In this collection of short stories, drawing heavily from the author's
own experiences as a medical graduate on the eve of the Russian
Revolution, Bulgakov describes a young doctor's turbulent and often
brutal introduction to his practice in the backward village of Muryovo.
Using a sharply realistic and humorous style, Bulgakov reveals his
doubts about his own competence and the immense burden of
responsibility, as he deals with a superstitious and poorly educated
people struggling to enter the modern age. This acclaimed collection
contains some of Bulgakov's most personal and insightful observations on
youth, isolation and progress.