Creatures That Once Were Men

"Creatures That Once Were Men" by Maksim Gorky is a novella that's often regarded as a work of social realism, and it depicts the bottom of Russian society. The tale follows the lives of the residents of a doss house who start a conflict with their landlord, which leads to an inhumane outcome. It shows how one's humanity is, in part, affected by the conditions one is subjected to and how poor experiences can almost make someone feel less than human.