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    Darkness at Noon: A Novel
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    Darkness at Noon: A Novel
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    Darkness at Noon: A Novel
    Ebook273 pages5 hours

    Darkness at Noon: A Novel

    By Arthur Koestler

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Originally published in 1941, Arthur Koestler's modern masterpiece, Darkness At Noon, is a powerful and haunting portrait of a Communist revolutionary caught in the vicious fray of the Moscow show trials of the late 1930s.

    During Stalin's purges, Nicholas Rubashov, an aging revolutionary, is imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the party he has devoted his life to. Under mounting pressure to confess to crimes he did not commit, Rubashov relives a career that embodies the ironies and betrayals of a revolutionary dictatorship that believes it is an instrument of liberation.

    A seminal work of twentieth-century literature, Darkness At Noon is a penetrating exploration of the moral danger inherent in a system that is willing to enforce its beliefs by any means necessary.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScribner
    Release dateNov 24, 2009
    ISBN9781439188453
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    Darkness at Noon: A Novel
    Author

    Arthur Koestler

    ARTHUR KOESTLER (1905–1983) was a novelist, journalist, essayist, and a towering public intellectual of the mid-twentieth century. Writing in both German and English, he published more than forty books during his life. Koestler is perhaps best known for Darkness at Noon, a novel often ranked alongside Nineteen Eighty-Four in its damning portrayal of totalitarianism.

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    Reviews for Darkness at Noon

    4/5

    1,033 ratings42 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Moscow purges and show trials of the mid 1930s through the 40s has always seemed baffling to Westerners. Why would such luminaries of the Communist Party and stalwart defenders of the Russian Revolution confess publicly to counter-revolutionary crimes against the State which were so obviously false to the point of utter inanity. Solzhenitsyn in his GULAG Archipelago analizes the techniques used to illicit false confessions from people under the Soviet system, but "Darkness at Noon" takes a more literary and forceful approach. His main character, an operative and fervent believer in the Party, is arrested for being a traitor to the Party. His interrogator is an old comrade of his. Through their conversations/interrogations we learn of the protagonist's history with the Party, his work, his defense of the methods used, his slow dissatisfaction with the results of their work, and his understanding of the role he must play. Koestler, himself, was a Communist and Believer, and his unveiling of this psychology rings true and convincing--and terrifying.
    • 5/5
      Crushing of human spirit is at the center of this book, but is it achieved simply by Stalin's paranoia, resulting in horrific deeds and silencing many innocent lives, or by something more on a philosophical level? This is one of the burning questions that Rubashov is tormented with while he is walking up and down his tiny prison cell, as well as during conversations with his first interrogator; we also see parts of Rubashov's diary. (As we learn, Rubashov is a synthesis of numerous victims of Stalin's purges in 1930s, and the author knew many of them).Basically, the whole story is set between the prison cell and interrogation room (with some reminiscences from Rubashov's past as an important member of Central Committee being assigned to travel abroad to stir up and establish Communist movements), and under other circumstances, it might not seem sufficient for a plot. But here, one is glued to the book, as Rubashov, even though it's not his first arrest, tries, in his mind, frantically, to find answers or justifications to whatever is going on in the country; WHY/HOW the purest of ideas turned into something so horrible under Stalin's watch: "All our principles were right but our results were wrong. This is a diseased century. We diagnosed the disease and its causes with microscopic exactness.... Our will was hard and pure, we should have been loved by the people. But they hate us..."Russia/U.S.S.R is never mentioned (in his foreign comrades' minds it's called "over there" with reverence), Stalin is dubbed "No. 1", Lenin - "the old man", Communist Party is just "Party". And interestingly enough, at the beginning of the book Rubashov identifies Party as "we" ("We brought you truth, but in our mouth it sounded a lie. We brought you freedom, and it looks in our hand like a whip" - throughout the book Koestler is very powerful with his metaphors...), while later on in his thought process he separates himself from the Party, or at least from what became of it - after most of old-timers, his fellow comrades with bright ideas had been liquidated.His two interrogators (though using totally different approaches) represent brainwashing at its ugliest. It makes one's skin crawl. Logic (or at least normal human logic) has no place here. Manipulation of prisoners' minds - now that's another story... Arguing is futile. Through his cell walls, and later on his short walks in the yard Rubashov gets to know his co-prisoners - some, by this time, deranged with the idea of revolution, some resigned, some not even understanding why they are there, some resisting, but not for long...I have read a number of accounts (both non-fiction, and fiction - based on facts) about this dark era of Russian history, and yet this is the first time that I encounter such philosophical dissection of ideas in the mind of a political prisoner, such psychologically influenced ruminations. This book will stay with me for a while... I think the validity of this topic can never be lost.
    • 4/5
      For forty years, the revolutionary Rubashov had worked to advance the cause of the Party, but now he is imprisoned on false charges and forced to confess to crimes against the State. He's tired of playing the State's "game" and resolves to stand firm, but when his "Neanderthaler" inquisitor Gletkin subjects to physical torture in the forms of sleep deprivation and glaring lights, his resolve is sorely tested. Rubashov's mental state is also disturbed by memories of the people in his past, including his mistress, whom he betrayed into the hands of the State. This brief political novel, which is obviously about the Soviet Union even though that country is never named, is a quick read, but packs a punch. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Not a fun read, obviously. Short on plot, but in a tradition of fiction that exposes the evils of Stalinism, fascism and totalitarianism that followed the Russian revolution (along with other similar movements). Grim story of the brief imprisonment of an erstwhile ruthless leader of the Revolution who is now forced to confront his past from the other side. I much prefer Orwell's 1984, but I understand this book helped inspire him in its creation.
    • 5/5
      In the middle of our read-a-thon, I decided to pull a book from the bookslut 100 list. I ended up pulling Darkness at Noon, even though I knew hardly anything about it.

