In the First Circle

By: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Harry T. Willets - translator

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 31 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

Moscow, Christmas Eve, 1949. The Soviet secret police intercept a call made to the American embassy by a Russian diplomat who promises to deliver secrets about the nascent Soviet Atomic Bomb program. On that same day, a brilliant mathematician is locked away inside a Moscow prison that houses the country's brightest minds. He and his fellow prisoners are charged with using their abilities to sleuth out the caller's identity, and they must choose whether to aid Joseph Stalin's repressive state - or refuse and accept transfer to the Siberian Gulag camps...and almost certain death.

First written between 1955 and 1958, In the First Circle is Solzhenitsyn's fiction masterpiece. In order to pass through Soviet censors, many essential scenes - including nine full chapters - were cut or altered before it was published in a hastily translated English edition in 1968. Now with the help of the author's most trusted translator, Harry T. Willetts, here for the first time is the complete, definitive English edition of Solzhenitsyn's powerful and magnificent classic.

©2009 Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn (P)2018 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"[An] indelible novel of towering artistry, caustic wit, moral clarity, and spiritual fire." (Booklist, starred review)

One of the five finest novels written in the 20th Century

If you want to understand where we are going you have to look at where we have been. This novel does that and the echoes of Stalin’s totalitarian rule of the USSR and his ambitions for the world still echo loudly today.

On top of that, “In The First Circle” is also a cracklingly told story which richly drawn characters.

It also does not hurt the narration is terrific.

Highly recommended.

The debate

Life in a socialist state run prison system - should be required reading as a warning about an overpowering omnipresent state

Masterpiece is an Understatement

I've never read anything like this. I have heard a lot of the author in recent years and this seemed to be a good place to start as Gulag Arch is still in production in Audible.

The awareness of some characters and the complete lack of awareness in others paints a picture that is just incredibly terrifying. Once you read a book of this quality it really reshapes the way you view literature and what "quality" actually means.

One tip to anyone about to start the audible version - PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE NAMES OF CHARACTERS! Being a non-Russian speaker, I did at times have a difficult time remembering all of the characters because they are quite complex and there are quite a few. They are all very important and needed, it just took me some time to remember who was who and once you pick up on the story line it becomes easier. But I've actually thought about listening again and making note cards for myself with quick bullet points about each and which sub-plot the character is involved in.

This is no way, I repeat, no way takes anything away from the book AT ALL.

Calling the novel a Masterpiece does not even begin to do it justice. Thank you to the Solzhenitsyn for giving all of us this!

Fiction based on fact

I've read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich twice, but really began to understand the power of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's genius as I listened to this book. The chapters delving into Stalin's inner thoughts (starting with Chapter 19, The Birthday Hero) are fascinating and entertaining even as that part of the novel steps away from the main plotline. And the narration is outstanding!

Outstanding!

An outstanding narration of one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. I very much hope we will see other works by Solzhenitsyn from Audible (e.g. Cancer Ward).

Powerful

A very important work. Incredibly well written. I was concerned that it would be hard to follow the story line on audio, but that was not the case. Living in a western democracy, we take so much for granted.

Names are hard to follow

Book is very good, but it would help early on to take down the names with quick descriptions, make sure you use all 3 names because the author uses them almost interchangeably

Best Reread

“In the First Circle” could not be more time appropriate for those of us in the west. The first time I read it it felt a bit distant. But now, Its happening here as we speak. As authoritarianism takes root, the story of arrests, imprisonment, forced confessions, et al seem as real as they could possibly be. This should be required reading!! Don’t wait.. READ this.

100 Stars

Solzhenitsyn is a master of political fiction. It’s like A Tale of Two Cities for the USSR… only much better. It resonates brilliantly and truthfully from the smallest human detail to the largest instance of geopolitical madness.

If you haven’t had occasion to consider it before, Solzhenitsyn will make it abundantly clear why such a nice idea like communism (“Hey, let’s all share everything and be fair!”) was, is, and always will be fatally flawed… The problem, you see, is that it fails to take into account ALL of human nature - all the darkest bits being inseparable from the good ones.

In the First Circle is a master work that I have read many times. That being said, if you are new to Solzhenitsyn you should be aware that it has a large cast of characters and many intertwining threads, and for some people it might be a little difficult if they don’t have some general knowledge of the Stalin era of the USSR.

But this is easily remedied! Begin with Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. It is very short, deceptively simple, brilliantly written, and it will orient you to the world portrayed in Solzhenitsyn‘s other works. That’s how it happened for me…

Enduring lesson

Folly of government control

Hardness of eternal soul

Illumination of Fake News

Read & weep now