I enjoyed this reading and the authors ability to paint an image of what our ancestors had to endure. I found the reading to lack action. The story told of small traumas and occurences but I felt it lacked progression. I wonder if this was intended by Solzhenitsyn as he was trying to potray the life of a prisoner is boring.
I also found it interesting how the prisoners developed their own small society within the camp. It contained rich and poor, leaders and followers, thieves and rule followers who were all striving for personal success and survival, similar to our own society.
I felt the title created a sense of expectation and then replaced it with a negative sense of Shukhov's difficulty living in the camp and the true meaning of captivity.
I also thought this book lacked excitement. It was supposed to be more of a informational book I believe. It was intersting to learn how they lived on the camps and the little things they did to survive and make the best out of the situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you as well. I kept reading a head a little to see if anything major was about to happen, but never discovered it. It is probably true that this was to show us the life of a prisoner is boring and tedious. The book just kind of abruptly ends. I was not really sure what to make of it.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree it lacked excitement, I think until your put in the situation they were you truly cant appreicate what was going on. This was their lives and how they had to live something as young americans we cant relate too.
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