Inside saga of the leaders of Bolshevism & the USSR

What a generous & magisterial book! Basically the story of a wide group of leaders, intellectuals & senior bureaucrats and their families, most of whom lived at one time or other in the House of Govt. From the pre-revolutionary backgrounds thru the Oct Revolution, building the new Communist state, collectivization, the 5 year plans, the Great Terror & then the Great Patriotic War. This is s deep social, cultural & intellectual history of how a Bolshevik sect became the state religion of a great country, but it reads more like Tolstoy of “War & Peace”! Lots of Russian names & families to keep track of. Long, but fascinating, subtle, generous & sympathetic, but never “rose tinted”. Most highly recommended! Reader was easy to listen to, with the right balance of seriousness (& occasionally, irony).

16 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Haunting tour of the temple of the failed deity

Engrossing relatable stories, often in their own words, of the thinkers who envisioned the Soviet state. Story after story illuminate the theories and ideals that led to the tragedy that followed.

13 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A people's history of the Soviet Union.

I've been reading historical and biographical books on the Soviet Union since I became aware that there was such a thing as history, more than 45 years ago. Nothing I have ever read comes close to painting the day to day struggle of the Soviet people to not only survive but to avoid being exterminated or sent to dissappear in the Gulag.

Disturbingly, the author points out unmistakable simalarities in Western countries that while not as extreme as in the Soviet world, nevertheless destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of "free" and completely innocent people. A tale that should never cease to be told and most importantly, remembered.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Interminable

I love learning about/reading about all things Russia, including the period of the early 20th century. I gave this book a good 8 hours to get enjoyable and I just don’t have the patience for the 30+ remaining hours. Incoherent and not enjoyable.

9 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

An ultimate history.

Would you listen to The House of Government again? Why?

I would.

What did you like best about this story?

The history it presented, some of which I hadn't heard of.

Which character – as performed by Stefan Rudnicki – was your favorite?

All of them, not bad for a narrator I hadn't heard of before.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The fates of some of Stalin's "enemies" made me cry, Bukharin's especially.

Any additional comments?

/A must-have for fans of Soviet history.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

fantastic portrait of the Soviet revolution

a masterpiece. sweeping and grand in scope. a must read for students of Russian/Soviet history.

5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Amazing

The author is encyclopedic in the research, truly amazing. The narrator is wonderful and his voice is mesmerizing. I highly recommend this book, as I would not have read it as it is so long but listening made it compelling and fascinating.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Epic. Be patient and stay the course.

This is a historical narrative that demands patience. It starts out a bit obscure, and stays that way for the first 5-6 hours. Maybe a little longer. Then it starts to piece together. It’s captivating, engrossing, and extraordinary, once you get past the initial confusion. One thing that would be very helpful is a graph of some sort, as there are so many characters and overlapping storylines. It’s a generational saga, one not to be overlooked. But it will definitely require a second and 3rd listen!!

Stefan Rudnicki is a brilliant narrator, and perfect for the book, with his rich, textured voice. Perfection.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Not enough interpretation of history

It feels as though the author is presenting undigested biographical snippets while leaving their interpretation to readers -- something Solzhenitsyn explicitly frowned upon.

However, chapters 6-8 (if I recall) are still fascinating reflections on religion -- much as Gibbon's chapters on Christianity continue to be worth rereading long after taking in the entire decline and fall.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

For the history fan...

Those who are interested in The history of the roots of Soviet Bolshevism, this is an expansive and fascinating look at the dynamics of the Soviet Union’s origins and development. Using the ambitious building of “The House of Government” building in Moscow as a lens, the author weaves social and biographical details into a terrific story.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile