Tullius est [et Tullius non est Cicero]: A Book I Just Finished

Unlike my ancient predecessor, this Tullius hasn't had his hands chopped off. With hands attached I offer my thoughts on philosophy, religion, politics, and whatever else I find worth mentioning. I'm conservative religiously and politically (with libertarian leanings). I value reason and freedom but also traditions and "Oldthink." I relish being on the wrong side of history when history is wrong--part of a philosopher's job is to be unpopular. (Views given here may not represent my employers')

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A Book I Just Finished

It's about a single day in the life of a gulag prisoner in the Soviet era--just like the title suggests. Simple and short. I enjoyed it. What makes it powerful is Solzhenitsyn's way of making the utterly ordinary into the sublime and almost supernatural. I have never before experienced the emotions associated with realizing the worth of a tiny crust of bread.

2 comments:

MonashDecember 16, 2014 at 8:31 PM
About time you (finally) finished this book (loser). One of my all-time favorites of any genre of literature. To this day, I still find myself, whenever cold, saying that I'd like "to get a warm." Shukov is an amazing character.

Brilliant book.
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UnknownDecember 17, 2014 at 2:46 PM
I find myself more grateful for shoes, coats, bread, sleep, time to read, and freedom.
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