Discovering Russian Literature discussion

Please share any background/outside material on the author and or book which you think may be helpful and interesting to our discussion of the book. You may also discuss and compare notes on different translations of the book.

Post spoiler warnings where appropriate.

Reading Schedule

Part 1 - June 22-July 12
Part 2 July 13-July 31

How many different English translations are available in Cancer Ward? The Only one I know of is this Nicholas Bethell and David Burg.

Cancer Ward was published in 1968 by Italian and other European publishers in the Russian language It was also published in English translation in the same year.

Solzhenitsyn based Cancer Ward on his own hospitalization and successful treatment for supposedly terminal cancer during his forced exile in Kazakhstan in the mid-1950s. It's considered as
one of the great allegorical masterpieces of world literature.

Thanks for this, Ludo. It's not a book I know so had assumed it was a straight description. Now I know it's allegorical, I'm keen to read it.
Rosalind