network of camps that spread like the plague across some of the most harsh and desolate regions of Russia were a walk in the park, but Kolyma was seen as the most extreme. We're talking temperatures so low that it was enough to squeeze a man鈥檚 temples like one had their head in a vice. Not to mention the lack of nutrition and lack of sleep. 17 years of that! - longer and more brutal than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's experiences - I'd gladly take a super-duper full on covid lockdown any day. The sort of book to put everything into perspective really. The sort of book that makes you feel physically exhausted without moving a muscle. Well, arms, and hands holding the book, obviously, but you get the picture. Shalamov wrote nearly 150 stories over a near 20 year period, and unless you read Russian, not all have been translated into other languages. While these stories obviously are autobiographical - making them hyper real -there is also interwined a more complex and surreal feel to some of them. This version came with the added bonus of a second collection called Graphite.
Read
August 7, 2017"La nostra epoca 猫 riuscita a far dimenticare all'uomo che 猫 un essere umano"
Salamov ci racconta quello che ha vissuto nei 17 anni trascorsi ai lavori forzati nell'inferno della Kolyma, ossia la Siberia orientale. Un luogo inospitale dove d'inverno si raggiungono i sessanta gradi sotto zero. Conosciamo cos矛, tramite i suoi occhi, uno dei pi霉 terribili orrori dello scorso secolo: i campi di concentramento sovietici, organizzati da Stalin, dove tra gli anni trenta e cinquanta persero la vita impunemente quasi tre milioni di persone che stavano scontando pene per colpe che nella maggior parte dei casi erano inesistenti.
Sono stato all'isola di Sakhalin, in Siberia, che sta un pochino pi霉 a sud della Kolyma. Ricordo ancora i paesaggi, il cielo, la desolazione dei paesi, i 50 gradi sotto zero e il vento gelato che soffiava a cento chilometri orari. E non posso non immaginare cosa potesse significare passare vent'anni in quelle condizioni.
Nella giornata passata alla Kolyma c'猫 tempo solo per pensare a sopravvivere, anche se spesso si desidera la morte immediata come liberazione. Non c'猫 dignit脿 umana. Ci sono solamente maltrattamenti, umiliazioni, fame, freddo, pidocchi, sputi che si ghiacciano prima di toccare terra, cancrene e malattia. I rapporti personali sono ridotti al lumicino, il pensiero 猫 sempre alla quotidianit脿, alla soddisfazione per aver trovato una crosta di pane ammuffito, al freddo, al lavoro, al gelo. Ognuno cerca di arrivare a fine giornata senza pensare a cosa succeder脿 il giorno seguente, perch茅 non si sa se ci sar脿 un domani.
La vita interiore 猫 azzerata; non si vive pi霉, si vegeta. Non pu貌 non venire in mente, leggendo queste pagine, il libro di Primo Levi"Se questo 猫 un uomo". La sofferenza 猫 indipendente dalla nazionalit脿 di detenuti e carcerieri.
Colpisce qui, come in altri racconti dai campi di concentramento, che anche nella disperazione e nella sfortuna alcuni individui tentino sempre di sopraffare gli altri. L'istinto di sopravvivenza fa emergere i lati peggiori delle persone. E purtroppo sono poi le persone pi霉 intellettualmente miserevoli a sopravvivere, perch茅 senza scrupoli.
Il libro 猫 costituto da una serie di racconti senza un apparente filo logico, dove a volte lo stesso personaggio o la stessa situazione si osserva in pi霉 d'un racconto, magari da prospettive diverse.
Purtroppo tanto dolore, tanta sofferenza porta assuefazione, vista la notevole mole del libro. Secondo me 1300 pagine son troppe, una maggiore sintesi avrebbe reso il libro molto pi霉 efficace.
Forse la cosa migliore 猫 affrontare questa lettura impegnativa diluendola nel tempo.
Molto tragico, molto impegnativo, molto forte, molto angosciante.
Un altro libro da leggere per non dimenticare.
October 19, 2024
袙 袣芯谢懈屑邪 芯褌 写邪谢械褔薪懈褟 小械胁械褉 褏芯褉邪 薪械 褋邪 芯褋褌邪薪邪谢懈. 袧械 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻懈, 邪 屑械褌邪褎芯褉懈褔薪芯... 小邪屑芯 锌褉懈蟹褉邪褑懈 薪邪 薪褟泻芯谐邪褕薪懈 褏芯褉邪. 袠 褔褍写芯胁懈褖邪 芯褌 写褉械胁薪懈褌械 谢械谐械薪写懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 写邪 谐懈 锌邪蟹褟褌 - 薪邪 斜邪蟹邪 锌芯写褉芯斜薪懈 蟹邪锌芯胁械写懈 懈 锌褉邪胁懈谢薪懈褑懈. 小褍斜邪褉泻褌懈褔械褋泻懈 泻谢懈屑邪褌 褋 屑懈薪褍褋 50. 袧芯褉屑懈 蟹邪 16 褔邪褋芯胁 褉邪斜芯褌械薪 写械薪. 孝邪斜谢懈褑懈 蟹邪 褏褉邪薪邪, 胁 泻芯懈褌芯 泻邪谢芯褉懈懈褌械 胁 1 谢懈褌褗褉 胁芯写邪 褋邪 锌褉懈褉邪胁薪械薪懈 薪锟斤拷 泻邪谢芯褉懈懈褌械 胁 屑邪褋谢芯褌芯...
楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪 泻芯械 泻邪泻 械 斜懈谢芯, 泻邪泻褌芯 褋邪屑 谐芯 械 懈蟹锌懈褌邪谢 懈蟹 袣芯谢懈屑褋泻懈褌械 谢邪谐械褉懈 屑械卸写褍 1937 谐.懈 1953 谐. 袧褟屑邪 屑褟褋褌芯 蟹邪 写褉邪屑邪. 袛褉邪屑邪褌邪 械 胁 芯褌胁褗写薪懈褟 褋胁褟褌 - 褌芯蟹懈 薪邪 卸懈胁懈褌械. 校卸邪褋褗褌 薪械 械 薪懈泻邪泻 写褉邪屑邪褌懈褔械薪, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 薪械 械 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉械薪 卸邪薪褉, 褋褗蟹写邪写械薪 锌褉懈褟褌薪芯 写邪 谐褗写械谢懈褔泻邪 薪械褉胁懈褌械. 校卸邪褋褗褌 械 写械薪 褋谢械写 写械薪 卸懈胁芯褌. 袠 锌芯褋谢械写薪邪褌邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪 薪邪 谢懈褔薪懈褟 小械胁械褉.
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁, 锌芯写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 褋胁芯褟 懈褌邪谢懈邪薪褋泻懈 褋褗斜褉邪褌 锌芯 褋褗写斜邪 懈 褋胁械褌芯谐谢械写 袩褉懈屑芯 袥械胁懈, 褍褋锌褟胁邪 写邪 薪邪写褏懈褌褉懈 褔褍写芯胁懈褖械褌芯 薪邪 褋褗胁械褌褋泻邪褌邪 谢邪谐械褉薪邪 褋懈褋褌械屑邪, 泻邪褌芯 锌褉芯褋褌芯 芯褑械谢褟胁邪. 袣邪褌芯 褋胁懈写械褌械谢褋褌胁邪. 袨褌 锌褗褉胁芯 谢懈褑械. 效芯胁械褕泻懈, 褋褌械谐薪邪褌芯 懈 锌芯 褋褗褖械褋褌胁芯.
鈥澬澬感� 鈥� 懈 褔械褌懈褉懈屑邪褌邪 鈥� 斜褟褏屑械 芯褌谢懈褔薪芯 锌芯写谐芯褌胁械薪懈 蟹邪 锌褗褌械褕械褋褌胁懈械 胁 斜褗写械褖械褌芯 鈥� 斜懈谢芯 褌芯 薪械斜械褋薪芯 懈谢懈 蟹械屑薪芯. 袟薪邪械褏屑械 泻邪泻胁芯 蟹薪邪褔懈 薪邪褍褔薪芯芯斜芯褋薪芯胁邪薪邪 薪芯褉屑邪 薪邪 褏褉邪薪械薪械, 泻邪泻胁芯 械 褌邪斜谢懈褑邪 蟹邪 蟹邪屑褟薪邪 薪邪 锌褉芯写褍泻褌懈褌械, 褋锌芯褉械写 泻芯褟褌芯 懈蟹谢懈蟹邪褕械, 褔械 泻芯褎邪 胁芯写邪 锌芯 泻邪谢芯褉懈懈 蟹邪屑械褋褌胁邪 100 谐褉邪屑邪 屑邪褋谢芯. 袘褟褏屑械 褋械 薪邪褍褔懈谢懈 薪邪 褋屑懈褉械薪懈械, 斜褟褏屑械, 褋械 芯褌褍褔懈谢懈 写邪 褋械 褍褔褍写胁邪屑械. 袧褟屑邪褏屑械 谐芯褉写芯褋褌, 褋械斜械谢褞斜懈械, 褋邪屑芯谢褞斜懈械, 邪 褉械胁薪芯褋褌褌邪 懈 褋褌褉邪褋褌褌邪 薪懈 褋械 褋褌褉褍胁邪褏邪 屑邪褉褋懈邪薪褋泻懈 锌芯薪褟褌懈褟, 锌褉懈 褌芯胁邪 锌褗谢薪邪 谐谢褍锌芯褋褌. 袦薪芯谐芯 锌芯-胁邪卸薪芯 斜械褕械 写邪 褋械 薪邪褍褔懈褕 写邪 褋懈 蟹邪泻芯锌褔邪胁邪褕 谐邪褖懈褌械 薪邪 褋褌褍写邪, 锌褉械蟹 蟹懈屑邪褌邪 鈥� 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌薪懈褌械 屑褗卸械 锌谢邪褔械褏邪, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 锌芯薪褟泻芯谐邪 薪械 屑芯卸械褏邪 写邪 谐芯 薪邪锌褉邪胁褟褌. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪褏屑械, 褔械 写邪 褍屑褉械褕 薪械 械 薪懈泻邪泻 锌芯-谢芯褕芯 芯褌 褌芯胁邪 写邪 卸懈胁械械褕, 懈 薪械 褋械 褋褌褉邪褏褍胁邪褏屑械 薪懈褌芯 芯褌 械写薪芯褌芯, 薪懈褌芯 芯褌 写褉褍谐芯褌芯. 袘褟褏屑械 芯斜谢邪写邪薪懈 芯褌 芯谐褉芯屑薪芯 褉邪胁薪芯写褍褕懈械. 袟薪邪械褏屑械, 褔械 褋屑械 胁 褋褗褋褌芯褟薪懈械 写邪 锌褉械泻褉邪褌懈屑 褌芯蟹懈 卸懈胁芯褌 芯褖械 褍褌褉械, 懈 锌芯薪褟泻芯谐邪 褋褗斜懈褉邪褏屑械 褋屑械谢芯褋褌, 薪芯 胁褋械泻懈 锌褗褌 薪懈 锌褉械褔械褏邪 薪褟泻邪泻胁懈 写褉械斜芯谢懈懈, 芯褌 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 褋褗褋褌芯械褕械 褑械谢懈褟褌 薪懈 卸懈胁芯褌. 袠谢懈 褖械 胁蟹械屑邪褌 写邪 褉邪蟹写邪胁邪褌 鈥炐毖€邪褕薪械薪懈泻邪鈥� 鈥� 泻懈谢芯谐褉邪屑 褏谢褟斜 泻邪褌芯 薪邪谐褉邪写邪 鈥� 锌褉芯褋褌芯 斜械褕械 谐谢褍锌邪胁芯 写邪 褋械 褋邪屑芯褍斜懈械褕 胁 褌邪泻褗胁 写械薪. 袠谢懈 写薪械胁邪谢薪懈褟褌 芯褌 褋褗褋械写薪邪褌邪 斜邪褉邪泻邪 褖械 芯斜械褖邪械 写邪 褌懈 写邪写械 褑懈谐邪褉邪 胁械褔械褉褌邪 鈥� 写邪 胁褗褉薪械 褋褌邪褉 写褗谢谐.
