A series of what read more like loosely attached vignettes with the authors additional thoughts prior to each, once again in the style of memoir novel that seems to be uniquely done in Soviet literature. It's a great way to look at the surreal and larger than life moments of the human condition experienced through life that don't come across well in a more traditional memoir. The problem with it is that I end up appreciating and respecting these I've read from Soviet authors more than I've enjoyed them. But the life of a prison guard is something we see less than the prisoner and in the Soviet system is an interesting and worthwhile look at their existence and struggle. The distanced nature of the narrator to the reader feels it really brings about an understanding of the criminal camp and it's dynamic. The law and the prison are well trod places in literature but Dovlatov finds a way to bring a unique view of it nonetheless.