Narrated in the first person, this short story is one episode in the life of a Russian labour-camp inmate. Written by Varlam Shalamov after his own experiences at a gulag, it describes the apathy of prisoners as they steadily approach death, the assuredness of betrayal and duplicity, and the constant craving for material satisfaction to lessen the empty, scorched feeling inside. When an old acquaintance lays out an escape plan, that satisfaction is offered in the form of condensed milk: a sweet, delicious extravagance - a small element of joy in the midst of impending death.
- ISBN10 0718196465
- ISBN13 9780718196462
- Publish Date 6 March 2014
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
- Edition Digital original
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 46
- Language English