Researcher_Giulia Di Bella

Week 1

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich 

Introduction, Foreword + Pages 3-32
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Rotation #1

by 

Alexandr Solzhenitsky

         “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (originally published in Russian) is a novel written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Russian novelist), first published in November 1962 in the Soviet literary magazine(Wikipedia).”

The book's publication was a superb event in Soviet literary history since never before had an account of Stalinist repression had been ever openly distributed(Wikipedia). This author, wrote a short introduction in terms of the book, entitled "Instead of a Foreword", to prepare the journal's readers for what they were about to read and get themselves into. It was heavy, and something no one had ever done before. So he basically had to warn the reader, to not get him/her startled right off the bat. 

       Alexandr Slozhenitsyn, was born in Kislovodsk on 11th of December, 1918. His father studied at Moscow University, but unfortunately could not complete it because as soon as 1914 came along, war broke out. He fought in it and died in the summer of 1918, six months after young Alexandr was born. 

Authors words: 

“Even as a child, without any prompting from others, I wanted to be a writer and, indeed, I turned out a good deal of the usual juvenilia. In the 1930s, I tried to get my writings published, but I could not find anyone willing to accept my manuscripts. I wanted to acquire a literary education, but in Rostov such an education that would suit my wishes was not to be obtained. To move to Moscow was not possible, partly because my mother was alone and in poor health, and partly because of our modest circumstances(Nobel Prizes).”

He then started to study Mathematics in the Rostov University, but soon noticed it wasn’t what he wanted to do. Still stuck to the writer's thought, he began to get some literary education as well. 

        Later on, he got arrested for publishing a censored book. 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1970/solzhenitsyn-bio.html

     

     Later on, Alexandr was diagnosed with cancer and by 1953 was nearly dead. He was not able to eat, sleep, and was being heavily affected by the tumor that was quickly spreading around and consuming his body. However, one year later, after going to a specialized clinic, Mr. Alexandr, was alright and able to be cured. 

Authors words:

"In 1961, after the 22nd Congress of the U.S.S.R. Communist Party and Tvardovsky's speech at this, I decided to emerge and to offer One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

Such an emergence seemed, then, to me, and not without reason, to be very risky because it might lead to the loss of my manuscripts, and to my own destruction. But, on that occasion, things turned out successfully, and after protracted efforts, A.T. Tvardovsky was able to print my novel one year later. The printing of my work was, however, stopped almost immediately and the authorities stopped both my plays and (in 1964) the novel, The First Circle, which, in 1965, was seized together with my papers from the past years. During these months it seemed to me that I had committed an unpardonable mistake by revealing my work prematurely and that because of this I should not be able to carry it to a conclusion."

In the end, unfortunately, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, author of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, died on 3 August, 2008, with 3 children, a wife that died in the same year as him, and many books behind his back. 

Works cited:

1.    MLA style: "Alexandr Solzhenitsyn - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 12 Apr 2015. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1970/solzhenitsyn-bio.html>

2.    "Alexandr Solzhenitsyn." JRBenjamin. JRBenjamin, 5 June 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://jrbenjamin.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn3.jpg>.

3.    "Ivan Denisovich." One Day in The Life of Ivan Deisovich. Mr. Frick, 5 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://mrfrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Alexander-Solzhenitsyns-classic-novel-One-Day-in-the-Life-of-Ivan-Denisovich-was-published-50-years-ago-this-month.jpg>.

4.    "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn>.