Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
"Life and Fate" is a sweeping epic that explores the human condition during the Siege of Stalingrad in World War II. The novel delves into the lives of a wide range of characters, from soldiers and scientists to children and victims of the Holocaust, providing a stark and unflinching portrayal of the horrors of war, the brutality of totalitarianism, and the resilience of the human spirit. At the same time, it also examines themes of love, loss, and the struggle for freedom and dignity in the face of overwhelming adversity.
The 290th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1980
- Nationality
- Russian
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 800-900
- Words
- 290,000
- Original Language
- Russian
- Alternate Titles
- None
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 16 lists:
- 1st on What are the Goncourt Winners’ Favorite Books? (Télérama)
- 54th on The Main Works of Russian literature (Polka Academy)
- 60th on The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers (Le Monde)
- 73rd on TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) (/r/TrueLit)
- 193rd on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 260th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List (1,000 Books to Read Before You Die(Book))
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 100 Books, 100 Companions (Zeit Online)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- Books of the Century (The Age (Newspaper))
- Daily Telegraph's 100 Books of the Century, 1900-1999 (Daily Telegraph)
- Novels that Changed The World (Radio France)
- The 100 Novels That Have Most Enthralled "Le Monde" Since 1944 (Le Monde)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)
- Top 10 books about tumultuous times (Guardian)