“The Slince”, Tatyana Tolstaya's first novel, was in the writing stage for almost 14 years and was finally published in 2000. Tatyana Tolstaya is a Russian author, who began her writing career in the mid-1980s as a short story editor in various literary magazines. In 1986 he began working on “The Slynx”, aka “Кысь”. This novel is an intentional example of writing during the censorship period. Therefore, it is largely intertextual, ironic, and, above all, Aesopian. The plot is set in the “city of Fyodor-Kumichsk” (Tolstaya 10), which is actually the city of Moscow, 200 years after a mysterious and apocalyptic catastrophe: the Explosion. The society, however, is not at all advanced, more reminiscent of medieval communities full of exclusion, inequality, tyranny and illiteracy. Although the novel depicts a variety of characters, it primarily revolves around one figure: a young man, named Benedikt. From the beginning he seems to be rather naive and comparable to the traditional Russian character: Ivanushka Durachok (Иванушка Дурачок). He doesn't ask questions, follows the system, and is generally quite ignorant of the world. However, he experiences a great character transformation once he encounters the “joy” of books. However, what should bring happiness and knowledge, for him becomes a physical addiction without mental benefits: he reads only to read, not to understand. Besides Benedikt, there are other characters who seem to remain in the background. They are very strictly divided into social groups, such as Golubchiks, naive and easily controlled commoners; the Olderners, the people who survived the explosion, do not age and resemble the intelligentsia; the Murza,... middle of the paper... with Benedict and his overwhelming naivety. It makes no sense that he is so ignorant about the world, when his mother and a neighbor are Oldeners, who talk (talked) about the old days on a daily basis. I wish he had more knowledge of the world and was more respectful towards literature, society and, certainly, towards women. “The Slince” by Tatyana Tolstaya is a book that perfectly describes the living situation under an oppressive regime. Life in the city he describes is full of fear, class division, trust issues, daily struggles to find food, and, above all, the strict control over minds and words, both verbal and printed. Finally, there is always the unbearable fear in the darkness that clouds people's thoughts and makes them forget all the difficulties and oppression.