Neither to Laugh Nor to Weep: An Odyssey of Faith: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide

by Abraham H. Hartunian, Vartan Hartunian (Translator), Earl A. Grollman (Foreword)

Clergyman Abraham Hartunian recounts the process of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turkish government, beginning in 1895 through 1918. He offers a profound warning that "when governments forget that they are dealing with human beings, not abstract problems, the results can be horribly inhuman." This document is the memoir of an Armenian Protestant pastor and community leader Reverend Abraham Hartunian, who miraculously survived the official campaign by the Ottoman Turkish government to exterminate its Armenian minority, which began in 1895 and ground relentless through 27 years and two million deaths.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

206 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

Reviews

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did Hartunian survive? How can such horror go on unabated, in sickening repetition, in unbelievable atrocity? This memoir is translated to evoke desperation, factual recollection and rapid fire emotional dismay. Never does Hartunian’s faith waver. Never does his situation improve, only death is averted while life is so needlessly squandered. Tough read, necessary yet terrifying.

[Ani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving account of the Armenian Genocide. This book is a must read for anyone interested in learning what happened to the Armenians during Ottoman Turkey's campaign to eliminate Armenians from the interior of Turkey. I read this book in the late early 1980's yet I can still visualize some of the horrific events described.