Arthur Koestler's Darkness At Noon

Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon (1940, France) is one of the twentieth century’s most famous “political novels,” or fictional accounts of a historical reality. Written by a former member of the Communist Party, it is a unique glimpse into the volatile political situation under the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the late 1930s. Its main character, Rubashov, combines characteristics of key Soviet politicians and intellectual leaders from the Bolshevik Revolution, and the story of his imprisonment and confession explains and develops the topical political themes of totalitarianism, socialism, communism, and individualism. Part of the reason for the novel’s wide success is the fact that Koestler, who was influenced
The book was suspenseful in the way that the reader never quite knew until the very end if Rubashov would be found guilty or not, especially since his acquaintance Ivanov could very possibly have proven Rubashov innocent and have helped to arrange for Rubashov to be released. The interactions between Rubashov and his neighbor inmates through knocking on the cell walls in a secret code help to take the focus off of Rubashov’s difficult situation and make him and the other inmates seem normal, even if their methods of communication aren’t. The few characters that are actually alive during the novel, as well as those who exist only in a memory, each contribute a different aspect of that time to the plot, and help to either hinder or help Rubashov’s situation. I feel that this novel has definitely broadened my understanding of the Soviet Union era and its complex and sometimes deadly politics, and helped me see the perspective of a war prisoner who has done no wrong except to disagree with the governments’ opinions and focus. I would only recommend this novel to someone who is interested in this particular time period in history or its’ politics, or does not know all that much about the Soviet Union, as I did, and wants to learn more. In addition to following along with Rubashov’s progression in prison, a reader can take note of and ‘listen’ to the history and the facts that are being told by a character or a memory, which makes this book either an introduction to this piece of history or simply an addition to previous knowledge. Darkness at Noon is extremely well written and stocked with accurate historical information, as Koestler himself witnessed and experienced these times, opinions, ideas and people and therefore wrote not from research but from personal