A Profound Reflection on Totalitarianism and Moral Choices in the Shadow of History
I read The First Circle by Alexander Solzhenitsyn at 15, and while I’ve never revisited it, no other book has affected me as deeply. Though I tend to cry during Second World War films, it’s only this novel that has brought me to tears. It opened my eyes to the evils of totalitarian regimes and the tragic waste of human potential in systems that stifle freedom for any reason.
While One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and Cancer Ward are more widely recognized, for me, The First Circle stands as Solzhenitsyn’s greatest work. Set in a Gulag near Moscow after World War II, the title evokes Dante’s Inferno, symbolizing the moral and intellectual decay of the Communist regime. The prisoners endure less brutality than expected, but they labor on state projects meant to prolong a failing system. At nearly 100 chapters, the novel’s vast cast of characters spans from Stalin to the lowest-ranking prisoner.
The central character, Gleb Vikentyevich Nerzhin, a mathematician, seems based on Solzhenitsyn himself, and his fate, which I won’t reveal, is a poignant commentary on moral choices. Filled with stoic heroism, piercing irony, and dignity under duress, The First Circle challenges us to consider what we might do in such dire circumstances. However, I fear that rereading the book could dilute its impact. Has time and exposure to history changed how I perceive its lessons? What if my understanding of dictatorships has lessened the emotional power of the story? These questions keep the book resting unread on my shelf, challenging me with its powerful message.
In The First Circle, Stalin stands as the embodiment of the ultimate villain. Paradoxically, in my own work, The Storm of War, Stalin is presented as a leader who, despite his many flaws and cruelties, played a crucial role in securing victory in the Second World War. While my book does not minimize his despotism, it acknowledges his leadership during the Great Patriotic War, recognizing him as central to the fight against an even greater monster of the 20th century.
