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The War Within: Diaries from the Siege of Leningrad
by
In September 1941, two and a half months after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, the German Weh....
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Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
January 2nd 2017
by Harvard University Press
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Disclaimer: Another book on the Siege, I've ended up only skimming.
An interesting concept, an exploration of the Siege through the diaries of Leningraders, but it lacked detail and certain events were left unmentioned. I think to get the most from this you'd have to already have a lot of background knowledge on the Siege and would need, simply, to fill in the blanks yourself. The introduction and conclusion were great, especially the focus on building the narrative and the reasons for the Lenin ...more
An interesting concept, an exploration of the Siege through the diaries of Leningraders, but it lacked detail and certain events were left unmentioned. I think to get the most from this you'd have to already have a lot of background knowledge on the Siege and would need, simply, to fill in the blanks yourself. The introduction and conclusion were great, especially the focus on building the narrative and the reasons for the Lenin ...more
Not what I expected—as in excerpts from the diaries themselves. This is more a mix of A Natural History of the Senses with a review of the literature on trauma. THAT, however, is my fault and Peri’s interpretation of the blokadniki experience through the lenses of shifting sense, identity, gender, and authorial voice made for a fascinating read.
FIRST LINE REVIEW: "'We the Soviet people have a sacred date, 25 October 1917, which all of us experienced as a new era of humanity's rebirth. That is how it was until 22 June 1941.'" If you have been following me here (or elsewhere) you likely know that I have a strong interest in the Siege of Leningrad. I've written three plays on this subject and have a 4th one coming this summer. So I've read a LOT on this topic. This book represents a brand new approach based on the recent release of over 1
...more
I gave up on it. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought I was getting a riveting, page-turning social history, with diarists I would come to know and sympathise with. I thought I’d be moved while being informed.
But no, it’s more like a sociology textbook or an extended PhD thesis. It’s a dry academic text, written in that terrible language sociologists use to try and convince everyone they are real scientists.
Three stars because it’s my fault for misunderstanding the entire purpose of the boo ...more
But no, it’s more like a sociology textbook or an extended PhD thesis. It’s a dry academic text, written in that terrible language sociologists use to try and convince everyone they are real scientists.
Three stars because it’s my fault for misunderstanding the entire purpose of the boo ...more
I gave myself permission to skim and skip around in this book. It was much more academic than I thought it was going to be, analyzing the psychological effects of deprivation on Leningrad residents during the siege they endured from 1941-44. Peri explored the effects of hunger on family structure and loyalty, medical experimentation, power shifts (to those controlling the food source), and the isolation from oneself.
Scholarly, not designed for passive reading.
There are quotes from the diaries. They expose a suffering on a whole different level from citizen suffering elsewhere in WWII.
There are quotes from the diaries. They expose a suffering on a whole different level from citizen suffering elsewhere in WWII.
An interesting picture of life behind the blockade during the Siege of Leningrad.
This is not a light read in any sense of the word but it is wonderfully written. With great insights into the human condition under severe suffering, it's definitely a book to make you question yourself.
I gave it 3 stars just because I expected it to be more of a narrative than essay style, but once I got over my initial trepidation, it was really enjoyable ...more
I gave it 3 stars just because I expected it to be more of a narrative than essay style, but once I got over my initial trepidation, it was really enjoyable ...more
Really well written and an interesting read. An excellent interpretation of how people experienced the siege and wrote again it.
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