Darkness at Noon – Arthur Koestler

Another book that I just wish my students would read: because it’s beautifully written, because it’s true, because it was published during the Second World War. Luckily, my students prefer reading The Hunger Games (when they read).

Darkness at Noon was defined by my boss’s boss as “not exactly a bundle of joy”. Rarely has a definition been more fitting. But it’s not just that, it’s also a great book. Despite a fairly good awareness of the history of the purges, the novel is still surprising: the way in which the contrasts between old and new party members, and between the upper echelons and the rank and file of the party are portrayed is absolutely astounding for the insightfulness. 

The hearings make the reader want to scream for help. And the fact that even characters like Ivanov cannot be sure of their own position within the party is an eerily frightening reflection of one of the darkest pages in 20^th century history.