VASSILY GROSSMAN
Vassily
Grossman was born in 1905.When a student of the Moscow State University
he began writing short stories.
He continued his literary activity working as an engineer in Ukraine.One
of the young author's first stories entitled "In the town of Berdichev"
drew attention of prominent Russian writer Maxim Gorky who advised Grossman
to concentrate on his literary work.
In many years a well-known film,"The Commissar", was shot after
that short story telling about events of the civil war in a small town.In
the 1930s Grossman's short stories and novels about workers and miners
were published.
When
the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began the writer went to the front as
a war reporter.Essays and reports of the first years of the war were a good
school of journalism for Vassily Grossman and attempts to penetrate into the
gist of the war.Shortly his novel "The People is Immortal" appeared.It
was published by a newspaper at the time when the Nazis launched their summer
offensive.One of the most important events of the war--the Stalingrad Battle--is
described in his other book entitled "Stalingrad".
Vassily Grossman continued writing about the Stalingrad Battle after the war.His
novel in two parts entitled "The Right Cause" and "Life and
Destiny" is considered to be one of the best books about the Great Patriotic
War.He put his heart and soul into it.That is the truth about the war through
the eyes of the author.The novel is tragic.The book's way to the reader was
not easy. The first part of the novel was subjected to severe criticism whereas
the second part - "Life and Destiny" - became available for general
public some 25 years after it was written.Few of the author's post-war short
stories saw the light during his lifetime.Those short stories about the gone-by
war are the author's reflections about future of the world,totalitarianism
and freedom.Grossman's last book was "Everything Goes by..." It
was published when the author was already dead. Owing to his friends and relatives
everything that was told by that kind and honest writer about life of the
nation in various historical epochs has found its way to readers.