Editor
Klava and Seryozha (Sergey) have been together since preschool. He, one of the smartest kids in school, has always been in love with her but considered her more of just a pretty face rather than an intelligent person. He let her copy his homework and gave her his parents' things as gifts. When they are teens, Klava rejects his love because she knows that he doesn't value her for her, and instead is attracted to Lavrik, another intelligent boy from school. Klava likes him because for the first time she feels like someone is really interested in her as a person. Seryoszha, being very dramatic and wanting Klava's/everyone else's sympathy, writes a suicide note, "Please blame Klava K. for my death," but can he really commit suicide? Eventually he realizes that he is being too shallow and that while he makes such a drama out of such small problems, the people around him have real problems, but never said a thing.
Editor
La acción se ambienta en la costa este del mar Caspio, la actual Turkmenistán, donde el Fyodor Sukhov, soldado del Ejército Rojo, ha luchado durante la guerra civil durante muchos años. Tras ser hospitalizado y licenciado, durante el regreso a su hogar junto a esposa, se ve atrapado en el desierto en medio de una pelea entre una unidad de caballería del Ejército Rojo y rebeldes Basmachi. Sukhov termina custodiando el harem del caudillo Bashmachi, Abdullah, cuando sus camaradas del ejército lo persiguen. La tarea resulta ser peor de lo imaginado, y entre los ataques de los Basmachis y los ofrecimientos del harem, Sukhov debe lidiar con Vereshchagin, un borracho antiguo oficial imperial ruso que todavía cuida el puesto fronterizo comercian y el museo donde se cobijan...
