Sergei Dovlatov's The Zone stands as a unique entry in the canon of prison literature, distinguished by its innovative perspective. Originating from the author's early years, the work was not publishable in the Soviet Union and had to wait two decades to make its debut in the United States. Despite its critical acclaim, reviewers noted formal issues, suggesting these might stem from misguided attempts at avant-garde experimentation. Yet, the book's point of view is what truly sets it apart: it tells the story of a prison from the vantage point of a guard, not the inmate, offering a fresh lens on the genre traditionally dominated by narratives like those of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Fyodor Dostoevski.

Dovlatov himself contrasts his work with the established greats, noting the different worlds they describe. "Solzhenitsyn describes political prison camps. I—criminal ones. Solzhenitsyn was a prisoner. I—a prison guard," he observes. This distinction extends beyond the mere roles of guard and prisoner. Solzhenitsyn portrays the prison as hell, a perspective Dovlatov challenges by suggesting that "hell is in us ourselves." His divergence from Solzhenitsyn is further underlined by his lack of religious belief, a departure from the often spiritual undertones found in Solzhenitsyn's and Dostoevski’s work.

Despite claiming no animosity towards Solzhenitsyn, there’s an unmistakable tension in Dovlatov's writing. However, his respect for Dostoevski is apparent, and the influence of Dostoevski is tangible in The Zone. The characters, like Kuptsov, and the "regular Noah's ark" of prisoners echo the diverse cast of Dostoevski’s The House of the Dead. Both works feature Christmas theatricals staged by prisoners, though Dovlatov adds a modern twist by having his prisoners portray figures such as Vladimir Ilich Lenin and Feliks Dzerzhinski, injecting a satirical edge aligned with the time's political climate.