Bücher von Mikhail Soloviev

The writer Mikhail Soloviev is one of the most prominent Soviet writers who chose freedom under incredibly difficult circumstances. This work is a unique and truthful description of the greatest upheaval of our time - the three decades of the Russian Revolution. Essentially, the book is the autobiographical account of the author, Mikhail Soloviev, about his experiences during Stalin's time in the Soviet Union. Through his eyes we see the pain of a generation and the crucifixion of an entire nation. The core of this wonderful book is the author's chosen direction of life and the nation's hopes for the future. The events of Stalin's time are told vividly; in the descriptions of the events, you can already see indications of the future development of the country's history and the solutions of the current Russian leadership. The coercive measures of a government with no regard for human life put Soloviev's love for his country to the test. Hatred of Stalin's regime grows and eventually leads him to choose freedom in the West when the opportunity arises. The work is full of scenes, action and death, passion, and tenderness, it has unforgettable characters and it is illuminated by a humble faith in human dignity and the innermost power of the spirit.

A Soviet writer who "chose freedom" publishes in translation here, where he has recently come from an Austrian DP camp, a novel the scope of which defies concentration of space to report. To readers who wish they could put themselves in the place of a youth growing up in 20th century Russia, experiencing each turn of the wheel of revolution and dictatorship, and ultimately descending into the pit of disillusion - here is an opportunity. Politics- history - the firing and destruction of faith in an ideal- played out against 30 years in the life of a tenant farmer. The 1905 uprising, the First World War, the Revolution, the Second World War- each costs the lives of sons, until only Mark, the youngest, survives. Promises of a better life from the Kremlin can no longer sustain him- but his choice to stay is made "because my place is here, on Russian soil....God will bring forth another sunrise in the east". There is romance and intense emotional upheaval here, but the turgid Russian pace seems at times long-drawn out, difficult reading. Once compassed, the reader has gained insight. But for this reader, the book is not the War and Peace of the publisher's claims. (Kirkus Reviews)