The Gulag Archipelago: (Abridged edition)

This has got to be one of the most eye opening books I have ever read. To be honest, I had never even heard of this book until Jordan Peterson mentioned it numerous times in his novels and lectures. I decided to give it a try. Communism is truly indefensible after reading this. The atrocities of the ideology are incredible. It reads like dystopian fiction, however it is all true. Make no mistake it is not an easy read due to its extreme dark content, but the book is also a near necessity to see just how far society can go. Its an important book to own, and not to be missed. The book is comprised of the authors own account of being imprisoned for ten years due to just knowing someone outside of Russia! It is also a compendium of some 200 other accounts of other people imprisoned, some killed. The book was written in secret and chronicles exactly how the mechanism of the archipelago functions. From brutal interrogations of countless people accused of falsities, to enduring horrific conditions as millions struggle to survive the camps. As speechless as I was after reading this, I feel obligated to encourage everyone to read this book.

This is an abridged volume of Solzhenitsyn's masterwork on the horrifying brutality of the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] and Central Committee of the Communist Party [CCCP] 1918-1991) as manifested in but one of its many horrifying appendages, the Glavnoe Upravlenie-ispravitel'no-trudovykh LAGerei (Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps), more commonly known by its infamous acronym, the GULAG. I deeply encourage all who embrace Marxism to read this book. I deeply encourage all who embrace democracy to read this book. I deeply encourage all who embrace capitalism to read this book. I deeply encourage every citizen of this world to educate themselves on this book's contents. Please... Let the author, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, be your reason for purchasing and reading this profoundly invaluable text. Tear out, scribble out the forward and all attached to it if you must. Let "The Gulag Archipelago" written by Solzhenitsyn's hard-earned hand take you through. He will speak to you as he did me. You have my word.

Outstanding. A testament to the sheer triumph of human spirit in the face of merciless tyranny. It is simply a must read. It is an inspiration to all who suffer. The message is one of hope. In my opinion, this book is a masterpiece on the subject of human endurance.

High schoolers should be required to read this book, and then college students should be required to re-read it. It is amazing that this book is not better known; that fact shows how much the left has a grip on our educational system. The left does not want students to learn about the natural and inevitable consequences of leftism: the loss of individual freedom, the complete irrelevance of the human soul and spirit, the crushing of all repression through a rigged judicial system, the loss of compassion in pursuit of creating the all powerful state. But, the all-powerful state, once created, has no purpose and eventually collapses under its own emptiness, as it did in the Soviet Union, Mao's China, Pol Pot's Cambodia, Chavez's Venezuela, etc. A great book that shows the dangers of glorifying the state over the individual. And a touching testament to the human spirit among that minority of people who retain their humanity and resist.

It's difficult to stress just how important this book is, and how important it is for everyone to read this. We all know the Soviet Union was a terror on its own subjects, but this isn't so much of a recant of statistics, but an exploration of the fundamental beliefs and motivations. It's a grim and fascinating look into what humans are like, not what Bolsheveks are like, but what all humans are like. It's a dissection of Marxism, a look into why every Marxist totalitarian state inevitably only creates misery and death on an industrial scale. If anyone has ever looked back at the 20th century and struggled to understand how Russia, Germany, China, Japan, and many others could have comitted the crimes against humanity that they did, this book answers it.

Unless one in the West intentionally exposes himself or herself to a book like this, they will think our life here in the West is normal and universal, but it's not. Solzhenitsyn writes with journalistic prose to expose the real nature of humankind, of power, of communism, and all connected to these things. This sobering work took me through an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me gripped in contemplation and inward reflection, knowing that I too have the potential within me for good and evil alike. And, as he makes clear, we all have a choice and none of us are victims. The power is in our hands to bring light or darkness, love or hate, good or evil. Truly, I wish every American and European would read this book and really give it time to sink into their minds and hearts.

I read many books by Mr Solzhenitsyn when I was completing my military Obligations. I found his writings very descriptive of his sad experiences. His books shall now be part of my library

I think this particular abridged version is good for someone that wants to read the Gulag Archipelago but does not want to read the thousands of pages in the full three-part book. I have not read the full version so I cannot really tell you if the abridged version missed something significant or anything like that. What I can say is that I thought this length was good for someone interested but not committed to reading thousands of pages. The Gulag Archipeligo is no doubt a literary masterpiece that provides an insight into how humans can become something so sick and twisted that it is almost unbelievable that a country enacted some of the terrible practices mentioned in the book. This book made me feel a certain way that no other piece of literature has. I enjoyed this book

A Eye Opening Account of Soviet Brutality and The Commitment to Undo the Injustice. This Book is Highly Recommended For everyone as it is highly applicable to our Current Century. It's Total Page Count is Around 576 but rach word carries such a feeling that It narrates a whole Century of Brutality.

The after effects are still being felt by most Russians especially the masses - rather discursive but author explains why, possibly poetic license as well

I found this book fascinating and terrifying all at the same time. It filled in some of the gaps in my knowledge of how Marxism plays out in societies, and revealed the dangers of its continued popularity amongst some of our contemporaries in the wider culture. Truly, just a bad idea that will not seem to go away.

A very sombre and harsh review of the mallability of human behaviour and morals in times of great evil...necessary reading in these current times of political madness by some world 'leaders'...

Sûrement le meilleur livre que je lirai cette année, et on n'est qu'en mars.