袘褟褏屑械 褉邪蟹斜褉邪谢懈, 褔械 卸懈胁芯褌褗褌, 写芯褉懈 薪邪泄-谢芯褕懈褟褌, 褋械 褋褗褋褌芯懈 芯褌 褉械写褍胁邪薪械 薪邪 褉邪写芯褋褌褌邪 褋 屑褗泻邪褌邪, 薪邪 褋锌芯谢褍泻懈褌械 褋 薪械褋锌芯谢褍泻懈褌械 懈 褔械 褔芯胁械泻 薪械 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 锌谢邪褕懈, 褔械 薪械褋锌芯谢褍泻懈褌械 褋邪 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌 褋锌芯谢褍泻懈褌械.
袘褟褏屑械 写懈褋褑懈锌谢懈薪懈褉邪薪懈, 褋谢褍褕邪褏屑械 薪邪褔邪谢薪懈褑懈褌械 褋懈. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪褏屑械, 褔械 懈褋褌懈薪邪褌邪 懈 谢褗卸邪褌邪 褋邪 褉芯写薪懈 褋械褋褌褉懈, 褔械 薪邪 褋胁械褌邪 懈屑邪 褏懈谢褟写懈 懈褋褌懈薪懈.
小屑褟褌邪褏屑械 褋械 锌芯褔褌懈 蟹邪 褋胁械褌褑懈 鈥� 屑懈褋谢械泄泻懈 褋懈, 褔械 褋 谐芯写懈薪懈褌械, 锌褉械泻邪褉邪薪懈 胁 谢邪谐械褉懈褌械, 褋屑械 懈蟹泻褍锌懈谢懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械 褋懈 谐褉械褏芯胁械.
袘褟褏屑械 褋械 薪邪褍褔懈谢懈 写邪 褉邪蟹斜懈褉邪屑械 褏芯褉邪褌邪, 写邪 锌褉械写褍谐邪卸写邪屑械 锌芯褋褌褗锌泻懈褌械 懈屑, 写邪 谐懈 褉邪蟹谐邪写邪胁邪屑械.
袘褟褏屑械 褉邪蟹斜褉邪谢懈 鈥� 懈 褌芯胁邪 斜械褕械 薪邪泄-胁邪卸薪芯褌芯, 鈥� 褔械 薪邪褕懈褌械 锌芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 蟹邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 薪械 薪懈 薪芯褋褟褌 薪懈泻邪泻胁邪 锌芯谢蟹邪 胁 卸懈胁芯褌邪. 袣邪泻胁芯 泻邪褌芯 褉邪蟹斜懈褉邪屑, 褔褍胁褋褌胁邪屑, 褉邪蟹谐邪写邪胁邪屑, 锌褉械写褍谐邪卸写邪屑 薪械褔懈懈 锌芯褋褌褗锌泻懈? 袧邪谢懈 薪械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 锌褉芯屑械薪褟 褋胁芯械褌芯 锌芯胁械写械薪懈械 褋锌褉褟屑芯 褔芯胁械泻邪, 薪褟屑邪 写邪 胁蟹械屑邪 写邪 写芯薪芯褋薪懈褔邪 褋褉械褖褍 写褉褍谐 褋褗褖芯 褌邪泻褗胁 蟹邪褌胁芯褉薪懈泻, 泻邪泻胁芯褌芯 懈 写邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈. 袧褟屑邪 写邪 褋械 写芯屑芯谐胁邪屑 写芯 斜褉懈谐邪写懈褉褋泻邪 写谢褗卸薪芯褋褌, 泻芯褟褌芯 写邪胁邪 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌 写邪 芯褋褌邪薪械褕 卸懈胁: 薪邪泄-谢芯褕芯褌芯 胁 谢邪谐械褉邪 械 写邪 薪邪褌褉邪锌胁邪褕 褋胁芯褟褌邪 (懈谢懈 薪械褔懈褟 褔褍卸写邪) 胁芯谢褟 薪邪 写褉褍谐 褔芯胁械泻 鈥� 薪邪 邪褉械褋褌邪薪褌, 泻邪泻褗胁褌芯 褋褗屑 懈 邪蟹. 袧褟屑邪 写邪 褌褗褉褋褟 鈥炐啃拘恍敌沸叫糕€� 锌芯蟹薪邪薪褋褌胁邪, 写邪 写邪胁邪屑 褉褍褕胁械褌懈. 袠 泻邪泻胁芯 泻邪褌芯 蟹薪邪屑, 褔械 袠胁邪薪芯胁 械 锌芯写谢械褑, 袩械褌褉芯胁 鈥� 写芯薪芯褋薪懈泻, 邪 袟邪褋谢邪胁褋泻懈 鈥� 谢褗卸械褋胁懈写械褌械谢?
袧械胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌褌邪 写邪 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪屑械 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪懈 胁懈写芯胁械 鈥炐狙€褗卸懈械鈥� 薪懈 锌褉邪胁懈 褋谢邪斜懈 胁 褋褉邪胁薪械薪懈械 褋 薪褟泻芯懈 薪邪褕懈 褋褗褋械写懈 锌芯 薪邪褉 胁 谢邪谐械褉邪. 袘褟褏屑械 褋械 薪邪褍褔懈谢懈 写邪 褋械 蟹邪写芯胁芯谢褟胁邪屑械 褋 屑邪谢泻芯 懈 写邪 屑褍 褋械 褉邪写胁邪屑械.
