Library

In the 1950s and 1960s, Solzhenitsyn triggered a "nuclear explosion" in the literary world and even the entire society with his short stories and novellas. After that, he was restrained by large-scale works, and returned to the short genre after half a century: the novel collection "Apricot Jam" was the last literary work created by the writer in his later years, including eight short stories and one novella. The fate of the characters in the book range from generals to reform-through-labor prisoners, from priests to modern bankers, from engineers to farmers, and their fates are powerfully ground in the millstone of history. Therefore, the grand trajectory of the "red wheel" of history can be completely described in the short story. The writer's innovation in the short story genre was also completed at the same time: the counterpoint melody and "Gemini" structure allow the different fates of one character, or the fate of two unrelated characters, to be contained in one short story at the same time, thus forming a mysterious metaphor for history and prompting readers to feel and reflect more deeply on Russia's harsh fate in the 20th century.

"The cancer building is also called 'Building 13'." After more than ten years of military service and exile, Kostoglotov's cancer recurred, and he was admitted to the cancer building after all the hard work until he was dying. After receiving radiotherapy, his condition gradually improved, but the next course of "hormone therapy" will make him lose his sexual ability. It was during the days of treatment in the cancer building that love and desire reawakened in him. Strong lust, instinctive desire, becomes a sign of vitality. The irreconcilable contradiction between the two caused him great pain. While showing Kostoglotov's pursuit of spiritual freedom, the author also describes the different fates and experiences of him, his roommates, and attending physicians, as well as their character formation and personality distortions, such as the manipulative personnel cadre Rusanov, the young geologist Vadim, the ill-fated librarian Shulubin, the decisive and professional doctor Dontsova, and so on. In the small cancer building, everyone's fate intersects here, completing the collapse and reconstruction of souls. "Cancer Tower" is a group portrait work that condenses the good and evil of human nature, thinking about the roots of social tragedy, reflecting on the changes of the times and the writing of history.

Ivan Denisovich Shukhov was originally a member of a collective farm. He fought on the front line during the German-Soviet War and was unfortunately captured by the German army. However, he took the opportunity to escape back to the army, but was arrested and interrogated. Under the torture of the Soviet counterintelligence agency, he was forced to admit that he was a German spy in order to survive. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for treason and sent to a special labor camp. The author uses simple and unpretentious line drawings to focus on the long and arduous day spent by Shukhov in the labor camp. Through a large number of details, he paints a shocking and gloomy picture in the ordinary narrative and memories, showing the rough life of the protagonist. This novel is Solzhenitsyn's first published work and one of his masterpieces. It was the first novel in the history of Soviet literature to describe life in a labor camp. It undoubtedly became a sensational event in the Soviet literary world at that time, and also attracted great attention in the West, and the author became famous.