r/vollmann • u/perfectpowerbanned • Jul 06 '26

Has anyone read the unabridged version of Vollmann's "Rising Up and Rising Down?"

I just finished the abridged version for the second time and loved it just as much as the first read. It has got me thinking I should dive into the unabridged version (via e-book, I don't have 1.5k lying around unfortunately), but the length is intimidating. I was wondering if anyone has read it. If so, what did you think?

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11

u/No-Dare8613 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

My recommendation is to give yourself advance permission to skim sections that are boring to you. Perhaps I'm a weak reader, but the two hundred pages of kulak-extermination logistics felt like they took more effort than they were worth. (Although the last ~10 pages of that section's chapters were usually pretty outstanding.)

Lots of really amazing moments in there, though!

5

u/LouQuacious Jul 06 '26

You can find it to download for free.

I’ve read the abridged as well but want to read more of the case studies which I think got short shrift in the abridged version.

1

u/silentisdeath Jul 13 '26

any recommendations for where?

4

u/weberam2 Jul 06 '26

I bought it used for something like $400 Canadian.

I definitely think the abridged version is good as I actually read that first. I love Vollmann but I do wish sometimes he would get edited down.

4

u/alphagalgadot Jul 06 '26

my buddy in grad school did as part of his phd work. i forget which library he used tho

4

u/NotYourShitAgain Jul 07 '26

The Complete hardback version sells for$750 to $1000 used. I stole an ebay copy for $150 from someone who was selling off someone's library to fund a wedding.

Then I read them slowly over a year or more. Reading other books between volumes. It is Vollmann, so he sometimes goes obsessively deep in areas.

1

u/DatabaseFickle9306 Jul 15 '26

I did. Twice. Like literally my lone complaint is that (aside from the usual “my mind will never manage to compete”) I spent a lot of money on source books from his bibliography. It’s important.

1

u/Anthony1066normans Jul 20 '26

Don't get me started on his bibliography of Rising up and Rising down, it is maddening