That no one commented until now, sadly, sums it up. The man was important but perhaps no longer that relevant. I am, needless to say, a casual observer and last read anything by him over 20 years ago. But it seems wrong for no notice to be taken.
I know next to nothing about him but from what I do know of him, I have gained great respect and admiration for him.
It’s sad to see him leave.
RIP
My brother was a Russian major when he was pre-law at the University of Kansas. When Solzhenitsyn was exiled in 1974 or 1975, he interviewed him in Switzerland on Readers Digest’s dime. I don’t think he was very impressed with Solzhenitsyn. Maybe Aleks didn’t like my brother either.
The Gulag Archipelago is one of the (many) books that are on my list to read. Now I think I will read it next after I finish some Tolstoy. His work is great from what I’ve heard though.
Perhaps Sozhenitsyn was unable to come up with any amusing anecdotes for their “Life In These Soviet Socialist Republics” section of the magazine and that soured him for your brother. Afterall, who wants to read tales of woe while taking a crap?
I just read it in this morning’s newspaper. I didn’t even know he was still alive until I saw the obit.
I never read his writings, probably because I had a hard time finishing other Russian books back in High School.
I should try to finish one some day.
Ah, the “Life in These United States” section. They could easily have altered the name for one issue. I don’t think they used my brother’s interview so maybe the Digest was soured on him, too. But, on the other hand, tales of woe generally help one void.
The U.S. would do well to have a Solzhenitsyn of our own these days.
It’s a cold cruel world when Solzhenitsyn is dead and Yakov Smirnoff is still alive…
My mother ( A russian litterate) wasn’t impressed either. though the guy had courage and litterary skills he had a “prophetic” “religious”, grandiloquent vision of the world in the tradition of some russian grandees and thus was far from our modern visions of the world that were too liberal and degenerate for him.