One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Narrated by: Richard Brown

One of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union, this is the story of labor camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov and his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of Communist oppression. Based on the author’s own experience in the gulags, where he spent nearly a decade as punishment for making derogatory remarks against Stalin, the novel is an unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin’s forced work camps. An instant classic upon publication in 1962, it confirmed Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s international stature as “a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy” (Harrison Salisbury).

©1978 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (P)1992 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Richard Brown’s razor-sharp narration perfectly suits this fine translation.”– ( Library Journal)

" One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich yields, more than anything else, a beautiful sense of its author as a Chekhovian figure: simple, free of literary affectation, wholly serious.” ( New Republic)

there's a reason it's popular.

voice dudes ok (shrug). As an American, it's kinda funny picturing Soviet prisoners with a British accent, and comedy's exactly what readers are looking for here.

great book!

Made you really think about our culture and their flirtation with socialism. Also made you realize that life lived under difficult circumstances can still be a life filled with small joys.

Recommended

The audio was a little hard to understand from time to time, especially when accelerated, but the book is as vital as ever.

Mundane horror

The story of how people can get used to the worst hardship and how each day in the camp was the same and often worse. The prose is excellent. The reader was okay.

Good Story, Not My Style

I was much more interested in Gulag Archipelago, but felt I should read this for completeness. Glad I did. Not really overwhelming.

It's a classic for a reason!

The writer carries you into the world of the Zec, the prisoner trying to survive his 15- or 25-year sentence of hard labor in a Soviet gulag (prison camp). He weaves a world, following the thoughts and plans of the weary residents. His condemnation of the horrible system is not shouted with elevated rhetoric, but whispered in the Zec's weariness and hunger. An excellent and instructive read.

Great story, great narration

In my opinion, every American should be familiar with Solzhenitsyn’s work. This book is a nice short listen; an excellent introduction to his thought.

Great book, great narration

Learned of this book from watching Dr Jordan Peterson. The narration could not of been any more perfect in my opinion. Book was more on the optimistic side than I had thought it would be which was very nice. Very interesting and well translated.

Important and revealing

Ivan Denisovich is an important and deeply disturbing book depicting daily life in the Soviet gulag.

I wanted way more than one day -

I agree with one reviewer that the first 10 minutes are painful and I did consider turning it off. So glad I didn't though. This snapshot "day" opens the world of Stalin's forced labor camps. There is magic in the details, the thoughts, the motives... the bite of sausage, the bread in the mattress. I am so glad it was a good day he chose to share, since I felt almost as if with him. A classic I should have read years ago and will read again.