小褗褖芯 褌邪泻邪 斜褟褏屑械 褉邪蟹斜褉邪谢懈 薪械褖芯 屑薪芯谐芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪芯 鈥� 胁 芯褔懈褌械 薪邪 写褗褉卸邪胁邪褌邪 懈 薪邪 薪械泄薪懈褌械 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁懈褌械谢懈 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻懈 褋懈谢薪懈褟褌 褔芯胁械泻 械 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉, 懈屑械薪薪芯 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉, 锌芯-薪褉邪胁褋褌胁械薪, 锌芯-褑械薪械薪 芯褌 褋谢邪斜懈褟, 芯褌 芯薪蟹懈, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈蟹泻芯锌邪械 写胁邪写械褋械褌 泻褍斜芯屑械褌褉邪 褋泻邪谢薪邪 屑邪褋邪 锌褉械蟹 褋屑褟薪邪褌邪. 袩褗褉胁懈褟褌 械 锌芯-屑芯褉邪谢械薪 芯褌 胁褌芯褉懈褟. 孝芯泄 懈蟹锌褗谢薪褟胁邪 鈥炐垦€芯褑械薪褌邪鈥�, 褌芯械褋褌 懈蟹锌褗谢薪褟胁邪 褋胁芯褟 薪邪泄-胁邪卸械薪 写褗谢谐 锌褉械写 写褗褉卸邪胁邪褌邪 懈 芯斜褖械褋褌胁芯褌芯, 蟹邪褉邪写懈 泻芯械褌芯 械 褍胁邪卸邪胁邪薪 芯褌 胁褋懈褔泻懈. 小 薪械谐芯 褋械 褋褗胁械褌胁邪褌 懈 蟹邪褔懈褌邪褌 屑薪械薪懈械褌芯 屑褍, 泻邪薪褟褌 谐芯 薪邪 褋褗胁械褖邪薪懈褟 懈 褋褗斜褉邪薪懈褟, 泻芯懈褌芯 锌芯 褌械屑邪褌懈泻邪 褋邪 写邪谢械褔 芯褌 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈褌械 蟹邪 懈蟹谐褉械斜胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 褌械卸泻邪褌邪, 褏谢褗蟹谐邪胁邪 褋泻邪谢薪邪 屑邪褋邪 芯褌 屑芯泻褉懈褌械, 锌谢褗蟹谐邪胁懈 褉芯胁芯胁械鈥�.
February 9, 2023
螆蟺慰蟼
猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
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Varlam Shalamov 茅 um excelente exemplo de que n茫o basta ter hist贸rias terr铆veis vividas na primeira pessoa para se ser bom escritor.
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Ova knjiga je jedno veliko NE Dostojevskom i cijeloj knji啪evnoj tradiciji "patnje kao iskupljenja" . Ovdje patnja ne donosi nikakvo iskupljenja niti za istu postoji odgovaraju膰a nagrada osim razaranja 膷ovjeka i njegove li膷nosti. 艩alamov ne daje nikakve moralne putokaze, izbjegnuta je svaka patetika , a sarkazam je jedini autorov听 komentar. Nema ovdje nikakvog sa啪aljenje i suosje膰ajnosti , pred nama je samo u啪as, dno ljudskog 啪ivota i postojanja. Svjedoci smo jednog paklenog svijeta kolimskih logora na dalekom sjeveru Sibira, u pri膷ama ispunjenih atmosferom jeze i u啪asa, ali i nevjerice ; ovo nije fikcija nego svjedo膷anstvo jednog logora拧a! Pri膷e su prepuno opsesivnih motiva poput gladi, zime, izmorenosti, bezna膽a ( ne, nema nade, nema budu膰nosti ni pro拧losti, nema Boga, nema vjere kao kod npr. Sol啪enjicina), gladi, rada, zime , fizi膷ke iznemoglosti i opet gladi.... I zime.
I jedan citat koji se provla膷i vi拧e puta kroz cijelu knjigu: " Rad stvar 膷asti i slave, pitanje smjelosti i herojstvo."
I jedan citat koji se provla膷i vi拧e puta kroz cijelu knjigu: " Rad stvar 膷asti i slave, pitanje smjelosti i herojstvo."
February 8, 2022
Il terribile universo concentrazionario sovietico visto in prima persona. Una breve antologia che raccoglie alcuni episodi dell'odissea di sofferenze vissuti dall'autore. Che dire! Si fatica, leggendo, anche solo a immaginare cosa si dovesse provare trovandosi nelle situazioni descritte. Per quanto riguarda invece l'aspetto piu' strettamente letterario, si alternano pagine di struggente lirismo e altre francamente un po' ripetitive. Quello che conta pero' e' senza dubbio la denuncia, la testimonianza dell'orrore. Orrore se possibile ancora maggiore perche' seminato da chi tante speranze aveva suscitato negli ultimi di tutto il mondo.
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October 30, 2015Every now and then you read one of those books describing tough circumstances where the reader is almost inevitably forced to think "what would I do in this situation?" Kolyma Tales is most definitely one of those. When you're thinking of Russian prison literature, most people think of Solzhenitsyn. For my money, Shalamov was as good a literary craftsman, but rather than trying to impose an ideology-- which in Solzhenitsyn's case, was a rather nasty Orthodox conservatism-- he seemed more content to tell simple stories. Which, in a situation as difficult as the Gulag, is enough.
April 15, 2020
鈥渁莽l谋ktan parlayarak yanan g枚zler鈥�
April 12, 2022
Os 鈥淐ontos de Kolim谩鈥� e 鈥淕ulag鈥� de Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, s茫o dois dos poucos testemunhos do inferno que eram os campos de concentra莽茫o estalinista, onde qualquer pessoa, criminosa ou n茫o, poderia ser encarcerada conforme as arbitrariedades do regime.
O presente livro s贸 tem um 鈥渄efeito鈥�, ser demasiado curto.
O presente livro s贸 tem um 鈥渄efeito鈥�, ser demasiado curto.
November 30, 2021
"If you are about to read the stories of Varlam Shalamov for the first time, you are a person to be envied, a person whose life is about to be changed, a person who will envy others once you yourself have forded these waters."- John Glad.
