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Title: A profoundly moving masterpiece about Stalinist Russia.
Review: Grossman began writing this book in 1955, two years after Stalin died. It was completed one year before the author's death in 1964, but was not published until 1970. Framed as a novel, and written with great tenderness, "Forever Flowing" is primarily a history of the horrors of the Soviet state before, during, and after its Stalinist phase. Grossman's chapters recounting the huge famine of 1932, which was a government-enforced starvation of millions, particularly in the Ukraine, are matchlessly brilliant and profoundly moving. The entire novel is a tribute to human freedom. It also reflects the great courage of its author. In my opinion, "Forever Flowing" will become more widely read as time passes, and will become increasingly recognized as one of the greatest books of the 20th century. It is a true classic. The lucid translation by Thomas P. Whitney is excellent. Very highly recommended!
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