Compelling - Rated 
This relatively short narrative is one of the finest pieces one can read. Solzhenitsyn skilfully transports the reader into the cold dark worlds of the gulag and the communist state through the eyes of one of their inhabitants. His prose is concise, but expansive, vivid and evocative. It is a fantastic read from beginning to end and could be found compelling by every reader.
The narrative chronicles just one day's events, but Solzhenitsyn succeeds in portraying the infinite nature of life interned. There is no 'happy ending' yet within the main character's musings we encounter springs of hope, positivity and industriousness against the relentless tirade of oppression.
A fantastic read and a true classic.
Crust of Bread - Rated
A friend suggested I might like to read some of Solzheniskn's books. I purchased three and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was the first one I read. I recall hearing a great deal about the author and his work years ago but thought it would be difficult reading. The only difficult thing is the thinking that goes along with the read. It is a book to learn from ...alot about human nature and endurance of the soul. This book took a short time to finish and I shared almost every page with my husband. It got into my subconscious so much that I literally found a crust of bread in my hand as soon as I finished it.
Gripping and sobering reading - Rated
Solzhenitsyn's account of life in a Stalinist gulag is a must-read for anyone interested in modern Russian literature, Soviet history or quality, meaningful literature in general. This is a short (around 140 pages in this edition) but deeply affecting novel that charts one day in the existence of the inhabitant of a prison camp. This is not a book which contains dramatic events or shocking twists and turns, but rather it is a quiet, thoughtful study of struggling through misery and despair, and of the power of hope, survival and clinging on through the bleakest of moments.
Through every minor skirmish, battle and victory of Ivan Denisovich, the reader is willing this likeable character on. Though he has suffered tremendous ill-fortune, has been separated from his family for years and endures daily want, hardship and misery, Ivan Denisovich survives, endures and retains his humanity. In depicting one day in this man's life, Solzhenitsyn puts the Soviet post-war prison camps under the microscope. The power of this author's writing (and the quality of the translation) is such that the reader can feel as if they are in Ivan Denisovich's world with his uncomfortable bunk bed, his constant hunger and coldness through paltry food rations and freezing temperatures. Solzhenitsyn also shows the camaraderie and form of friendship that flourishes between prisoners despite everything they are put through and the delight and sense of victory that can be derived from an extra piece of dry hard bread or helping of lumpy porridge, or from the chance finding of a small discarded piece of metal in the snow.
The historical significance and insight of this novel, coupled with the powerful writing and perfectly-conveyed sense of place, mean that I have to give this work five out of five stars. It is highly readable and accessible and is a book to be thought about long after you have turned the final page.
Gripping - Rated
This books offers a detailed insight into the lives of people who survived in the most of inhumane conditions. Strength of character and the will to survive is inspirational to myself and will be to all who read this book.
The strength of the human spirit. - Rated
A brilliant book. A description of the minutiae of one day of a long sentence in a labour camp being served for no apparent good reason. Solzhenitsyn crafts a fascinating portrayal of the human will to survive and social politics in miniature - how the surivivor remains constantly on the alert for any opportunity that might present itself, be it doing a favour for someone in the hope of a bit of tobacco or a few more grammes of bread, or spotting a small piece of metal that might make a handy knife if hidden successfully, a few woodchips picked off the ground that might make the hut stove burn a little brighter that night.
On the face of it there may not be much action but this is the point - they can take away a person's material comforts and much of their freedom but not their humanity, emotions and thoughts. The smallest events in a seemingly meagre existence can still evoke the strongest emotions - anger, sadness, elation, triumph. A wonderful testament to the strength of the human spirit and possibly the best book I have ever read.
Think of all of the people around the world surviving in difficult, lonely or cruel circumstances. This is a book that should be read by everyone. A tender book full of humane compassion.
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