Sofia Petrovna (European Classics)

Many European classics are out of touch with modern or American sensibilities. Not this work. It is a finely told tale of yet another victim of communists who ate/eat their own. Son and mother and surrounding characters are all portrayed with delicate and minute verisimilitude. I recommend for a balance of male/female representation, mother/son dynamic, and ultimately authenticity. I don't risk blasphemy when making a comparison to "One Day in the Life" by Solzhenitsyn.

I had to purchase and read this book for class (given 2 day time frame). The book read extremely well and quickly. It really allows insights into life in Soviet Russia and evokes emotion from the reader making you want to turn the page!

It really gets your head into a single person right after the Reds took over. The incredible character progression is so believable it's terrible. A widowed woman sees her once beautiful life torn from her by unknown powers. If you're doing any sort of study in the Soviet Union you need to read this to grasp the mindset of the day. If you're looking for a captivating drama get this book. I read it in two bathtub sittings. I had to keep turning on the water to keep it hot!

I read this book for a world history class at the University of Tennessee and must say it was an enjoyable read. The fictional tale gave me a rather clear imagery of what women were going through during the era of the great purges and Stalinism at its peak. Sofia was a rather naive person when it came to any situation about her son being a criminal or involved with the wrong things but believing everything else around her was polluted. The funny thing is that this is how mothers react about their children believing them to be innocent at all times. The ending was somewhat disappointing because of how abrupt it was but in a sense it was fitting because reality had finally struck in Sofia's mind about never seeing her son again. I recommend this one.

Powerful and gripping narrative. All too true contemporaneous retelling of life during the purchase of 1937. One reviewer on Amazon called it boring. It is not at all. The story will remain with me for ever. These events, even with a fictitious Personna, really happened. They happened in my own family. The denunciations. The arrests. The fear. Highly recommended.

This book really opened my eyes to what it was like to live during the beginning of communism. Sofia's story is real and tragic: her trust in this new form of government, her confusion when things turn out differently than expected, and her eventual despair when she realizes that it's impossible to know friends from enemies. The account is quite short--could easily be read in a day.

Was assigned this book by my World History professor. A very enjoyable read, that gives you great context into Stalin's Russia.

Good quality. Good price. Arrived quickly.

It was what expected. Thanks

This is an important account of the Great Terror. A very important book. Unfortunately the kindle version was almost impossible to read. It wasn’t a proper e book. Just photographs of the printed pages. It was impossible to read because the photos were rotated incorrectly so I was trying to read upside down. You can’t take money for something as useless and shoddy as this.

I enjoyed ths story. It is dark and disturbing and paints quite the picture of the times. The book was used, but came in excellent condition.

This is my favourite book I have ever read. A book that deserves more reads, pick it up today - you won't regret it.