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reviewed The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (The Gulag Archipelago, #Volume 3)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Gulag Archipelago (Paperback, 2007, Harper Perennial Modern Classics) 4 stars

Review of 'The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3' on 'GoodReads'

3 stars

I'm very glad I kept at these volumes back-to-back. Since the subject matter is so difficult and ... unabridged, the momentum was necessary. Of course, Solzhenitsyn has done a fantastic job at keeping the reader motivated to read, not out of duty but of interest in his prosaic style.

This volume, somewhat unlike the first two, is a little milder in its content - since it discusses the death of Stalin and a subsequent relaxation of many decrees. Additionally, we hear of escape attempts, uprisings and those who fight back.

The most shocking (perhaps surprising is a better word) aspect to me was that of the exile life. Seems like those sentences were possibly harder for many than being thrown directly into a labour camp to begin with.

If you managed to get through Vol I&II, then yes - do keep going. As much as one can 'finish' a story / telling of this magnitude, this volume manages it. In general, if you're thinking of embarking on reading this work: I thoroughly recommend doing so.