- Summary
- "Bringing together dozens of voices in her distinctive style, War's Unwomanly Face is Svetlana Alexievich's collection of stories of women's experiences in World War II, both on the front lines, on the home front, and in occupied territories. This is a new, distinct version of the war we're so familiar with. Alexievich gives voice to women whose stories are lost in the official narratives, creating a powerful alternative history from the personal and private stories of individuals. Collectively, these women's voices provide a kaleidoscopic portrait of the human side of the war. When the Swedish Academy awarded Svetlana Alexievich the Nobel Prize in Literature, they praised her "polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time," and cited her for inventing "a new kind of literary genre." Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, added that her work comprises "a history of emotions -- a history of the soul."--Provided by publisher.
"In The Unwomanly Face of War, Alexievich chronicles the experiences of the Soviet women who fought on the front lines, on the home front, and in the occupied territories. These women--more than a million in total--were nurses and doctors, pilots, tank drivers, machine-gunners, and snipers. They battled alongside men, and yet, after the victory, their efforts and sacrifices were forgotten. Alexievich traveled thousands of miles and visited more than a hundred towns to record these women's stories. Together, this symphony of voices reveals a different aspect of the war--the everyday details of life in combat left out of the official histories."--Publisher's description.
- Uniform Title
- U voĭny--ne zhenskoe lit͡so--. English
У войны не женское лицо. English
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Aleksievich, Svetlana, 1948- author.
Алексиевич, Светлана, 1948- author.
- Published
- New York : Random House, [2017]
- Locale
- Soviet Union
- Edition
- First edition
- Contents
-
From a conversation with a historian
A human being is greater than war
"I don't want to remember ..."
"Grow up, girls ... you're still green ..."
"I alone came back to Mama ..."
"Two wars live in our house ..."
"Telephones don't shoot ..."
"They awarded us little medals ..."
"It wasn't me ..."
"I remember those eyes even now ..."
"We didn't shoot ..."
"They needed soldiers ... but we also wanted to be beautiful ..."
"Young ladies! Do you know: the Commander of a Sapper Platoon lives only two months ..."
"To see him just once ..."
"About tiny potatoes ..."
"Mama, what's a papa?"
"And she puts her hand to her heart ..."
"Suddenly we wanted desperately to live ..."
- Other Authors/Editors
- Pevear, Richard, 1943- translator.
Volokhonsky, Larissa, translator.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references.
From a conversation with a historian -- A human being is greater than war -- "I don't want to remember ..." -- "Grow up, girls ... you're still green ..." -- "I alone came back to Mama ..." -- "Two wars live in our house ..." -- "Telephones don't shoot ..." -- "They awarded us little medals ..." -- "It wasn't me ..." -- "I remember those eyes even now ..." -- "We didn't shoot ..." -- "They needed soldiers ... but we also wanted to be beautiful ..." -- "Young ladies! Do you know: the Commander of a Sapper Platoon lives only two months ..." -- "To see him just once ..." -- "About tiny potatoes ..." -- "Mama, what's a papa?" -- "And she puts her hand to her heart ..." -- "Suddenly we wanted desperately to live ..."
Translated from the Russian.
Nobel prize in literature, 2015
Translation of "У войны не женское лицо."
