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Boys in Zinc
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Description
Mesmerising, haunting stories from the Soviet-Afghan War collected by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
From 1979 to 1989, Soviet troops engaged in a devastating war in Afghanistan that claimed thousands of casualties on both sides. While the Soviet Union talked about a 'peace-keeping' mission, the dead were shipped back in sealed zinc coffins. Boys in Zinc presents the honest testimonies of soldiers, doctors and nurses, mothers, wives, and siblings who describe the lasting effects of war.
Weaving together their stories, Svetlana Alexievich shows us the truth of the Soviet-Afghan conflictβthe killing and the beauty of small everyday moments, the shame of returning veterans, and the worries of all those left behind. When it was first published in the USSR in 1991, Boys in Zinc sparked huge controversy because of its unflinching, harrowing insight into the realities of war.
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Boys in Zinc by Svetlana Alexievich has been praised for its impactful storytelling, with reviewers noting its superb translation and the author's focus on truth as a central theme in contemporary politics. The book is described as a powerful polyphonic work that shines light on the complexities of war and post-Soviet Russia. Alexievich's reportage style is celebrated for giving voice to the voiceless, crafting intimate and raw historical narratives. Her approach has been compared to listening to a confessional, and her contribution to literature has been recognised with a Nobel Prize.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241264119
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 March 2017
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Contributors:
- Translated by Andrew Bromfield
- Translated by Andrew Bromfield
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 228g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Svetlana Alexievich (Author) Svetlana Alexievich was born in Ivano-Frankivsk in 1948 and has spent most of her life in the Soviet Union and present-day Belarus, with prolonged periods of exile in Western Europe. Starting out as a journalist, she developed her own, distinctive non-fiction genre which brings together a chorus of voices to describe a specific historical moment. Her works include The Unwomanly Face of War (1985), Last Witnesses (1985), Boys in Zinc (1991), Chernobyl Prayer (1997) and Second-Hand Time (2013). She has won many international awards, including the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature for 'her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time'.
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