Rest of the review to follow.
Rest of the review to follow.
January 30, 2019
It's remarkable this book isn't better known and more widely read. Connects with you on a visceral level and instructs about life in the Gulag in a way Gulag Archipelago does not.
December 5, 2018
Dur铆simo, pero necesario para no olvidar.
May 22, 2022
Padar臈 didel寞 寞sp奴d寞, ypa膷 d臈l to, kad buvo para拧yti 啪mogaus, kuris pats i拧gyveno vis膮 t膮 pragar膮.
February 24, 2025
In English below
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 锌褉芯胁褢谢 胁 蟹邪泻谢褞褔械薪懈懈 芯泻芯谢芯 17 谢械褌 鈥� 斜芯谢械械 褔械屑 胁 褔械褌褘褉械 褉邪蟹邪 写芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 袛芯褋褌芯械胁褋泻懈泄, 鈥� 懈 薪械 胁 褑邪褉褋泻懈褏 褌褞褉褜屑邪褏 XIX 胁械泻邪, 邪 胁 泻褍写邪 斜芯谢械械 锌褉芯写胁懈薪褍褌芯 卸械褋褌芯泻懈褏 褋褌邪谢懈薪褋泻懈褏 谢邪谐械褉褟褏. 袨薪 锌懈褋邪谢 褋 锌褉芯薪懈褑邪褌械谢褜薪芯褋褌褜褞 褋胁芯械谐芯 胁械谢懈泻芯谐芯 锌褉械写褕械褋褌胁械薪薪懈泻邪, 邪 褌邪泻卸械 褋 谢邪泻芯薪懈褔薪芯泄 褌芯褔薪芯褋褌褜褞, 薪邪锌芯屑懈薪邪褞褖械泄 褋褌懈谢褜 啸械屑懈薪谐褍褝褟.
袣褉芯屑械 褌芯谐芯 (褏芯褌褟 芯薪懈, 泻芯薪械褔薪芯, 薪械 蟹薪邪谢懈 懈 薪械 褔懈褌邪谢懈 写褉褍谐 写褉褍谐邪), 袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 懈 袩褉懈屑芯 袥械胁懈, 锌褉芯褕械写褕懈械 褔械褉械蟹 写胁邪 谐谢邪胁薪褘褏 邪写邪 XX 胁械泻邪, 锌懈褋邪谢懈, 锌芯 褋褍褌懈, 芯斜 芯写薪芯屑 懈 褌芯屑 卸械. 袧械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯 懈褋褌褉械斜谢械薪懈懈 胁褋械谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯谐芯 胁 袨褋胁械薪褑懈屑械 懈 袚校袥袗袚械, 薪芯 懈 芯 褉邪写懈泻邪谢褜薪芯屑, 褍卸械 薪械褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯屑, 芯褌褔褍卸写械薪懈懈 褍蟹薪懈泻芯胁. 袨 锌芯褋谢械写薪械屑 褍褉芯胁薪械 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈褟, 谐写械 小袨褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈械 褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褋褟 薪械胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪褘屑, 谐写械 懈褋褔械蟹邪械褌 谢褞斜邪褟 蟹薪邪褔懈屑邪褟 斜谢懈蟹芯褋褌褜 懈 芯斜褉褘胁邪褞褌褋褟 锌芯褋谢械写薪懈械 褋胁褟蟹懈 屑械卸写褍 胁褋褢 械褖褢 卸懈胁褘屑懈 谢褞写褜屑懈:
[...]
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 鈥� 袣芯谢褘屑褋泻懈械 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘
袩褉懈屑芯 袥械胁懈 鈥� 效械谢芯胁械泻 谢懈 褝褌芯?
Primo Levi 鈥� Se questo 猫 un uomo
English
Varlam Shalamov was imprisoned for around 17 years 鈥� more than four times longer than Dostoevsky 鈥� and not in the tsarist prisons of the 19th century, but in the Stalinist camps that were far more advanced in their systematic modern brutality. He wrote with both the depth of his great predecessor, and with a sharp precision reminiscent, despite the subject matter, of Hemingway.
Moreover (though they, of course, did not know or read each other), Varlam Shalamov and Primo Levi, having lived through the two main hells of the 20th century, wrote, in essence, about the same thing. Not only about the mass destruction of everything human and humane in Auschwitz and the Gulag, but also about the radical, already inhuman, alienation of prisoners; about the last degree of suffering, where compassion (even in the basic sense of 鈥渟uffering with others鈥�) becomes impossible, when all meaningful closeness and ties between still living people are broken:
[...]
Varlam Shalamov 鈥� Kolyma Stories
Primo Levi 鈥� If This Is A Man
Primo Levi 鈥� Se questo 猫 un uomo
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 锌褉芯胁褢谢 胁 蟹邪泻谢褞褔械薪懈懈 芯泻芯谢芯 17 谢械褌 鈥� 斜芯谢械械 褔械屑 胁 褔械褌褘褉械 褉邪蟹邪 写芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 袛芯褋褌芯械胁褋泻懈泄, 鈥� 懈 薪械 胁 褑邪褉褋泻懈褏 褌褞褉褜屑邪褏 XIX 胁械泻邪, 邪 胁 泻褍写邪 斜芯谢械械 锌褉芯写胁懈薪褍褌芯 卸械褋褌芯泻懈褏 褋褌邪谢懈薪褋泻懈褏 谢邪谐械褉褟褏. 袨薪 锌懈褋邪谢 褋 锌褉芯薪懈褑邪褌械谢褜薪芯褋褌褜褞 褋胁芯械谐芯 胁械谢懈泻芯谐芯 锌褉械写褕械褋褌胁械薪薪懈泻邪, 邪 褌邪泻卸械 褋 谢邪泻芯薪懈褔薪芯泄 褌芯褔薪芯褋褌褜褞, 薪邪锌芯屑懈薪邪褞褖械泄 褋褌懈谢褜 啸械屑懈薪谐褍褝褟.