      As a fan of science fiction, I have read dozens of books where the big bad was a totalitarian government that prosecutes people for thoughtcrimes and says things like "It is better to execute 10 innocent people than to let one guilty person go free." These organizations are horrible, clearly, but lost a little bit of their scariness for me as they seemed too unbelievable. How could anyone really believe such a horrible thing? And how could an entire government run on that principle?

      Well, this book has changed all that forever. In Darkness, Rubashov, a former party leader and war hero, is imprisoned for treason. During his imprisonment, he thinks back to a past imprisonment, engages in secretive conversations with other prisoners (his wing is all solitary confinement), and is interrogated by two men, one of whom he has a history with. As they try to convince him to plead guilty to several counts of treason, there is a lot of discussion of the philosophy of such a government. Not only did this book thoroughly convince me that such governments have and do exist, but even more horrifyingly, I started to understand how people could talk themselves and others into such behaviors.

      This book was so good, I was kind of in awe of it the entire time I was reading it. Definitely worthy of its place on the bookslut 100.
    • 5/5
      A superlative novel by Koestler that envisages the Stalinist purges so well, at a time that presumably meant that Koestler had to watch his back for any ice pick wielding figures.Once a leading Bolshevik, Rubashov now sits in a prison cell, pressured to confess to imaginary crimes which would Stalin the pretence to have him executed. In between, he muses on the journey to get to this point and how the revolution had been subverted by Stalin.Of most interest to me though was the references to the revolution not being run to the laws of cricket; I presume this reference wasn't in the original German version (especially as darkness at noon precludes cricket being played anyway) so I can only wonder about the translator who managed to slip a reference to the grand old game into a book about the Stalinist purges.
    • 3/5
      Former high party official Nicholas Rubashov (a fictional character) is arrested during Stalin's great purges. Once praised and esteemed, he is now treated as a counter-revolutionary and traitor. We follow his life in prison, as he is pressured toward confession during long sessions with his former friend and colleague Ivanov. As he reflects back on his life as one of the leaders of the Russian revolution, he contemplates where it, and he, have gone wrong, as the regime has become one willing to enforce its belief by any means available, and where the end justifies the means. We know from the beginning that this time Rubashov won't get out alive.I thought I had read this book as a teenager, but as I read it this time, I had absolutely no recollection of it, so maybe I didn't. It is a book of ideas, and frequently moves rather slowly. Perhaps I've read this after reading too many other excellent books on the Stalin years, including Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov, various works by Solzhenitsen, The Whisperers by Orlando Figes, and Simon Montefiore's biographies of Stalin. In particular, I found The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge, a novel involving a party official arrested on false premises and forced to confess a much more compelling novel. I can see what an excellent book Darkness at Noon is, but it didn't touch or startle me as much as some of these other books, or as much as I expected.3 stars
    • 4/5
      Political intrigue laid bare from the standpoint of a former Communist apparatchik. Betrayed by the party he had helped remain dominant, the protagonist - Nicholas Salmanovitch Rubashov - is in prison as he reflects on his party's duplicity.

