Itwas a threevolumetextoriginallywrittenbetween 1958 in 1968.
Itfirstsawpublicationin 1973 andwastranslatedintoEnglish a yearlater.
ItdescribeslifeintheSovietforcedlaborcampsystem, theGooLegthrough a narrativecompiledfrominterviews, personalstatementsfrominmates, diaries, legalandhistoricaldocumentsandtheauthor's ownexperienceas a gulagprisoner.
However, aftermakingderogatoryremarksaboutStalinintheletter, hewasarrestedandsummarilysentencedtoeightyearsinforcedlaborcamps, followedbyinternalexile.
In 1957 hewasformallyrehabilitatedandsettleddowntoteachingandwriting.
ItchroniclesthestoryofthoseattheheartoftheSovietUnionwhoopposedStalinandforwhomthekeytosurvivallaynotinhopebutindespair, a thoroughlyresearcheddocumentand a featofliteraryandimaginativepower, thiseditionofTheGulagArchipelagowasabridgedintoonevolumeattheauthorswishandwithhisfullcooperation.
DorisLessing, 1919 to 2013.
A Britishnovelist, playwright, librettist, biographerandshortstorywriterandwinnerofthe 2000 andsevenNobelPrizeforliterature, saysoftheGulagArchipelago, ithelpedtobringdownanempire.
Yet I havenotgivenupallhopethathumanbeingsandnationsmaybeable, inspiteofalltoe, learnfromtheexperienceofotherpeoplewithouthavingtolivethroughitpersonally.
Therefore, I gratefullyacceptProfessorEricksonsuggestiontocreate a onevolumeabridgmentofmythreevolumeworktogolikeArchipelagoinordertofacilitateitsreading.
Forthosewhodonothavemuchtimeinthishecticcenturyofours, I thinkProfessorErickson, forhisgenerousinitiativeaswellasforthetactfulnous, theliterarytasteandtheunderstandingofWesternreaders, whichhedisplayedduringtheworkontheabridgment.
EdWordyEricksonJr.
1939 to 2017 whoservedastheeditoroftheBridgesinglevolumeversionofTheGulagArchipelago, wasprofessoremeritusofEnglishatCalvinCollegeandtheauthorofmanyotherbooks, includingTheSoldierinitsandReader.
Kennanhailedtheworkasthegreatestandmostpowerfulsingleindictmentof a politicalregimeevertobeleveledinmoderntimes, onesuretostickinthecrawoftheSovietpropagandamachinewithincreasingdiscomfortuntilitisdone.
Hewasmuchtoomodestindepictinghimselfas a littlecaf, foolishlybutting a mightyoakandthinkingthiscouldbringitdown, asDavidRemnick, editorofTheNewYorker, declares, intermsoftheeffecthehashadonhistory.
Andifthetanksofhisfatherlandhavebloodiedthepavementof a foreigncapitalthanrust, coloredstainshaveforeverbespatteredthewriter's face.
Andifonsomefatefulnight a trustingfriendisstrangledinhissleep, thenthepalmsofthewriterbearthebruisesfromthatropeandofhisyouthfulfellowcitizensnonchalantlyproclaimedtheadvantagesofdebaucheryoverhumbletoil.
You'reexpelledfromtheSovietUnion, strippedofyourcitizenship, forcedtotakeresidencyin a societybothstrangetoyouandresistantinitsownwaytoyourpropheticwords.
Manwas a memberof a classaneconomicclass, a groupthatandlittlemoreandhistory, nothingbutthebattlegroundofclassesandgroupshisadmiresregardedcontinuetoregardMarx's doctrineasoneofcompassion, moralbydefinition, virtuousbyfi.
Anditisclearlythecasethatwerequire a futuretowardwhichtoorientourselvestoprovidemeaninginourlife.
Psychologicallyspeaking, itisforthatreasonweseethesameneedexpressedcollectivelyon a muchlargerscaleintheJudeoChristianvisionofthepromisedlandandthekingdomofheavenonEarth.
Someperpetratororvictimizeroroppressorormemberof a privilegedgroup.
A cynicmightbeforgiveninconsequenceforasking, IsitthecityofGodthatisinfact, theaimoristhetrueaimthedesiretomake a burningsacrificialpyreofeveryoneandeverythingandthehypothesisofthecomingbrotherhoodofman.
Andweshouldalsonotethattheutopianvisiondressedasitisinevitablyincompassionis a temptationparticularlydifficulttoresistandmaythereforeoffer a particularlysubtleandinsidiousjustificationformayhem.