One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
This novel provides a detailed account of a single day in the life of a prisoner, Ivan Denisovich, in a Soviet labor camp in the 1950s. The narrative follows Ivan as he navigates the harsh realities of his daily routine, from the moment he wakes up to when he goes to bed. The book provides a stark portrayal of the brutality and inhumanity of the Soviet gulag system while also highlighting the resilience and dignity of the human spirit under such oppressive conditions.
The 181st greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 21st on 100 Best Novels, in Translation, Since 1900 (CounterPunch)
- 29th on The Main Works of Russian literature (Polka Academy)
- 30th on 30 Books Every Adult Should Read Before They Die (The British Museums, Libraries, and Archives Society)
- 37th on Top 100 World Literature Titles (Perfection Learning)
- 89th on Waterstone's Books of the Century (LibraryThing)
- 193rd on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 202nd on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 245th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- 100 Books to Read from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (New East Digital Archive)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)