Books
Oak and the Calf
by Jeff Miller
I’m halfway through listening to The Oak & The Calf by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It is an enthralling tale of his difficulties and triumphs in writing and publishing in Soviet Russia. It is a memoir, not of the author so much as a literary memoir. The story of his writings and their publication is rather astounding. Even 20 years post Cold War, it is amazing to hear of the inner workings of the various Soviet committees. There was, of course, much pressure brought to bear on individuals who did not toe the party line and much work by many individuals to work around the Soviet system to get what they wanted/needed.
I guess I always tended to think (by not thinking, actually) of the Soviet citizenry having one mind, manipulated by fear, dictated by the state, etc. Humanity always struggles against tyranny as much as possible at any given time. I have been reminded of Solzhenitsyn’s (and others’) determination and fortitude in the face of grave circumstances. I am thankful for the example he and others have left for us in living a life of dignity despite hardships the like of which I have no basis of knowledge.
If you have an interest in Soviet Russia in the 1960s & 70s, you might pick this up at some point.
Posted by Jeff Miller at September 1, 2006 02:23 PM
Jeff, Sounds interesting. Solzhenitsyn is something of a hero to me but I haven’t read him. I do have the Gulag on my reading list but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll add this one to the list also. I’m one of those weird guys that like to read about writing and literature and I’ve been interested in the Soviet Republic since I read (and saw) Dr. Zhivago.