Kopeck Thriller

"Two of the men held revolvers to our frightened faces. The third undressed us. In two minutes we were in our underwear. Her whole body quivering, she grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs . . ."

In the officially prudish Soviet Union, where every word destined for print is eyed beadily for salaciousness as well as political error, these winy words had as much chance of escaping notice as a nudist at a fashion show. Worse yet, they appeared in T.S. 41, From an Intelligence Agent's Notebook, a shoot-'em-up spy story in the Schoolchild's Library series published by the staid D.O.S.A.A.F. (Volunteer Society for Aiding the Army, Air Force and Navy). "Check your children's library," thundered the Literary Gazette, official organ of the Soviet Writers' Union, in a review last week. "Even if you do not find the book in it, do not get complacent. Go around to the bookshops and buy all the copies you see and burn all the ones you buy. Get your friends to do the same."

But the Gazette howled in vain. The entire edition of T.S. 41--160,000 copies --was snapped up by discerning readers weeks ago. Everywhere Russian kids were reading it, their eyes glued to such feverish lines as:

"Tanya urged me to stay overnight. Without waiting for my consent she jumped up from the table, gave me an ardent kiss and began to undress. I turned out the lamp and also got undressed . . ."

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