“Public opinion! I don’t know how sociologists define it, but it seems obvious to me that it can only consist of interacting individual opinions, freely expressed and independent of government or party opinion. So long as there is no independent public opinion in our country, there is no guarantee that the extermination of millions and millions for no good reason will not happen again, that it will not begin any night – perhaps this very night.”
― The Gulag Archipelago
― The Gulag Archipelago
“I am indeed thrown arbitrarily into history. I therefore choose to voluntarily shoulder the responsibility of my advantages and the burden of my disadvantages—like every other individual. I am morally bound to pay for my advantages with my responsibility. I am morally bound to accept my disadvantages as the price I pay for being. I will therefore strive not to descend into bitterness and then seek vengeance because I have less to my credit and a greater burden to stumble forward with than others.”
― The Gulag Archipelago
― The Gulag Archipelago
“Freedom, human rights, tolerance, peace and prosperity are like the eternal flame that must be guarded, nurtured and never, ever taken for granted.”
― An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West
― An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West
“In all the universe only the human race has ever reached a high level of intelligence without reaching a high level of sanity. We are unique.”
― Letter to a Phoenix
― Letter to a Phoenix
“When I think of pain—of anxiety that gnaws like fire and loneliness that spreads out like a desert, and the heartbreaking routine of monotonous misery, or again of dull aches that blacken our whole landscape or sudden nauseating pains that knock a man’s heart out at one blow, of pains that seem already intolerable and then are suddenly increased, of infuriating scorpion-stinging pains that startle into maniacal movement a man who seemed half dead with his previous tortures—it “quite o’ercrows my spirit”. If I knew any way of escape I would crawl through sewers to find it. But what is the good of telling you about my feelings? You know them already: they are the same as yours.”
― The Problem of Pain
― The Problem of Pain
What's the Name of That Book???
— 120900 members
— last activity 25 minutes ago
Can't remember the title of a book you read? Come search our bookshelves and discussion posts. If you don’t find it there, post a description on our U ...more
Goodreads Librarians Group
— 323034 members
— last activity 0 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
— 16230 members
— last activity 7 minutes ago
The world is made up of two kinds of people: first, those who love classics, and second, those who have not yet read a classic. Be bold and join us as ...more
Reading Classics, Chronologically Through the Ages
— 466 members
— last activity Aug 11, 2025 10:22AM
This group began with a book called The Well-Educated Mind (TWEM) by Susan Wise Bauer, which is a wonderful guide to “The Great Books.” TWEM presents ...more
Science, Philosophy and Classic Literature
— 4 members
— last activity Apr 29, 2025 06:09AM
I'm reading mainly science and classics - looking forward to share thoughts and ideas. ...more
Vandor’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Vandor’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Vandor
Lists liked by Vandor




















