“When a person dies, they cross over from the realm of freedom to the realm of slavery. Life is freedom, and dying… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, 'If one man is fated to be killed by another,… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“He sensed Death with a depth and clarity of which only small children or great philosophers are capable, philosophers who are themselves… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“...he was dimly aware that if you wish to remain a human being under Fascism, there is an easier option than survival… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The snow filled the air with a soft grey-blue mist, softening the wind and gunfire, bringing the earth and sky together into… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The whole city seemed to be pinned down, fascinated by the glassy stare of the Lubyanka. Krymov had thought about various people… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Sofya now understood the difference between life and existence: her life had come to an end, but her existence could drag on… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The magic of the revolution had joined with people's fear of death, their horror of torture, their anguish when the first breath… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The people in the hospital had been struck by her calm and the number of questions she had asked. They hadn't appreciated… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“When a person dies, they cross over from the realm of freedom to the realm of slavery. Life is freedom, and dying is a… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power which had… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“She's got legs like a stork, no arse worth speaking of, and great cow-like eyes. call that a woman?' 'You just like big tits',… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The true champions of a nation's freedom are those who reject the limitations of stereotypes and affirm the rich diversity of human nature to… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
I don't want you to be young and beautiful. I only want one thing. I want you to be kind-hearted - and not just… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“My faith has been tempered in Hell. My faith has emerged from the flames of the crematoria, from the concrete of the gas chamber.… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Another fact that allowed Fascism to gain power over men was their blindness. A man cannot believe that he is about to be destroyed.… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
Chekhov said: let's put God - and all these grand progressive ideas - to one side. Let's begin with man; let's be kind and… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, 'If one man is fated to be killed by another, it would… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Freedom is the direct opposite of necessity; freedom is necessity overcome.” — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
There's nothing more difficult than saying goodbye to a house where you've suffered. — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The travelers emerged into a spacious square. In the middle of this square were several dozen people on a wooden bandstand like in a… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image