Apricot Jam and Other Stories

Apricot Jam and Other Stories

by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Author), KennethLantz (Translator), StephanSolzhenitsyn (Translator)

Synopsis

In this stunning final work of fiction, the Nobel Prize-winning author of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich introduces an astonishing set of characters whose day-to-day lives are transformed under the pressures of Soviet rule. These stories confirm Solzhenitsyn's position alongside Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Babel as one of Russia's greatest writers.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Edition: Main
Publisher: Canongate Books
Published: 01 Nov 2012

ISBN 10: 0857863193
ISBN 13: 9780857863195
Book Overview: The last book from the Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Media Reviews
Described by scholars as ranking alongside his best work . . . one of the publishing events of the autumn. * * Observer * *
One of the greatest writers of his time * * Guardian * *
A remarkable human being, a visionary, a crusader in the simplest sense, who was steered in his writing, as in his actions, by a deep sense of justice * * Daily Telegraph * *
In terms of the effect he has had on history, Solzhenitsyn is the dominant writer of [the twentieth] century -- David Remnick * * New Yorker * *
Read these stories for a reminder of an extraordinary life, for the range of the interests they encompass and for a pugnacious moral energy that even the octogenarian writer was hard pressed to tame * * Guardian * *
In probing the relationship between action and belief during times of crisis, Solzhenitsyn is unsurpassed * * Times * *
A great book...absolutely terrific -- John Carey
With its unapologetic moralising and blunt irony, Apricot Jam is a perfect introduction to the stories in this volume. The binary method is essentially a satirical device, designed to capture the doubleness - and double-facedness - of Russian life under communism * * New Statesman * *
As fresh as masterpieces such as Cancer Ward or Matryona's Home -- Victor Sebestyen * * Sunday Times * *
The more experimental 'binary' or two-part tales, which dominate this collection, share the qualities of Solzhenitsyn's finest prose: its precision and visual clarity; the subtle irony and humour of its tone; its moral truth; and the skilful crafting and shaping of the story for emotional effect -- Orlando Figes * * Times * *
Beautifully illustrates the betrayal of the Soviet people, who sacrificed so much in the war only to be repaid with the gulag and stagnation -- Oliver Bullough * * Sunday Times * *
Explores the impact of a century of turbulence on the lives of ordinary Russians -- Claire Allfree * * Metro * *
The stories, collected by his son...provide a glimpse into the genius of one of Russia's greatest writers * * Financial Times * *
Author Bio
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, and his work continues to receive international acclaim. Through his writings, particularly The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, he helped to make the world aware of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labour camp system. He was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1974 and returned to Russia in 1994. He died on 2 August 2008. These stories have been translated by Kenneth Lanz and Stephan Solzhenitsyn.