袣褉芯屑械 褌芯谐芯 (褏芯褌褟 芯薪懈, 泻芯薪械褔薪芯, 薪械 蟹薪邪谢懈 懈 薪械 褔懈褌邪谢懈 写褉褍谐 写褉褍谐邪), 袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 懈 袩褉懈屑芯 袥械胁懈, 锌褉芯褕械写褕懈械 褔械褉械蟹 写胁邪 谐谢邪胁薪褘褏 邪写邪 XX 胁械泻邪, 锌懈褋邪谢懈, 锌芯 褋褍褌懈, 芯斜 芯写薪芯屑 懈 褌芯屑 卸械. 袧械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯 懈褋褌褉械斜谢械薪懈懈 胁褋械谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯谐芯 胁 袨褋胁械薪褑懈屑械 懈 袚校袥袗袚械, 薪芯 懈 芯 褉邪写懈泻邪谢褜薪芯屑, 褍卸械 薪械褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯屑, 芯褌褔褍卸写械薪懈懈 褍蟹薪懈泻芯胁. 袨 锌芯褋谢械写薪械屑 褍褉芯胁薪械 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈褟, 谐写械 小袨褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈械 褋褌邪薪芯胁懈褌褋褟 薪械胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪褘屑, 谐写械 懈褋褔械蟹邪械褌 谢褞斜邪褟 蟹薪邪褔懈屑邪褟 斜谢懈蟹芯褋褌褜 懈 芯斜褉褘胁邪褞褌褋褟 锌芯褋谢械写薪懈械 褋胁褟蟹懈 屑械卸写褍 胁褋褢 械褖褢 卸懈胁褘屑懈 谢褞写褜屑懈:
袙褋械 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻懈械 褔褍胁褋褌胁邪 鈥� 谢褞斜芯胁褜, 写褉褍卸斜邪, 蟹邪胁懈褋褌褜, 褔械谢芯胁械泻芯谢褞斜懈械, 屑懈谢芯褋械褉写懈械, 卸邪卸写邪 褋谢邪胁褘, 褔械褋褌薪芯褋褌褜 鈥� 褍褕谢懈 芯褌 薪邪褋 褋 褌械屑 屑褟褋芯屑, 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 屑褘 谢懈褕懈谢懈褋褜 蟹邪 胁褉械屑褟 褋胁芯械谐芯 锌褉芯写芯谢卸懈褌械谢褜薪芯谐芯 谐芯谢芯写邪薪懈褟.
[...]
袛褉褍卸斜邪 薪械 蟹邪褉芯卸写邪械褌褋褟 薪懈 胁 薪褍卸写械, 薪懈 胁 斜械写械. 孝械 芦褌褉褍写薪褘械禄 褍褋谢芯胁懈褟 卸懈蟹薪懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械, 泻邪泻 谐芯胁芯褉褟褌 薪邪屑 褋泻邪蟹泻懈 褏褍写芯卸械褋褌胁械薪薪芯泄 谢懈褌械褉邪褌褍褉褘, 褟胁谢褟褞褌褋褟 芯斜褟蟹邪褌械谢褜薪褘屑 褍褋谢芯胁懈械屑 胁芯蟹薪懈泻薪芯胁械薪懈褟 写褉褍卸斜褘, 锌褉芯褋褌芯 薪械写芯褋褌邪褌芯褔薪芯 褌褉褍写薪褘. 袝褋谢懈 斜械写邪 懈 薪褍卸写邪 褋锌谢芯褌懈谢懈, 褉芯写懈谢懈 写褉褍卸斜褍 谢褞写械泄 鈥� 蟹薪邪褔懈褌, 褝褌芯 薪褍卸写邪 薪械 泻褉邪泄薪褟褟 懈 斜械写邪 薪械 斜芯谢褜褕邪褟. 袚芯褉械 薪械写芯褋褌邪褌芯褔薪芯 芯褋褌褉芯 懈 谐谢褍斜芯泻芯, 械褋谢懈 屑芯卸薪芯 褉邪蟹写械谢懈褌褜 械谐芯 褋 写褉褍蟹褜褟屑懈. 袙 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械泄 薪褍卸写械 锌芯蟹薪邪械褌褋褟 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋胁芯褟 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟 写褍褕械胁薪邪褟 懈 褌械谢械褋薪邪褟 泻褉械锌芯褋褌褜, 芯锌褉械写械谢褟褞褌褋褟 锌褉械写械谢褘 褋胁芯懈褏 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌械泄, 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻芯泄 胁褘薪芯褋谢懈胁芯褋褌懈 懈 屑芯褉邪谢褜薪芯泄 褋懈谢褘.
