[1] The book tells the story of urban life during the era of stagnation in the Soviet Union as seen by the protagonist, Russian policeman Soshnin.
The main topics of Sad Detective are criminality and deprivation of human beings.
Some critics praised Astafyev's piece for showing a realistic picture of urban life in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, while many accused the author of anti-intellectualism.
The Encyclopædia Britannica characterises the novel as "a gruesome look at the alcoholism, violence, and animosity among Soviet people.″[2]
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