      Darkness at Noon is an allegory set in the putative USSR (the country is not named in the novel) during the 1938 purges. During this period Stalin consolidated his dictatorship by ruthlessly eliminating rivals within the Communist Party, the military, and professions. These details are omitted from the book. Instead we are treated to an insider's musings on the trajectory of dictatorship.

      One of my favorite subtle scenes involves a mysterious black tanker that Rubashov recalls arriving in port before his internment. The ship is being loaded with oil bound for an enemy country. To Rubishov, this transaction, treasonous and capitalistic in the extreme, embodies the inherent hypocrisy of his regime. Ideology be damned: when there are rubles to be earned, it is full steam ahead.

      Koestler avoids histrionic descriptions. Rubashov almost casually describes the monstrosity of his erstwhile party. I found that this approach drew me in further. I liked the protagonist. He seemed to be an overall decent, intelligent person caught up in a growing tide of authoritarianism. Too bad for him that he was ultimately deemed purge-worthy.

      For those who enjoy political history served as literature, Darkness At Noon fills this niche well.

    • 5/5
      Darkness at Noon, first published in 1941, tells the tale of Rubashov, an old guard and revolutionary who is tried for treason by the government he once helped create. Almost the entire tale is told while the character is in prison for his accusations; the only time we leave the prison is while visiting an avid follower and friend Wassilij in conversation with his daughter Vera about the trial during Rubashov's imprisonment. The location of the book is never mentioned, neither is Joseph Stalin; instead phrases such as "Over There" are used to imply Rubashov's home country, and Stalin is referred to as "No. 1," a man with an "expression of knowing irony." Having absolutely very little knowledge of this time period or the Soviet Union, or even Joseph Stalin himself, I had only a vague idea that perhaps all the above was true. As the setting is never expressly stated, and "No. 1" is only referenced in photographs and memories - he is not an active character himself - early while reading the book I had to do a bit of Wikipedia research to determine what exactly was going on. The time period eluded me. When my brother was reaching an age of discovery, he researched communism and other belief systems. I, on the other hand, read books about dragons. Suffice to say, I did not have knowledge base of the Soviet Union, the history, or the people involved. The point I'm trying to make in this paragraph is that I didn't have to. This book was extremely well-versed in the thoughts and ideas it presented. Yes, there were some references I didn't get, and yes, I probably would have had a much fuller understanding of the text if I had that background knowledge; however, I still enjoyed it. Even without the historical knowledge, you might also.I don't usually get into political fiction. Indeed, I don't usually get into politics. Generally, I might find interest in the ideas, but that's all they are to me: ideas. Abstract thoughts in space that stay in space, and are spoken in discussions but not actually believed. They're theoretical, "rhetorically speaking." I don't believe in anything, and some say that's a fault, but I disagree (for many reasons which aren't appropriate to this post). Darkness at Noon has contained within it a lot of thoughts. Some Rubashov believes, some he thinks he believes, and in the end, some he chooses to agree to, whether or not they're real. Memories are included, as I've stated, but the majority of this book is a man pacing his cell thinking about what he believes in. In the end? I don't think he believes anything. It is a depressing end, I'll admit. He went from being passionate about everything he stood for to being completely demoralized, wanting nothing but to sleep. For a while he wanted nothing but cigarrettes; he wasn't even hungry. They deprived him even of that desire. Like 1984 by George Orwell, I am finding there's no just way to "review" or put down my thoughts on this book without addressing every single thing I had thoughts about. I feel like I should re-skim the novel and point out quotes to discuss, and I suppose in a way that is the purpose of a political novel. It has me thinking. It has me interested. I want to research the surroundings and point out the similarities and differences from this novel to what really happened; I want to dive into thoughts as deep as Rubashov's journal entries. Most of all, I want a friend to read it so we can discuss it. That is the sort of effect this book leaves. It's very well written, though at first you might feel like you're reading a very shaky translation. You probably are. The book, apparently, was translated from the German and then the original German manuscript was lost. All we have to rely on is the original English translation. However, after 25 pages, you're sucked in, and there's no leaving until it's over... Even then, it holds you.
    • 4/5
      A little slow going read, but the message about the way of politics resonates even now.
    • 5/5
      Great books are ones that leave you thinking about them for a long time afterwards, and this is no exception. Mr. Koestler does quite well to explain the psychology of both the dissident and the true believer in an absolutist system, in this case, the Soviet Union of the late 1930s, although it could apply at any time. The two sides are alike in that they both support the goals of the system, but the dissident no longer believes in its methods for achieving the goals. Yet he is aware of how he has applied the need for absolute conformance to the Party to others, with death for those that don't comply, that is now being applied to him. Perhaps the only thing that Mr. Koestler missed was the dominance of Stalin's own character flaws of paranoia and need for power in creating this horrible system, which probably only became clear much later after the publication of this book.
    • 5/5
      Such a remarkable book, though very much of its time I think, and perhaps not as relevant to 21st century audiences. It examines Stalin's show trials through a fictional account of the imprisonment and trial of a high level party ideologue who ends up on the wrong side of Number One. It shows how personal dedication to a cause can triumph over raging against injustice. Powerful and terse and insightful.
    • 3/5
      I understand why this is a classic. I think 'anti-soviet' perhaps reflects the historical framing of the author's life, but the themes have resonance with many (all?) governance systems and the development of national identities. It's so grim though, I'm not sure I'll want to re-read.
    • 3/5
      My problem with this book is the trivialization of Marxism, Bolshevism, and the Russian revolution on which its premises are built on. One could argue that it is just a work of fiction and as such it doesn't need to be so precise, but then it shouldn't have been considered to be an "excellent account" of totalitarianism and the purges during Stalinism.