袙邪褉谢邪屑 楔邪谢邪屑芯胁 鈥� 袣芯谢褘屑褋泻懈械 褉邪褋褋泻邪蟹褘
袦械卸写褍 褌械屑 屑褘 斜褘谢懈 薪械锌褉懈泻邪褋邪械屑褘屑懈 写谢褟 斜芯谢褜褕懈薪褋褌胁邪 胁芯谢褜薪褘褏. 袙褋械 芯薪懈, 褋 褌芯泄 懈谢懈 懈薪芯泄 褋褌械锌械薪褜褞 芯褌泻褉芯胁械薪薪芯褋褌懈, 写械屑芯薪褋褌褉懈褉芯胁邪谢懈 薪邪屑 褋胁芯械 芯褌薪芯褕械薪懈械, 泻芯谢械斜谢褞褖械械褋褟 芯褌 锌褉械蟹褉械薪懈褟 写芯 褋芯褔褍胁褋褌胁懈褟, 褋褔懈褌邪褟, 褔褌芯 褉邪蟹 屑褘 锌芯锌邪谢懈 褋褞写邪, 褉邪蟹 薪邪褋 褋芯写械褉卸邪褌 胁 褌邪泻懈褏 褍褋谢芯胁懈褟褏, 蟹薪邪褔懈褌, 写械谢芯 褋 薪邪屑懈 薪械 褔懈褋褌芯, 蟹薪邪褔懈褌, 械褋褌褜 薪邪 薪邪褋 泻邪泻邪褟-褌芯 褌邪泄薪邪褟 懈 褍卸邪褋薪邪褟 胁懈薪邪. 袨薪懈 褋谢褘褕邪谢懈, 褔褌芯 屑褘 谐芯胁芯褉懈屑 薪邪 褉邪蟹薪褘褏 薪械锌芯薪褟褌薪褘褏 褟蟹褘泻邪褏, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械 蟹胁褍褔邪谢懈 写谢褟 薪懈褏 写懈泻芯, 胁褘蟹褘胁邪褟 邪褋褋芯褑懈邪褑懈褞 褋 泻褉懈泻邪屑懈 蟹胁械褉械泄; 芯薪懈 胁懈写械谢懈 薪邪褋, 锌芯谢薪芯褋褌褜褞 锌芯褉邪斜芯褖械薪薪褘褏, 斜械蟹 胁芯谢芯褋, 斜械蟹 懈屑械薪, 蟹邪斜褘胁褕懈褏 芯 写芯褋褌芯懈薪褋褌胁械, 褌械褉锌褟褖懈褏 锌芯斜芯懈, 褋 泻邪卸写褘屑 写薪械屑 胁褋械 斜芯谢褜褕械 写械谐褉邪写懈褉褍褞褖懈褏, 薪芯 薪械 屑芯谐谢懈 蟹邪屑械褌懈褌褜 胁 薪邪褕懈褏 胁蟹谐谢褟写邪褏 写邪卸械 锌褉芯斜谢械褋泻邪 锌褉芯褌械褋褌邪, 胁械褉褘 懈谢懈 褋屑懈褉械薪懈褟. 袨薪懈 蟹薪邪谢懈 薪邪褋 泻邪泻 胁芯褉芯胁 懈 芯斜屑邪薪褖懈泻芯胁, 泻邪泻 谐褉褟蟹薪褘褏 谐芯谢芯写薪褘褏 芯斜芯褉胁邪薪褑械胁 懈, 锌芯屑械薪褟胁 屑械褋褌邪屑懈 褋谢械写褋褌胁懈械 懈 锌褉懈褔懈薪褍, 胁芯褋锌褉懈薪懈屑邪谢懈 薪邪褋 褌邪泻懈屑懈, 泻邪泻懈屑懈 屑褘 褋褌邪谢懈. 袛谢褟 薪懈褏 屑褘 胁褋械 斜褘谢懈 薪邪 芯写薪芯 谢懈褑芯 懈 薪邪蟹褘胁邪谢懈褋褜 锌褉芯褋褌芯 KZ 鈥� 褋褉械写薪懈泄 褉芯写, 械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪薪芯械 褔懈褋谢芯.
袩褉懈屑芯 袥械胁懈 鈥� 效械谢芯胁械泻 谢懈 褝褌芯?
Infatti, noi per i civili siamo gli intoccabili. I civili, pi煤 o meno esplicitamente, e con tutte le sfumature che stanno fra il disprezzo e la commiserazione, pensano che, per essere stati condannati a questa nostra vita, per essere ridotti a questa nostra condizione, noi dobbiamo esserci macchiati di una qualche misteriosa gravissima colpa. Ci odono parlare in molte lingue diverse, che essi non comprendono, e che suonano loro grottesche come voci animali; ci vedono ignobilmente asserviti, senza capelli, senza onore e senza nome, ogni giorno percossi, ogni giorno pi煤 abietti, e mai leggono nei nostri occhi una luce di ribellione, o di pace, o di fede. Ci conoscono ladri e malfidi, fangosi cenciosi e affamati, e, confondendo l鈥檈ffetto con la causa, ci giudicano degni della nostra abiezione. Chi potrebbe distinguere i nostri visi? per loro noi siamo 芦Kazett禄, neutro singolare.
Primo Levi 鈥� Se questo 猫 un uomo
English
Varlam Shalamov was imprisoned for around 17 years 鈥� more than four times longer than Dostoevsky 鈥� and not in the tsarist prisons of the 19th century, but in the Stalinist camps that were far more advanced in their systematic modern brutality. He wrote with both the depth of his great predecessor, and with a sharp precision reminiscent, despite the subject matter, of Hemingway.
Moreover (though they, of course, did not know or read each other), Varlam Shalamov and Primo Levi, having lived through the two main hells of the 20th century, wrote, in essence, about the same thing. Not only about the mass destruction of everything human and humane in Auschwitz and the Gulag, but also about the radical, already inhuman, alienation of prisoners; about the last degree of suffering, where compassion (even in the basic sense of 鈥渟uffering with others鈥�) becomes impossible, when all meaningful closeness and ties between still living people are broken:
Any human feelings鈥攍ove, friendship, envy, charity, mercy, ambition, decency鈥攈ad vanished along with the flesh we had lost during our prolonged starvation.
[...]
Friendship never arises in a state of deprivation or misery. The 鈥渄ifficult鈥� conditions of life, which writers of fairy tales tell us are a precondition for friendship, are simply not difficult enough. If deprivation or misery ever gave people solidarity and friendship, then the deprivation was not extreme and the misery was not very great. Grief is not acute or deep enough if you can share it with friends. In the deprivation we underwent, all you are aware of is your own mental and physical strength, and you find out the limits of your capacities, your physical endurance, and your moral strength.
Varlam Shalamov 鈥� Kolyma Stories
In fact, we are the untouchables to the civilians. They think, more or less explicitly 鈥� with all the nuances lying between contempt and commiseration 鈥� that as we have been condemned to this life of ours, reduced to our condition, we must be tainted by some mysterious, grave sin. They hear us speak in many different languages, which they do not understand and which sound to them as grotesque as animal noises; they see us reduced to ignoble slavery, without hair, without honour and without names, beaten every day, more abject every day, and they never see in our eyes a light of rebellion, or of peace, or of faith. They know us as thieves and untrustworthy, muddy, ragged and starving, and mistaking the effect for the cause, they judge us worthy of our abasement. Who could tell one of our faces from the other? For them we are 鈥楰azett鈥�, a singular neuter word.
