At the centre of this epic novel, overshadowing the lives of its huge cast of Russian and German characters, looms the battle of Stalingrad. Within a world torn apart by ideological tyranny and war, Grossman's characters must work out their destinies. Completed in 1960 but confiscated by the KGB, this sweeping panorama of Soviet Society rejected the compromises of a lifetime and earned its author denunciation and disgrace. It remained unpublished until it was smuggled into the West in 1980, where it was hailed as a masterpiece.
One of the finest Russian novels of the 20th century Daily Telegraph One of the great writers of the last century Observer A literary genius. His Life And Fate is rated by many as the finest Russian novel of the 20th Century Mail on Sunday One of the world's great war novels Independent on Sunday Vasily Grossman's novel is burnt in my memory, not only by its huge canvas, its meditation on tyranny, and its dazzling description of war, but also because this is the novel that made me cry - not just a few leaked tears, but a full-scale sobbing episode - in Montpellier airport... Grossman lost his mother in a concentration camp. In Life and Fate, he writes with tenderness, and pain, not only of that experience but of what it is like to survive tyranny. A classic indeed Independent One of the greatest masterpieces of the twentieth century Times Literary Supplement It is only a matter of time before Grossman is acknowledged as one of the great writers of the 20th century...Life and Fate is a book that demands to be talked about Guardian
Life and Fate is an epic tale, sweeping account and panoramic view of Soviet society during the World War II. Setting the Battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest and cruelest battle of human history as the center, the novel immerses through a huge cast of Russian and German characters whose lives are torn apart by what Vasily Grossman described 'the ruthless truth of war' and ideological tyranny.
This book is as enormous and panoramic as Vasily Grossman's life at the time of war that it should require pages to utter ones immensely affected soul.
I am not good writer and English is not my native tongue either. I am just an international student who is struggling in London's busy life to get my desired degree. I never thought of myself writing a review about something as this time. However, I can wait to tell people about Life and Fate and I think I would have been guilty if I hadn't told.
Life doesn't seem to be so easy at all. What I mean by easy is that our fate always drive us to something unavoidable, unexpected situations making our lives a lot difficult. However, that difficult doesn't have to bear bad consequences. Instead it can be good difficulties. Unexpectedly stumbling upon this epic masterpiece 2 months ago was just a brilliant example of this so called fate that makes our life always busy and difficult.
I was supposed to participate a booksigning in Waterstones Piccadilly London but a big sign which reads 'Russian Literature' in a corner had caught my eyes. In general, russian literature has been one of my the most favourites. So I was tempted and there an aesthetic cover design of a certain book, which was about to be Life and Fate caught my eyes more than any other books.
It was not good to read Life and Fate without reflecting over almost every page you have read and without researching more about the history of the Battle of Stalingrad, further, the Stalinism, the Soviet Society, the ordinary lives under the ideological tyranny, further, the anti-semitism and it goes on. As you can see now, why this book is not an ordinary book.
It is not ordinary book that took Vasily Grossman's own life. He completed it in 1960 and subsequently KGB confiscated the manuscript and destroyed it. Since he devoted all his life over completing and publishing his book, right after the fate of his book he fell into depression and eventually died in 1964.
Yet the fate of Life and Fate heroic and remarkable that it defied all the adversaries againts the freedom. And every inches of it utters how much does our freedom cost
Read Life & Fate and be warned that the modern commercial-success-driven novel might look so trivial.
Plus don't forget to join my Vasily Grossman Appreciation Club on Facebook. -
Enkhtaivan Gantulga
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