Sonnenfinsternis

About “Sonnenfinsternis”

Darkness at Noon is a 1940 novel by Arthur Koestler, a Hungarian-born British writer. The story follows Rubashov, an Old Bolshevik who was involved in creating the Soviet government but is later arrested and tried for treason. The novel takes place during the Stalinist Great Purge and Moscow show trials. It avoids naming specific countries or political entities, referring to the Soviet government as "the Party" and Nazi Germany as "the Dictatorship." Joseph Stalin is represented as "Number One," a powerful and ominous leader. The book reflects Koestler's growing disillusionment with Soviet ideology. In 1998, it was ranked eighth on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.