Marcelijus Teodoras Martinaitis stands as one of the most significant Lithuanian poets of the 20th century. His work delves into the collision of an old, archaic rural worldview with the modern world and its subsequent collapse. This profound theme is vividly expressed in his most renowned work, which celebrates enduring rural traditions. Beyond his poetry, Martinaitis was an active participant in the Sąjūdis movement and an academic devoted to Lithuanian literature.
Set in the Stalinist era, when Lithuania's farmers lost everything to the process of collectivization, this book documents the life of the village idiot / trickster Kukutis. Unable to comprehend the strictures of the totalitarian regime, he says and does what he likes and is a potent symbol of freedom until the downfall of communism in Lithuania.