Serhii Dovlatov's "Knife" is an autobiographical novel that tells about the experience of prison imposed on him from some stay in the military. The book reveals a fine line between reality and fantasy, between prison realism and humor, which makes the topic of military service and prison not so motoric at all. The author mixes sharp wit and deep mockery of the modern system. While reading, the reader constantly feels in the atmosphere of a mixture of horror and laughter, into which Dovlatov's characters and plot jumps are thrown. "Knife" is a refined theater of difficult tales about finding oneself in the absurd world of military reality.