skip to main content

Reader's Paradise

The Long Walk

19 years ago

Twenty pages to go in The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. One of the best, most gripping books I've ever read. Its about a small group of escaped prisoners from a Soviet labor camp making their way across Siberia, China and Tibet. A true story, very readable. I've slowed down considerably because I don't want it to end! But tonight's the night.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

friedag
19 years ago
karalk, it enthralled me too. I don't want to diminish your enjoyment of The Long Walk, but you might want to know that it is perhaps not entirely true. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about that; but then I wonder sometimes just how "true" many supposedly true accounts are. Can we really know? Does it really matter if the story is compelling enough?
veer
19 years ago
I remember reading/hearing on TV that sections of this book were 'made up' as it was thought impossible that anyone could survive such a journey and nothing has been found in any records to verify his story.
I once read it to a group of disruptive, nasty, low level of concentration kids (not my own) and it really held their attention for minutes at a time.
I'm sure many autobios'/travelogues are exaggerated or in some ways misleading, even if by only adding a few feet to the length of that anaconda you wrestled with or the number of warlike tribesman you put to flight single handed.
It's probably what makes political diaries so dull
as the writer has used back newspapers and copies of speeches etc to produce a life of some well-known figure.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rawicz'z Obituary Notice
Related Discussions
long aloe walk 3
Q
Comments (14)
Lz, You have a fabulous assortment of Aloes and apparently a lot of room (and the climate) to grow them outside. I'd take a messy landscape with these beautiful plants any day over a perfectly manicured one... A couple things. First, what is the plant just to the immediate left of A. munchii? Looks vaguely like an Haworthia, but not exactly. I WANT one, whatever it is!! And second, the last photo you have as variegata I'm pretty sure is not. This is a hybrid of variegata that I had a couple years ago that stays stout and chunky, like yours. It's absolutely gorgeous and I wish so much I still had mine. (It got beat up in a hail storm and never recovered...) I can't remember what species it was - I'll try to find out and post back. And BTW, the flower photos are to die for. You guys out in CA get such beautifully compact flowers!! **sigh** Denise in Omaha
...See More
A long walk through the garden
Q
Comments (16)
Ohhh, Kathy! Very, very nice walk! I love Silver Star:) Midnight Blue is terrific, that has to be a difficult one to photograph. Your roses are all very beautiful and your photos are excellent. Take as long as you like:) Leslie
...See More
Dog eliminates in the house even after a long walk
Q
Comments (8)
Yes, it is an adjustment period. She needs to learn the rules of her new home. I adopted a stray who was housebroken, but when I got her home she was not. I worked with her and she learned. Many dogs don't poop on walks. You said "as soon as we get home she runs to some other room in the house and goes there." That is your opportunity. Don't go back in the house, go into the back yard. She obviously has to go, so stay out there until she does. She might not like to poop while on the leash, so put her on a long tie out if you don't have a fenced yard. Come up with a word or phrase - "go poopy" or whatever. Keep telling her that, and when she does, go CRAZY with praise. What kind of dog is she and how big?
...See More
How long before walking or driving on a new concrete driveway?
Q
Comments (6)
You can walk on it after 2 days, but no trucks, or hauling heavy wheeled, or dragging things on it for at least 4 weeks (also depends on weather and temperature, could be longer) Get a solid barrier, caution tape, and a big DO NOT USE sign to block it off, or it'll get used and possibly ruined.
...See More
karalk
Original Author
19 years ago
I gave it some thought and decided I don't really care if its ALL made up or not, I LOVED it! I actually had some doubt at a few points while I was reading it but the author does say that his memory is blurry or unreliable at times. Thanks for the responses!
pam53
19 years ago
I agree, Karalk-I loved the book regardless.
granjan
19 years ago
EVERYONE'S memory is unreliable! That's why eyewitnesses are such a problem in court. What we think we see and then what and how we remember is totally subjective. If the book is good the book is good!

Which is different than someone making up something from whole cloth. A memoir about a life you never lived is fiction, or fraud.
cindydavid4
19 years ago
Is it marketed as fiction or non? If the former, all bets are off. If its Historical Fiction, it should have a basis of truth. If non fiction, the events or people need to be real.

I agree that no one's memory is reliable. Which is why I rarely read a memoir - they often feel false to me. Tho I have been pleasantly surprised by some.

But if you are loving a book, keep loving it. Just so long as you realize that what you are reading might not be exactly what happened (see Da Vinci Code for an example)

Related Stories

KITCHEN ISLANDS What to Consider With an Extra-Long Kitchen Island

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

More prep, seating and storage space? Check. But you’ll need to factor in traffic flow, seams and more when designing a long island

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Modern Waterfront Home on Long Island

With a black-box exterior and a stagelike deck, this modern structure in New York takes its cues from the owner's career

FLOWERS Get Coneflower Blooms All Summer Long

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Plant these 5 native species to bring beauty to the garden — and pollen to the insects — from June through August

FURNITURE How to Arrange Furniture in Long, Narrow Spaces

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

7 ways to arrange your living-room furniture to avoid that bowling-alley look

INSIDE HOUZZ How Much Does a Remodel Cost, and How Long Does It Take?

By Erin Carlyle

The 2016 Houzz & Home survey asked 120,000 Houzzers about their renovation projects. Here’s what they said

DECORATING GUIDES Ask an Expert: How to Decorate a Long, Narrow Room

Distract attention away from an awkward room shape and create a pleasing design using these pro tips

MOVING Relocating Help: 8 Tips for a Happier Long-Distance Move

By Laura Gaskill

Trash bags, houseplants and a good cry all have their role when it comes to this major life change

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Cliff May Homeowners Lead the Way in Long Beach

By Tara Bussema

Two Realtors and their renovated home set the bar for midcentury nostalgia and style in their Cliff May tract

DECORATING GUIDES Divide and Conquer: How to Furnish a Long, Narrow Room

Learn decorating and layout tricks to create intimacy, distinguish areas and work with scale in an alley of a room

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: Galley Kitchen Is Long on Style

By Becky Harris

Victorian-era details and French-bistro inspiration create an elegant custom look in this narrow space

Sponsored

Grow Landscapes

8 Reviews

Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?

More Discussions

December: Our Last Reads of 2025

58

Novels with two authors

6

Little Free Libraries

15

March winds blow....what are you reading ?

72

April and the never-ending game

53