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 book speaks of past events that are relevant to today and are bound to happen again at some point. This definitely should've been a mandatory read in school, but the same ones responsible for the events of the book are also the ones in control of everything. 🇮🇱

perfect

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.

Reading this book helped me understand the insanity and similarities between Stalin and Trump. Why are human beings unable to learn from history. How the end does not justify the means through out history but we still commit to it like a failed religion of choice.

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 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

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.

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

Powerful and deeply impactful book. It gives a raw and detailed look into the Soviet labor camp system and the realities people faced. It’s not always an easy read, but it’s incredibly important and eye-opening. The personal stories and reflections make it feel very real and hard to forget. Overall, it’s a heavy but essential book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in history and human resilience.

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'...

Coming from the Middle East I somehow could connect with the author on his struggle and pain during the years of imprisonment. One can only hope that communities become more open to different views and ideas. Someday they will but we are still a way off