What's your favourite book?

[KirillMazur]

I'll try to be consistent

Indeed, what for many people was charming in time of Perestroika (generally disastrous) it was the "smell" of freedom. I think this smell was an important factor to keep the society from craving the Soviet state back. As I see it, the most important parts of the society weren't free at all though. I'm sure the authorities steered the country in the rigid track which led us to where we are now.

Perestroika was an orchestrated chaos.

Agree.
This is a temporary orchestrated false impression of "freedom" as opposed to the orchestrated decline of "late" socialism.
To simplify the legalization of privatization and complicate the return to socialist principles.

[Rumata]

Great books for sure.

The only irony I find is that if you read what was likely the Tolien's way of thinking when writing those books (LOTR books more specifically) and what kind of inspirations from the real world he took, you will find out that Russians are likely not to be counted among the good guys there.
Which is to be expected as Tolkien was a deeply religious catholic and anti-communist and LOTR was writen during the Cold War.

AFAIK, there isn't a direct pointing on about who are "the Russians of LotR" Correct me if I'm wrong.
As for indirect ones, I've read this article on the subject, it's in Russian, and it says the original name of Beorn (a "good" personage) was Medwed, which is the Russian word for bear and which is kinda an unofficial symbol of Russia itself.

In early manuscripts of The Hobbit, the name of the character that would become Beorn is Medwed.
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Beorn#Etymology

Concerning communism, I really don't see how Mordor society were communistic
On the other hand the eye symbol of Mordor looks like the Masonic symbol you see on the American money

[Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas]

Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces"

What a great nomination, probably one of the most amusing books I've read to date.