The largest Russian writers, contemporaries of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, greeted his arrival in literature very warmly, some even enthusiastically. But over time, the attitude towards him changed dramatically. A. Tvardovsky, who spared no effort and effort to publish a new work by an unknown author in Novy Mir, then told him to his face: “You have nothing sacred. If it were up to me, I would ban your novel.” M. Sholokhov, having read the first story of a literary newcomer, asked Tvardovsky on his behalf to kiss the author on occasion, and later wrote about him: “What painful shamelessness this is...” The same can be said about the attitude of L. Leonov, K. Simonov towards him... After reading This book, you will understand how to explain such a friendly and sharp change in the attitude towards Solzhenitsyn of such authoritative writers, and many readers, of course.