Product Description

As DM Thomas states in his masterly biography of the Nobel Prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 'He helped to bring down the greatest tyranny the world has seen, besides educating the West as to its full horror. No other writer in our century has had such an influence on our history.' The author of THE FIRST CIRCLE, CANCER WARD and THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO can truly be said to have altered Russia and thus the pattern of our times. This is as much a disturbing, haunting history of the twentieth century as it is a biography of a great novelist. Given the extraordinary language of Thomas and his novelistic gifts which he uses to render his story, this work will come to be regarded as one of the great biographies of recent decades. Particularly impressive is the vast cooperation of Solzhenitsyn's first wife, Natalya, who has provided an astonishing portrait of her ex-husband's life in Russia before his departure in 1974 from the then Soviet Union. The photographs which will be used for the book come from her own collection as well.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #267990 in Books
• Published on: 1999-02-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 594 pages

Review
'Masterful, even Tolstoyan' - DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Written with the verve of an exciting thriller' - Orlando Figes, THE TIMES 'This is not a book about Alexander Solzhenitsyn. It is the book...D.M Thomas presents us with a huge historical canvas- a history of twentieth-century Russia seen through the eyes of its most difficult customer; a biography of Solzhenitsyn through the lens of historical experience. Thomas's book therefore reads like a historical novel. And because it has the generosity needed by the creator of fiction, its gives us back our reasons for revering Solzhenitsyn while recognising his feet of clay. It is difficult to think of a literary biography that has impressed me more.' A.N Wilson 'Superb... so deeply has [Thomas] felt into the puzzles and contradictions of Solzhenitsyn's authorial genius that a real man seems to come alive as if for the first time... This is the most enlightening book on Solzhenitsyn's life and politics, his timeless as well as contemporary significance, that is ever likely to appear. I can hardly recommend it too strongly. John Bayley 'An extraordinary accomplishment...so marvellously readable. In it I feel that Solzhenitsyn appears whole for the first time.' Olga Carlisle, author of SOLZHENITSYN AND THE SECRET CIRCLE 'Very few people know Solzhenitsyn as a person, perhaps no one. In his solitary battle against the state he used a shield made of his own books, and it is hard to see behind them... The author of The Gulag Achipelago is in fact an unexplored 'Solzhenitsyn Achipelago.' I would describe DM Thomas's genre as geography-biography. His book is the first attempt at a risky and fascinating expedition inside the mysterious Solzhenitsyn Achipelago.' Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Orlando Figes, THE TIMES
* "Written with the verve of an exciting thriller"

About the Author
D.M. Thomas is not only the author of the now-classic novel, THE WHITE HOTEL, but is a Russian literature scholar from years back. This is his first biography, and he has spent four years researching the work.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating, troubling, compelling. Very readable
We have been accustomed to think of Solzhenitsyn as a hero of our age for his stand against communism. Thomas skilfully and compellingly shows that the truth is far more complex. Solzhenitsyn is a character drawn on a large canvas. He and those around him are flawed, as we all are. This is addressed sympathetically and objectively and the reader left to make up their own mind - a pleasant change from so many other biographies which tell us what to think. The human story is deeply engaging and well presented, but the bigger questions that are raised are at least as compelling. The reader feels the shock of discovery that Solzhenitsyn is NOT a supporter of the modern capitalistic liberal democracy. "Our" way of life is seen as quite as dangerous to humanity as communism. The shallowness of consumerism is impoverishing us all and is the logical outworking of the Enlightenment. Linking Solzhenitsyn's thoughts in this area to Saul Bellow's is particularly interesting - wouldn't it be wonderful to be a fly on the wall if they ever met! Although this book doesn't come into the Five star "must read" category it is excellent, and we must be grateful to Thomas for what he has given us. I would recommend the book to anyone wanting to combine a "good read" with doing some hard thinking about the world we live in.