Apricot Jam and Other Stories

One of the greatest writers of his time * * Guardian * *
A remarkable human being, a visionary, a crusader in the simplest sense, who was steered in his writing, as in his actions, by a deep sense of justice * * Daily Telegraph * *
What was forgotten was how great a writer Solzhenitsyn was. But now we are reminded with these nine short stories written shortly after his return to Russia and published posthumously in an excellent translation . . . The more experimental 'binary' or two-part tales, which dominate this collection, share the qualities of Solzhenitsyn's finest prose: its precision and visual clarity; the subtle irony and humour of its tone; its moral truth; and the skilful crafting and shaping of the story for emotional effect * * The Times * *
Read these stories for a reminder of an extraordinary life, for the range of the interests they encompass and for a pugnacious moral energy that even the octogenarian writer was hard pressed to tame * * Guardian * *
In terms of the effect he has had on history, Solzhenitsyn is the dominant writer of [the twentieth] century -- David Remnick * * New Yorker * *
Described by scholars as ranking alongside his best work . . . one of the publishing events of the autumn * * Observer * *
In probing the relationship between action and belief during times of crisis, Solzhenitsyn is unsurpassed * * The Times * *
A great book . . . absolutely terrific -- John Carey
With its unapologetic moralising and blunt irony, Apricot Jam is a perfect introduction to the stories in this volume. The binary method is essentially a satirical device, designed to capture the doubleness - and double-facedness - of Russian life under communism * * New Statesman * *
As fresh as masterpieces such as Cancer Ward or Matryona's Home -- Victor Sebestyen * * Sunday Times * *