Home › Classics › One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
One ordinary day in a Soviet labor camp
1962Fast paceDark
What it is about
The novel follows a single day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a prisoner in a Soviet labor camp in the early 1950s. Through small details, the book shows how prisoners cope with the cold, hunger and cruelty. It was one of the first works to expose the camps to the public.
Who will enjoy it
Readers interested in Soviet history.
What you will get
A short but heavy classic.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Classics · Gulag · Survival · Dignity
Length
182 pages · ≈ 5 h
More about this book
Characters
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov and the other prisoners.
Setting
A labor camp in Siberia, in 1951.
What makes it different
A short book that captures a whole system through one day.
Feel
Plain, harsh and powerful.
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