The Yawning Heights"In his first published novel, Soviet philosopher Alexander Zinoviev chose to satirize and ridicule Soviet society in Yawning Heights, presented as the city/nation of Ibansk. Every Ibanskian citizen is named Iban Ibanovich Ibanov, and therefore goes by a nickname as Chatterer, Slanderer, Boss, Hog, Truthteller, Dauber, Sociologist, and many others. Truth Teller is obviously Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Boss is Stalin, Hog is Khrushchev. Lesser characters are more difficult to figure out. Ibansk roughly translates into English as 'Screw Town of (or for) all Ivans'. Their political religion is called the Ism (which is short for Soc-ism), and nobody really believes in it. When it was written the book was essentially a superlative description of the Soviet Union."--Goodreads |
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abroad according action arse artist asked Chatterer asked Dauber authorities Bawler become began Blockhead Bloke Boss Brotherhood Careerist caviar Claimant Colleague cooler course creative Deputy Deviationist doctors of science doppelgänger Double-dealer everything example exist fact friends Gelding happened head Ibanism Ibanov Ibansk Ibanskian society idea ideology intellectual intelligentsia Journalist kind Leader leadership Leadiban live logic look matter means morality Neurasthenic never no-one official organisation point of view political position possible principle problem produce progress Puss queue rats realised relationships rubbish scatology Schizophrenic scientific scientists secret police shamizdat shashlik shithouse situation Slanderer Snottyhanky social individual social laws Sociologist speech stupid sub-Ibanskians talented talk Teacher theory There's thing Thinker thought tion true truth Truth-teller turned vidual vodka wall newspaper what's words write Yawning Heights