BOOK REVIEW: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Title: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Translator: H.T. Willetts

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Year published: This edition: 2014

ISBN: 978-0-374-53468-4

Genre: fiction, historical fiction, Russian literature

Pairs well with:

stale bread,

weak tea,

and extremely cold weather.

I initially started reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich with a tutoring student. My student was assigned the novella in the fall of 2019 for a high school course on Russian Literature, and we both enjoyed the book.

The novella is fairly stark and straightforward in both tone and style, but it was an interesting look inside a Soviet gulag or prison. Although the story takes place over a single day in a prisoner's life -- Ivan Denisovich -- it feels as if it takes place over weeks, if not a months. The author, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and the translator of this edition, H.T. Willets, describe the prison, prisoners (called "zeks"), guards, and so on with such careful precision that it's hard to not feel almost as if you are right there next to them. The novella is both crisp and pared down to the raw bones of the story while also being rich with detail -- but the details add to the stark tone. 

While it was sometimes hard to keep track of characters -- the story jumps between their last names, middle names used like last names, full names, and nicknames --  the story moved along at a good pace and it's easy to keep track of the main character since the entire story revolves around his activities over the course of the day. The book moves from Ivan's first moments in the morning through to his last moments in the evening and much attention is given to warmth, work, and food. And, interestingly, although Ivan's life could be viewed as steeped in misery, he finds moments of enjoyment and clearly has found his place within the hierarchy of the prison guards and other prisoners.

The novella isn't long, but the subject matter and intricacies can be complex and heavy on the heart and mind. Despite the heaviness, I strongly suggest this book, particularly as an introduction into Russian literature. 

Find a copy on Amazon HERE.