In this seminal 1953 work, Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz dissects the psychological landscape of intellectuals living under the oppressive allure of Stalinism in post-war Poland. He explores the moral compromises and mental acrobatics required to survive and function within a totalitarian system. Through allegorical case studies of four writers, Miłosz analyzes how the 'New Faith' seduces and reshapes the mind, introducing the concept of 'Ketman'—the art of internal dissent while outwardly conforming. The book is a timeless and profound examination of conformity, resistance, and the fight for intellectual freedom against ideological tyranny.