      I give it three stars because it has some literary merit and as a work of fiction it is indeed entertaining. But in its oversimplification of absolutely everything it is just as anti-revolutionary as the totalitarianism it denounces.
    • 4/5
      This is a new translation from the recently discovered German manuscript that had been lost for over seventy years. I had read the original years ago and can't comment much on how this new translation really differs from the original, but I will say that it is chilling book and a must read for anyone concerned about totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, be they right or left. Either one seeks to crush the independent spirit of liberty and freedom. I was inspired to re-read this after finishing the second volume of Kotkin's Stalin biography.
    • 3/5
      It's undoubtedly a powerfully and skillfully written novel, much as I hate to say it, "Darkness at Noon" struck me as somewhat dated. It must have been a powerful anti-Stalinist statement when it was released in 1940, but now that just about nobody attempts to live their lives by the logic of historical determinism, it mostly just seems like a message sent into the future from an era whose ideological coordinates were very different from our own. Not that the writing's bad: Rubashov's is often a strong and fascinating character, and the novel is often enjoyably tense, psychologically acute, and well observed. It has moments of real pathos, and it's easy to see how it influenced Orwell's "1984." But I finished "Darkness at Noon" thinking that that novel's continued relevance may come from is universally applicable science fiction setting, while the polemical content of Koestler's novel seems less immediately relevant to this reader. I suppose it's a reminder that, for much of the twentieth century, ideological struggles weren't just something for intellectuals to dither about : they decided the fates of people's lives. Koestler, to his credit, complements many of his characters' arguments with resonant, well-chose symbolism. But there's only so much musing about living a logically ordered, Marxist-informed life that I can be expected to take. Bring it up at the next Party conference, Comrade.
    • 4/5
      A good book. It does suffer the pangs of translation, unfortunately, but it's concise reading with a good conceit.
    • 3/5
      i don't like this book as much as other people seem to (especially according to great book lists etc.) but i've enjoyed reading it so far.
    • 5/5
      One of the creators of a society is its latest victim in this allegory of Soviet life for the power elite. Chilling. Very authentic from what we know occurred based upon document drops after the fall of the Soviet Union.
    • 4/5
      Darkness at Noon is Arthur Koestler's most famous work and his most powerful.

