02-16-2010, 03:10 AM
You'll enjoy it. IIRC it's a fictionalized account of the combat at Pavlov's House, a landmark famous to this day in Volgagrad (Stalingrad) where a relatively small group of Soviet soldiers held out against repeated German assaults.
Rather than expecting a factual account of army life or fighting in Stalingrad it's better to read it as a window into the arts during the war. The arts were used as a morale builder, and the heroic novel was part of that. The victory at Stalingrad made heros (justifiably) of the RKKA, and the novel helped show that to the nation.
Rather than expecting a factual account of army life or fighting in Stalingrad it's better to read it as a window into the arts during the war. The arts were used as a morale builder, and the heroic novel was part of that. The victory at Stalingrad made heros (justifiably) of the RKKA, and the novel helped show that to the nation.
Steiner: "Why do you want it so badly? It's just a worthless piece of metal. Look."
