This book covers short snippets of interactions a prisoner in Russia's penal system had with others during his sentence. Khodorkovsky was in that system from 2005-2013. And these are some of the characters he met along the way.
The corruption was crazy. The way men were manipulated into testifying against others so they would spend more time incarcerated was insanity. Those men were being threatened as well, so I couldn't pass judgment on them, because I have no idea what I'd do in a situation like that.
One of the stories that stood out to me the most was about a man framed for a brutal attack. He had multiple forms of paperwork showing that he was nowhere near the location of the attack, but all it took was two "witnesses" (who were told what to say), and the man was suddenly in a lot more trouble.
What you won't find in this book is a personal account of the author's stay. It was too much for him, and he doesn't want to talk about it. And that's completely fine. What he did was to preserve a slice of time and experience that doesn't often see the light of day or get spoken of in detail.
Overall, I would recommend this for anyone who wants a glimpse into the walls of a Russian prison. This book is perfect. It's short, there are plenty of breaks, and it covers a lot of different types of people. It's hard to understand how places like this can exist. According to Wikipedia, it's common for the judge to read the entire verdict. In Khodorkovsky's trial, his verdict was 662 pages, and the reading started on May 16. It finished up on May 31! The entire system seems surreal and like something out of a novel. If you have even a smidgeon of interest in this subject, you should check out this book. It's short, and the Kindle version is very affordable. Good Book!
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