The novel of the Belarusian writer Andrei Mray “Notes by Samson Samasuy” is often compared with the “Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov. These works really have a lot in common. And they were written at about the same time, with a difference of one year. A very significant novel, touching on an important topic of the cult of personality. The summary of Samson Samasuy's Notes will help you to understand how subtly the author makes fun of current events at that time.
Why is it worth reading the Notes?
The novel is written in the form of a diary. The author chose this form of storytelling for a reason. The diary provides more opportunities for the hero to express his thoughts and judgments. He sincerely talks about the phenomena and events that were characteristic of that time. Thus, the author trusts the hero not only to talk about current events, but also their interpretation. He emphasized in the words of the protagonist that many mistakes could have been avoided.
The author reveals the essence of that time - ostentatiousness and total state control over all spheres of life of its citizens. It should be noted that the author did it very well. Samson is a restless, funny and cheerful person, which is evident even from the summary of Samson Samasuy's Notes. But a very smug and not tolerating criticism of the “new format” employee. Such “cogs” like him were simply necessary in the 20s of the Stalinist totalitarian machine. Disregarding any opinion, violating all moral laws, Samasuy “builds a new one”. He even “rebuilt” his language in a new way, flaunting the words “resolution”, “imperialism”, and “all-Union scale”.
Samasuya Notes is the pinnacle of satirical prose. The peculiarity of this work lies in the choice of material, and in its presentation, and in the power of artistic generalization. The author, as it were, warns with his work about the danger that will plunge the country for decades into the abyss of chaos. The name of this danger is the cult of personality.
Acquaintance with Samson
The novel consists of two parts. A summary of Samson Samasuy's Notes begins with an introduction to the protagonist of the novel. The first two chapters tell how he is sent to a new job. Parents escort Samson and ask not to "throw out the fortunes." The father exhorts the son not to wander around the world, but to settle on the earth. And he takes his son to the town. It rained all night while they rode. And, having arrived at a new place, Samson hangs up his rich wardrobe on the fence, which attracts the attention of the curious. In the afternoon he goes to the executive committee.
The following four chapters talk about the first thing that caught Samson's eye in a new place - a young, beautiful typist. Samasuy immediately begs to take her home. The next day, they went to work together and met the head of the drama club, who talked about the fact that a May Day is planned and began to joke with the girl. This pissed off Samson. And in the evening, at a lover’s club, Samasuya simply infuriated an accountant whispering something to the typist’s ear. After a fight with an opponent, Samson concludes that he fell into the clutches of a beauty-adventurer.
In the seventh chapter, Samson, defeated on the basis of love, rolls up his sleeves and sets to work. This is described in the next four chapters. Samson visits all schools and reading houses, gathers peasants and teaches them to live in a new way. Everyone who does not like the new order faces the arrest and "write it in bloody letters." The chairman of the union of hunters encourages Samson to raid stray dogs. A new man in the town, Samasuy kills several domestic dogs. The hosts are suing him. The real campaign against Samasuya has begun.
Responsible worker
A summary of Samson Samasuy's Notes, the second part of the novel, you can start with the fact that Samson is “a respected worker of a district scale”. He has a nice apartment in the area and a garden with flowers. But pride does not allow him to forget what happened. He takes a vacation and goes to Shapyalevka. At the same time he writes an application for joining the party. Arriving in the town, he enthusiastically takes up the physical education of residents. Young people happily supported him. To the comments of the peasants about the trampled crops, Samson importantly answers that there is no revolution without sacrifices. But they did not appreciate the patriotic impulse and sued Samasuy.
In the fourth and fifth chapters of the second part, Samson finds himself between life and death. He goes to the hospital where he was diagnosed with acute gastritis. Samasuy says goodbye to life, gives the last instructions. But on the threshold appears a beautiful typist and makes him drink crushed birch charcoal. Soon he was discharged from the hospital and returned home to the district center. And with enthusiasm, she takes up cultural and educational work, creates a theater and goes to Shapyalevka.
Cultural revolution
The sixth chapter begins with the second cultural revolution in this town. Samson creates a museum, people bring down the rampart, watching the sights. Next to the ancient busts there are portraits of senior officials of the region, including Samasuya. Soon, Samson decides to found the Shapyalev Scientific Society and becomes the editor of his own newspaper. Samson is so involved in the role that he begins to publish scientific treatises and send them to the Academy of Sciences. The seventh and eighth chapters describe the "cultural achievements" of the protagonist of Samson Samasuy's Notes.
The chapter summary is drawing to a close. Ninth, it’s the last chapter tells that the theater created by Samson needs a repertoire, and Samasuy and his comrades are writing a play. The role of the main character goes to the bride of the secretary of the district committee. She found a great craving for art, and she and Samasuy, naked to the waist, following the script, danced a primitive dance.
The audience was shocked. Samasuy was fired on the initiative of the secretary of the district committee. But Samson did not agree with the decision and went on a hunger strike. For the first time faced with such an unprecedented phenomenon, the frightened initiators of Samsonov's dismissal transferred him to more responsible work in the district. The secretary of the district committee was severely reprimanded. For a long time, his bride did not know whom to give preference to. But in the end she bent her beautiful head on the shoulder of the secretary of the district committee.
A few lines about the author
Andrey Mriy is the creative pseudonym of Andrei Antonovich Shashalevich, date of birth - September 13, 1893. A month after the release of the novel, the writer was arrested and sentenced to 5 years "as a member of the anti-Soviet counter-revolutionary organization." In November of that year, the sentence was replaced by three years of exile, which he was serving in the Arkhangelsk region.
Soon they were sent to a settlement in Murmansk, where he worked as a teacher in a school. In 1940 he was waiting for a new arrest, all the works he wrote were confiscated, which were lost somewhere in the archives of the NKVD. Mryy was sentenced to 5 years and sent to the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Two years later, he was recognized as disabled, released and sent back. Andrei Antonovich died on the way to Murmansk in October 1943. He was never able to return to his native Belarus.