      The story of Rubashov, a revolutionary and once key figure in the unnamed country's government, who is now imprisoned and on trial for treason is a powerful anti-totalitarian novel. The narrator's reflections on his past life are the heart of the novel's drama and the circumstances of his false imprisonment and trial mirror those of the Stalinist purges in 1938.
    • 2/5
      Really not my thing.
    • 4/5
      A compelling and engrossing book to listen to, very well read and written.
    • 4/5
      A powerful book about the Stalinist purges during the 1930's. The main character, Comrade Rubashov is one of the diehard members of the party, a Communist since his youth who has been decorated many times for his devotion to the party and Mother Russia. Now in his 50's he has been arrested and is being tried for unpatriotic behavior. As Rubashov is repeatedly questioned, his memory flashes back to different times in his past when he was the one arresting and trying traitors - sacrificing friends and lovers all for the good of the party.

      The scenes in this book are vividly described and definitely paint a strong picture of foreboding and oppression. Definitely a dark and depressing book, but an interesting look at the mechanisms behind a revolution.
    • 4/5
      If nothing else, read this for the interrogation scenes' dialogue, it is fantastic. A little dense at times, definitely more of a anti-communist philosophical treatise than a suspense-thriller novel that you might expect, so be ready.
    • 4/5
      A Man is arrested and placed in solitary confinement. Without hardly leaving the cell, the plot manages to takes in the wide sweep of history that is revolution, civil war, dictatorship, collectivisation and purges of Stalin’s’ Soviet era. This is an important work, for both literary and historical students alike.
    • 4/5
      Rubashov is a former leader of the revolutionary movement (the novel never says which movement, but makes it clear by comparisons that Russian communism is intended), who is arrested one night and placed in prison for "political divergences." There he ruminates on his life, which has gone hand in hand with the progress of the revolution. When he is not pacing his cell or chain smoking, he is dragged off to a series of interviews with his accusers. Over the course of his stay in prison, he become more firmly in the belief that the revolution has become polluted, that it is no longer "for the people," and that he is right to diverge from the party line. I was drawn into this story almost instantly. Koestler drops overly flowery language (his character Rubashov is certainly eloquent and straight forward) in favor of clarity. The writing flows along easily, and allowed me to fall into story and relate to the characters and events. As Rubashov remembers his past and how it lead him to exactly this point of crisis, I was as fascinated as he was with his development and his formation of thinking. I was equally captivated by the intellectual volleying between Rubashov and his interrogators, both of whom strive to use logic to make their point-of-view clear and thus proven right. This is not a happy story, per se, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the most profound books I have ever read about totalitarianism and the Marxist state. Rubashov experiences the brunt of karma as, after a brilliant career of manipulating his loyal party members, he suffers their fate. The ends justifies the means is the party slogan, individuals are sacrificed for the greater good. Spirituality is despised as weakness. As the minutes count down to his execution, Rubashov experiences an epiphany. His perceptions of truth come too late when he realizes that he must sacrifice his life for a state he does not believe in.One thing that struck me was how immediate and timeless the prose was. The book could have been written today. There were interesting parallels to Christ and ironic comments on revolutions (French and Russian).
    • 4/5
      This is a great companion piece to George Orwell's "1984." Where Orwell took us into the experience of a common worker of the big bad totalitarian state, Koestler takes us into the experience of one of the true believers, Nicolas Rubashov, who is arrested for "counter-revolutionary" activities after being one of the leaders of the Party. Great insight into the thinking process of a Marxist who helped found the Soviet Union (though that state is never mentioned by name) - I'm glad I finally read it, having heard mentions of it for the past several decades. Not a long read, either. Easily digestible I thought.
    • 5/5
      Darkness at Noon takes on a lot: Koestler uses his condemned main character to highlight the ideological shift in the USSR from Leninism to Stalinism, to comment on communism and revolution in general, and to bring the reader inside the mind of a political prisoner. I was assigned this book as part of a 20th century European history course, and it was by far my favorite piece that we read. The novel offers dimension to the student of Soviet history, but is also just a great novel in and of itself.
    • 5/5
      A masterpiece of psychology, getting behind the motives that led so many Russian revolutionaries to confess falsely to literally fantastic crimes in Stalin's show trials. The words Stalin, Lenin and Soviet are not mentioned in this novel, but the flow of discussion and the assumptions are very clear to anyone who is familiar with mid 20th century totalitarian regimes and the thought processes of their defenders.