Primo Levi 鈥� If This Is A Man
Infatti, noi per i civili siamo gli intoccabili. I civili, pi煤 o meno esplicitamente, e con tutte le sfumature che stanno fra il disprezzo e la commiserazione, pensano che, per essere stati condannati a questa nostra vita, per essere ridotti a questa nostra condizione, noi dobbiamo esserci macchiati di una qualche misteriosa gravissima colpa. Ci odono parlare in molte lingue diverse, che essi non comprendono, e che suonano loro grottesche come voci animali; ci vedono ignobilmente asserviti, senza capelli, senza onore e senza nome, ogni giorno percossi, ogni giorno pi煤 abietti, e mai leggono nei nostri occhi una luce di ribellione, o di pace, o di fede. Ci conoscono ladri e malfidi, fangosi cenciosi e affamati, e, confondendo l鈥檈ffetto con la causa, ci giudicano degni della nostra abiezione. Chi potrebbe distinguere i nostri visi? per loro noi siamo 芦Kazett禄, neutro singolare.
Primo Levi 鈥� Se questo 猫 un uomo
March 26, 2024
苇蟺慰蟼! 渭蠈谓慰 蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 渭萎谓蔚蟼 渭慰蠀 蟺萎蟻蔚 馃槺 57 蠋蟻蔚蟼 馃帶 蟿慰 维尉喂味蔚 蠈渭蠅蟼 馃槑
October 22, 2020
Dark, bleak, and soul-crushing. I have a hard time reviewing books like this, and they always leave me with questions of whether there is a limit to the horrible things humans will do to each other, and how do we let these things happen?
"Friendship is not born in conditions of need or trouble. Literary fairy tales tell of 鈥榙ifficult鈥� conditions which are an essential element in forming any friendship, but such conditions are simply not difficult enough. If tragedy and need brought people together and gave birth to their friendship, then the need was not extreme and the tragedy not great. Tragedy is not deep and sharp if it can be shared with friends."
"He didn't want to die here in the frost under the boots of the guards, in the barracks with its swearing, dirt and total indifference written on every face. He bore no grudge for people's indifference, for he had long since comprehended the source of that spiritual dullness. The same frost that transformed a man's spit into ice in mid-air also penetrated the soul. If bones could freeze, then the brain could also be dulled and the soul could freeze over. And the soul shuddered and froze - perhaps to remain frozen forever."
May 24, 2016
stunning book about a convicts 17 years in a Siberian death camp. The author who was In the camp writes some short stories of his time there. Think a day in the life of Ivan denisovic x 100 times worse. In fact Solzhenitsyn held shalamov in very high regard. This book is one of the biggest magnifying glasses into the human psyche that I have ever read. Some incredible truths in this book that feel so out of place in normal society. Some of the most interesting short stories were: shock therapy, major pugachovs last battle, my first tooth, condensed milk and the train. Some incredible hints and tips on how to survive both physically and mentally and most importantly, spiritually in a place like that if u were ever put there god forbid.
March 19, 2010
Powerful, unsettling, triumphant. The best of the Gulag literature--- darker and more precise even than "Ivan Denisovich". Tales of survival, violence, hope, revolt, resistance, love, and death there in the world of the Gulag. Sharp, concise, etched in ice and steel, and with a deep sense of human worth and the human heart. You can't do 20th-c. Russian lit without reading this book. Yes, Solzhenitsyn--- yes: read "First Circle" and "Ivan Denisovich". But read this. Just go get a copy. Shalamov's stories will stay with you the rest of your life.
May 2, 2009
Disturbing. In some ways, this book is actually better than Solzhenitsyn's stuff. Shalamov writes such short, concise stories that carry so much emotional punch. There is even one story that is only one paragraph long that is more disturbing than an entire novel. I love Shalamov, especially for his aesthetics.
August 27, 2022
Wonderfully depressing short stories. Devastating. Hard to believe he was able to create art out of Soviet forced labor camp hell. Solzhenitsyn is equally great, but it鈥檚 his nonfiction rather than the fiction that equals the power of Shalamov鈥檚 Tales.
April 29, 2013
Qualcosa di pi霉 di un semplice libro-un'avventura dello spirito.
In una lunghissima sequenza di racconti,l'autore ci accompagna in quell'orrore senza fine che fu la Siberia dei Lager.
Non 猫 un libro facile n猫 leggero, perch猫 non ambisce ad intrattenere: suo unico obiettivo 猫 esorcizzare la malvagit脿 umana, che alla Kolyma negli anni trenta ha trovato la sua massima espressione, nel solo modo possibile, il ricordo.
In un'epoca di facili revisionismi, in cui da ogni parte si cerca di inquinare lo sguardo al passato con ogni sorta di propaganda, l'esperienza di venti anni di dannazione che Salamov ci offre con il cuore in mano, 猫 qualcosa con cui 猫 esperienza preziosa fare i conti.
Sconsigliato per quanti cercano nella lettura solo un confertevole passatempo.
In una lunghissima sequenza di racconti,l'autore ci accompagna in quell'orrore senza fine che fu la Siberia dei Lager.
Non 猫 un libro facile n猫 leggero, perch猫 non ambisce ad intrattenere: suo unico obiettivo 猫 esorcizzare la malvagit脿 umana, che alla Kolyma negli anni trenta ha trovato la sua massima espressione, nel solo modo possibile, il ricordo.
In un'epoca di facili revisionismi, in cui da ogni parte si cerca di inquinare lo sguardo al passato con ogni sorta di propaganda, l'esperienza di venti anni di dannazione che Salamov ci offre con il cuore in mano, 猫 qualcosa con cui 猫 esperienza preziosa fare i conti.
Sconsigliato per quanti cercano nella lettura solo un confertevole passatempo.
July 5, 2024
Absolutely essential reading
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