Reviewer: Rebecca; August 2020
Solzhenitskyn has written a story based on his extensive research and primary documents of Lenin's life in Zurich, bringing to life this, how can I describe him, 'evil man' is the best way. Lenin was a man possessed of an idea and a huge belief in himself. Solzhenitskyn's book about a person in history is of great relevance to today, indeed to all time. Lenin was a writer and researcher of revolution and spent most of his time in the library in Zurich the two years he lived there. He fundamentally believed (and was proved right) that only a few people, a tiny percentage of the population, are needed to effect revolution. His great strength was in writing slogans and distributing slogans, phrases picked up by the population that through saying over and over become true (how like the corona madness of today). His other strength was he could dominate a room, even a room of strong personalities, he dominated them, people bowed to his views and opinions. Lenin had a clear vision of how revolution would happened, it would be based on extermination of the middle class, civil war, a blood bath and this is what happened. Leaflets and arms were together essential to make it happen. The story ends before this dreadful upheaval, with Lenin's race to Russia, aided by the German's during the 1st world war and accompanied by 40 other Russian emigres.