Rating: 
Summary: Mixed reaction
Review: A story about village Cossacks who lived through the first world war, followed by the Russian Revolution, it seems to be modeled upon War and Peace. Despite very negative presentations of women and some Sovietized propaganda throughout, it does provide a view of the Cossack life and culture. However, once the wars begin, the book gets carried away with battle, and the threads of lives introduced at the beginning aren't wrapped up at the end, leaving the reader feeling unfulfilled.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed reaction
Review: A story about village Cossacks who lived through the first world war, followed by the Russian Revolution, it seems to be modeled upon War and Peace. Despite very negative presentations of women and some Sovietized propaganda throughout, it does provide a view of the Cossack life and culture. However, once the wars begin, the book gets carried away with battle, and the threads of lives introduced at the beginning aren't wrapped up at the end, leaving the reader feeling unfulfilled.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Communist propaganda pamphlet
Review: As a lover of Russian literature I can tell you , that this is not literature , but pure Communist propaganda , in the Stalinist mold.After all the author was a Soviet apparatchik under Stalin!
It is simply written to glorify the Bolshevik's blood reign of terror from 1917-1921. Rather read Solzhenitsyn or the Arbat Trilogy by Anatoly Rybakov
Rating:
Summary: Pure Communist proaganda pamphlet
Review: As a lover of Russian literature I can tell you , that this is not literature , but pure Communist [material] , in the Stalinist mold. After all the author was a Soviet apparatchik under Stalin!
It is simply written to glorify the Bolshevik's blood reign of terror from 1917-1921. Rather read Solzhenitsyn or the Arbat Trilogy by Anatoly Rybakov
Rating: 
Summary: War and Peace's Soviet Counterpart
Review: Hailed as the best war novel to emerge from the Soviet, Sholokhov's epic has indeed solidified its position in world literature as a must read for those interested in the art of war. Yet, far more than a mere war novel, And Quiet Flows the Don, just as War and Peace had done, masterfully combines the men's martial vigor with the delicate sentimentalities that question war. The blend of peace fades into this gnawing passion in soldiers' bones as they march off to fight under some cause, a cause that has only become too hazy for name. Dedicated to the Cossacks who have resided by the Don for ages, Sholokhov follows a young Cossack's journey into the unknown terror of war. And Gregor Melekov's personal tragedy, blends w/ an array of Cossack characters: swindlers in love, Red Guards with a faith...the plot may appear too scattered at times, yet following Tolstoy's grand tradition to capture a supreme idea through the chasms of minute details, Sholokhov depicts the anguish of a people too wrapped up in honor, unable to cope with the nascent order of New Russia, regretful about allegiance to the Czar who ensured tensile peace, and ultimately lost to themselves as to "mistake each other for the enemies". We are taught that war does such to people, is peace to heal the wound then? I have yet to conclude this epic w/ The Don Flows Home to the Sea, but the glimpse of peace and yearning for tranquility have long glittered in the eyes of Gregor and his brothers/comrades, exhausted by struggles. A wonderful folk style book that brings one closer to the true picture of Cossack life--acquaint one w/ their lust, their yearning, their cowardice, and their courage.
Rating:
Summary: War and Peace's Soviet Counterpart
Review: Hailed as the best war novel to emerge from the Soviet, Sholokhov's epic has indeed solidified its position in world literature as a must read for those interested in the art of war. Yet, far more than a mere war novel, And Quiet Flows the Don, just as War and Peace had done, masterfully combines the men's martial vigor with the delicate sentimentalities that question war. The blend of peace fades into this gnawing passion in soldiers' bones as they march off to fight under some cause, a cause that has only become too hazy for name. Dedicated to the Cossacks who have resided by the Don for ages, Sholokhov follows a young Cossack's journey into the unknown terror of war. And Gregor Melekov's personal tragedy, blends w/ an array of Cossack characters: swindlers in love, Red Guards with a faith...the plot may appear too scattered at times, yet following Tolstoy's grand tradition to capture a supreme idea through the chasms of minute details, Sholokhov depicts the anguish of a people too wrapped up in honor, unable to cope with the nascent order of New Russia, regretful about allegiance to the Czar who ensured tensile peace, and ultimately lost to themselves as to "mistake each other for the enemies". We are taught that war does such to people, is peace to heal the wound then? I have yet to conclude this epic w/ The Don Flows Home to the Sea, but the glimpse of peace and yearning for tranquility have long glittered in the eyes of Gregor and his brothers/comrades, exhausted by struggles. A wonderful folk style book that brings one closer to the true picture of Cossack life--acquaint one w/ their lust, their yearning, their cowardice, and their courage.
Rating: 
Summary: Insight into Russian history by a Nobel Prize - winner
Review: I am glad to see "And Quiet Flows the Don" is back in print! Sholokhov won the Nobel Prize for this novel of war and revolution among the Don Cossack host. Although painted across a backdrop of history, it is primarily the love story of Gregor and Aksinya. As much of great 20th century Russian literature, the style harks back to Tolstoy, but the subject matter is undeniably Soviet. Published in 1929, "And Quiet Flows the Don" was the pinnacle of Sholokhov's career. He never again produced a work to compare, although to be fair to him, his career coincided with the height of Stalinist conformity in the arts. This was an era when simply being a famous writer was dangerous - think of the careers of Pasternak, Babel, and Pilnyak. If Sholokhov descended into the role of a party hack churning out the obligatory Socialist Realist pap, at least he lived to a ripe old age!
Rating:
Summary: Still with me after all these years
Review: I first read The Quiet Don in high school (1977) and have reread it twice since. I have to agree with the positive tone in the other reviews. This novel's powerful characters and scenes combine to make an unforgettable experience. It is remarkable it was even published given its political ambivalence. Socialist Realism it isn't. If you like this work I think you'll also like Konstantin Paustovsky's Story Of A Life.
Rating:
Summary: A modern masterpiece
Review: I first read this magnificent epic in 1970 and have reread it at least three times since. Sholokhov captures the breath and sweep of the steppes of Russia as he draws the reader into maelstrom of the First World War, the Russian Revolution and Civil War. It is a time and a land that was caught between the modern industrialized West and the near medieval Russia- Cossack Calvary charging German machine guns, the slash of sabers, and the incongruity of machine guns mounted on ox carts. But more than a story of war, this is a story of people. Sholokhov creates for us characters who we deeply care about. The doomed love affair between the protagonist Gregor and Aksinia is both filled with passion and heartache. We even come to care about Akisina husband, the brutal Stephen, We see them caught up in catastrophic events far beyond their control. Although often cited and an apologist for Stalin, I wondered as I read it why it was published in Soviet Union. Our hero Gregor is first swept up on one side of this conflict to the other- clearly he is not a dedicated revolutionary, but just a man trying to survive in a conflict he cannot comprehend. It is a story of survival, love, and revenge. Since my last reading of this novel probably fifteen years ago, I can still vividly picture in my mind the word images that Sholokhov crafted with his pen. Images as simple as the flies settling on the ceiling of the peasants hut, to Stephen brutally stomping his wife Aksinia. His description of the First World War is brutal, perhaps surpassing Remarques All is Quiet on the Western Front. Russians write great novels and this is one of the best. If you are unfamiliar with Russian literature you would do well to read Quiet Flows the Don as your first Russian novel.
Rating:
Summary: A vivid and involving epic
Review: I have read this book more than 5 years prior to writing this review, but I have yet to read an epic that has as lasting an impression as this one. The author, a humanist to the core, gently weaves the scenes over the myriad of characters. The reader is pulled into the scenes - he doesn't remain a reader. It has a raw, fresh appeal to it, even now. Need I go on?
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