Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear DisasterVoices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster
Score Modern
What it's about
On April 26, 1986, a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine. Svetlana Alexievich spent years interviewing hundreds of people whose lives it changed: the wives of firefighters who died of radiation sickness, soldiers sent to clean up the site, scientists, farmers who refused to leave the evacuation zone, and parents of children born after the disaster. She presents their testimony in their own words, with little commentary.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and Alexievich won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2015. It's one of the most powerful books ever written about disaster, and one of the main sources for HBO's Chernobyl.
You'll love it if you liked
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryGood to know
It's harrowing, especially the opening testimony from a firefighter's widow. It's a collection of voices rather than a history of the accident.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #57 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #149 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #289 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
More by Svetlana Alexievich
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Quick answers
Is Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and Alexievich won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2015. It ranks #289 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster about?
On April 26, 1986, a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine. Svetlana Alexievich spent years interviewing hundreds of people whose lives it changed: the wives of firefighters who died of radiation sickness, soldiers sent to clean up the site, scientists, farmers who refused to leave the evacuation zone, and parents of children born after the disaster. She presents their testimony in their own words, with little commentary.
How long does it take to read Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster?
About 6 hours (260 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (2005).
What should I read after Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster?
If you liked it, try Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexievich, Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy or The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert.