Comments on: One Soldier’s War in Chechnya by Arkady Babchenko http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/ A collective of bibliophiles writing about books. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:42:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: rosyb http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-793 rosyb Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:18:47 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-793 I think that last point is very interesting and an artistic dilemma in a way. How do you give a sense of senselessness within a "satisfying" structure. A lot of thought-provoking ideas brought up by this review, Mary. Val, please stick around and join in with any of our discussions. Thanks a lot for commenting. :) I think that last point is very interesting and an artistic dilemma in a way. How do you give a sense of senselessness within a “satisfying” structure. A lot of thought-provoking ideas brought up by this review, Mary.

Val, please stick around and join in with any of our discussions. Thanks a lot for commenting. :)

]]> By: marygm http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-792 marygm Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:48:36 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-792 Welcome, Val. Hope it won't be your last visit. Feel free to join in any of our discussions. And as you say, maybe that's the joy of storytelling - it tries to make sense of what is essentially structureless. Welcome, Val. Hope it won’t be your last visit. Feel free to join in any of our discussions. And as you say, maybe that’s the joy of storytelling - it tries to make sense of what is essentially structureless.

]]> By: Val http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-787 Val Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:11:11 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-787 Nice site! I am a first time visitor.Excellent review. I thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful comments. It seems that we humans need to make sense of senseless experiences. It seems we like tidy narratives that will edify us. Yet how much of life's experiences are edifying or tidy. Babchenko was totally powerless in a murderous chaotic environment. He could have only one of two primary objectives: Survival or Suicide. Nice site! I am a first time visitor.Excellent review. I thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful comments. It seems that we humans need to make sense of senseless experiences. It seems we like tidy narratives that will edify us. Yet how much of life’s experiences are edifying or tidy. Babchenko was totally powerless in a murderous chaotic environment. He could have only one of two primary objectives: Survival or Suicide.

]]> By: marygm http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-785 marygm Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:47:25 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-785 Thank you all for your interesting comments. Mhairi, I think this is his real name, he is now a journalist for a Moscow newspaper. It is hard to read and there were several times I squirmed under the effort. SWoods, I certainly agree that it is essential to put into place 'the rules of war' (which were absent here) as it is far too easy, in this kind of situation, for the participants to slide into barbarism. I've heard even intelligent, thoughtful people (mostly men) justify the suspension of rules in moments of war crisis but incidents in the Iraq war prove this even within 'civilised' armies this can never be acceptable. Thank you all for your interesting comments. Mhairi, I think this is his real name, he is now a journalist for a Moscow newspaper.
It is hard to read and there were several times I squirmed under the effort.
SWoods, I certainly agree that it is essential to put into place ‘the rules of war’ (which were absent here) as it is far too easy, in this kind of situation, for the participants to slide into barbarism. I’ve heard even intelligent, thoughtful people (mostly men) justify the suspension of rules in moments of war crisis but incidents in the Iraq war prove this even within ‘civilised’ armies this can never be acceptable.

]]> By: SWoods http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-782 SWoods Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:21:12 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-782 A horrifying yet fascinating story...what a difference in the experience of a recruit in the Russian "Army" and the rest of the world. And they wonder why no one values them as citizens of the world. They are a bankrupt diseased society living on the edge of civilization...I am a retired member of the US Military and have heard these accounts of the Russian/Soviet military time and again. A horrifying yet fascinating story…what a difference in the experience of a recruit in the Russian “Army” and the rest of the world. And they wonder why no one values them as citizens of the world. They are a bankrupt diseased society living on the edge of civilization…I am a retired member of the US Military and have heard these accounts of the Russian/Soviet military time and again.

]]> By: Jackie http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-779 Jackie Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:03:00 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-779 While I think a book such as this is vitally important, I know I could never read it. Trilby's question raises an excellent point, it seems that a good soldier and a good person are morally opposites. While I think a book such as this is vitally important, I know I could never read it. Trilby’s question raises an excellent point, it seems that a good soldier and a good person are morally opposites.

]]> By: sequinonsea http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-778 sequinonsea Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:49:27 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-778 Totally thought-provoking review, yes. Also agree with Mhairi that as much as I want to read this, part of me recoils from some of the things Marygm has described here. But bleak or not, I intend to buy it. I'm not sure I could have read it while my husband was still in the military, however. Totally thought-provoking review, yes. Also agree with Mhairi that as much as I want to read this, part of me recoils from some of the things Marygm has described here.

But bleak or not, I intend to buy it. I’m not sure I could have read it while my husband was still in the military, however.

]]> By: Mhairi http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-777 Mhairi Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:40:07 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-777 I'm not sure I could actually bring myself to read it - however much I feel I ought to. That's a major problem, isn't it? The books people should probably <strong>most</strong> be reading are the ones they don't and/or won't. I'm presuming Babchenko isn't his real name? It can hardly have been written with the blessing of the Russian Government. Thought-provoking review, though. I’m not sure I could actually bring myself to read it - however much I feel I ought to. That’s a major problem, isn’t it? The books people should probably most be reading are the ones they don’t and/or won’t.

I’m presuming Babchenko isn’t his real name? It can hardly have been written with the blessing of the Russian Government.

Thought-provoking review, though.

]]> By: Ariadne http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-776 Ariadne Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:33:11 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-776 And how much truth is it our moral duty, as human beings, to observe and attempt to understand? Sounds like an important book. One good thing about modern publishing is that voices like this can come straight from the event and onto the shelf, meaning there is less and less of a barrier between the reader and the person who tells their story. Books like this also expand on the thumbnails which are all that even the best news reports can provide. And how much truth is it our moral duty, as human beings, to observe and attempt to understand? Sounds like an important book. One good thing about modern publishing is that voices like this can come straight from the event and onto the shelf, meaning there is less and less of a barrier between the reader and the person who tells their story. Books like this also expand on the thumbnails which are all that even the best news reports can provide.

]]> By: Trilby http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-773 Trilby Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:54:03 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/one-soldier%e2%80%99s-war-in-chechnya-by-arkady-babchenko/#comment-773 Really interesting review of what sounds to be a fascinating, if harrowing book. The excerpt that you quote begs the question, "What makes a good soldier?" Is it one who feels nothing when he kills? And if so, at what cost to his - and our - humanity? Really interesting review of what sounds to be a fascinating, if harrowing book. The excerpt that you quote begs the question, “What makes a good soldier?” Is it one who feels nothing when he kills? And if so, at what cost to his - and our - humanity?

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