Life and Fate: The Complete Series (Dramatised) cover art

Life and Fate: The Complete Series (Dramatised)

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Life and Fate: The Complete Series (Dramatised)

By: Vasily Grossman
Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant, Raquel Cassidy, Greta Scacchi, Adrian Scarborough, Alex Tregear, full cast
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About this listen

Kenneth Branagh stars in BBC Radio 4's ambitious eight-hour dramatisation of Life and Fate, Vasily Grossman's epic masterpiece set during the Battle of Stalingrad. This powerful work, completed in 1960, charts the fate of both a nation and a family in the turmoil of war. Its comparison of Stalinism with Nazism was considered by Soviet authorities to be so dangerous that the KGB placed the manuscript under arrest and Grossman was informed his book would not be published for at least 200 years.

Having been a household name as one of Russia's most distinguished war correspondents, Grossman died aged 58 - the banning of his book hastening the end of his life - and he would never know the fate of his masterpiece: smuggled out of the Soviet Union on microfilm, to freedom and eventual publication in the West. Today it is increasingly hailed as the most important Russian novel of the 20th century.

©2011 AudioGO Ltd (P)2011 AudioGO Ltd Entertainment & Performing Arts Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction War & Military War Military Inspiring Thought-Provoking Destiny

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All stars
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I have rarely been so moved. This is acting at its highest level and about the most profound questions of human life and dignity. Several scenes reduced me to weeping: human suffering and fear are so palpable, one forgets this is ‘acting’ at all. The highest compliment I can pay is that, as soon as I finished , I felt ‘compelled’ to purchase the novel and began reading it that day. I am so grateful to the whole team behind this remarkable production.

Brilliant cast

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Some of the chapters were sensational! I loved this dramatisation; it gives you a real insight into Russian life (and fate).

Close your eyes and enjoy

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Wonderful writing and superb cast.
A true and frightening account of a terrible chapter in Russian history brought to life in an expertly written and brilliantly performed radio drama.

Wonderful writing and superb cast

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This was amazing - l have ordered the novel, as l was not always clear on the identity of the female characters in the dramatization, and the story is exceptional

Now to read the book !

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A beautifully crafted story that shattered my view of humanity but left me with hope

Life Changing

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What did you like about this audiobook?

very High

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

I have no special favorite character but the story itself was just brilliant

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

Having the actors reading the parts makes the story better

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Epic masterpiece set against the battle of Stalingrad

Brilliant dramatical performance, a great story

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Fabulous acting and dramatisation of this superb war and peace type novel overlaid with profound insights into the Stalinist regime. It is given fresh significance by this Ukrainian Jew's insights into the Russian (then Soviet) system of denial and costly triumphant inefficiency. But a great work, magnificently enacted

brilliant acting and dramatisation

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you will struggle to find a more poignant beautiful production. the cast is like a who's who of British theatre.. long live BBC drama

super cast

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Very entertaining audio book. I've not read the book so cannot tell how this compares but it was very engaging and well performed. I listened to Stalingrad on Radio4 before this and to me that seemed to make sense as the (same) characters were introduced more fully.

Engaging dramatisation

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The audible dramatisation of what were real life events was very moving and even terrifying.

Outstanding

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