Alexander Solzhenitsyn — The First Circle

Fontana 1973 Paperback 700 This novel focuses on the lives of prisoners at a Soviet research facility known as Mavrino, where political dissidents are held. The protagonist, Gleb Nerzhin, a former army captain, endures imprisonment for criticizing Stalin in a private letter. Within the walls of Mavrino, he engages in cryptographic work and navigates complex relationships with fellow inmates, including a philologist named Lev Rubin, and a secret police officer named Simochka, with whom he has an affair. The narrative explores themes of morality, hope, and the pervasive nature of state oppression, as Nerzhin grapples with his conscience amidst the corrupt environment of Soviet officials. Tanned, foxed, spine loosening at front. Fair