The Read Around The World Book Club discussion

Thoughts on this part?

I think it is interesting to read how the communist mind set is still very much alive in Chernobyl and explains a lot about the way people behaved after the disaster. People grow up with the idea that they can be a hero and have a meaningful life, even if it costs them their personal health.

Some quotes I underlined:

"What a pity that, in the past, we did so little thinking! From the viewpoint of our culture, thinking about yourself was selfish. It showed a lack of spirit. There was always something more important than you and your life. "

"The person who makes the sacrifice has no sense of himself as a unique, irreplaceable human being. It is longing for a role to play."

My god!! The whole section about the animals was horrendous!

This section just leaves me with such overwhelming sadness. What a waste. And the lies, lies and more lies. Not being able to trust anything that you are told. So you might as well eat the food that’s so full of radiation it will kill you. There is nothing else you could afford anyway.

Overwhelming sadness, indeed. Also: when I was reading this section, I kept wondering whether any goverment would handle things differently. Probably not. If you look what happened in Japan after the Fukushima-desaster...

This book is just devastating. The voices of the people, and the animals, will live with me now.

I'm reading Chapter 2 and I have to admit the book feels overwhelming at times. Going from one account to another, it's like you're sinking in that radioactive sadness, the guilt, remorse and sense of powerlessness.

Some parts make me rage against the soviet machine and others make me hate the people, the individuals. Those who could have broke the silence and ignite change. the pure selfishness of those who looted the place or the factories that kept selling radioactive waste. Maybe it's my current mood, but it almost feels like people, mankind, its intrinsically evil.

Tina wrote: "I'm reading Chapter 2 and I have to admit the book feels overwhelming at times. Going from one account to another, it's like you're sinking in that radioactive sadness, the guilt, remorse and sense..."

Valentina, I know what you mean. If you are already in a sad mood, put it aside for a few days and read something light.

Oh Keriann! The whole part about killing the dogs and cats just devastated me! I just couldn’t imagine.

The whole thing gets me though. They’re killing the pets because of the radiation. It doesn’t seem to make sense to these people that they have to kill these animals, but what about them? If the animals are bad and everything around them is bad, then these people that were here should be in the same physical state. I know they don’t know, but why are they not making this connection? Am I making sense? It makes sense in my head, but I’m not sure it makes sense here.

At the same time, there are people that don’t want anything to do with the Chernobyl people. When the Chernobyl people are leaving their areas, there are people that don’t want to be around them. The train servers make them use their own cups and mugs.

And the government knows what’s up because they pulled everything that had to do with radiation out of the public’s reach. Everything about Hiroshima disappeared from the library.

I just have so so many thoughts and feelings...

The first story has WRECKED me.

Heart breaking! The depths of sadness, sacrifice, and deception is really inconceivable. I still hear the chaos in the cacophony of voices.