Packs a lot of plot into this deadpan satire... Strange and tantalising
Metro
Flits between dark and light exploring the twilight zone between fantasy and reality
- John Thornhill, Financial Times
Kurkov is hugely talented, truly very funny
Time Out
Kurkov's style is spare and effective, drawing us with deceptive ease into a dense, complex world full of wonderful characters
- Michael Palin,
A rather beautiful dreamlike journey
- Victoria Moore, Daily Mail
'Packs a lot of plot into this deadpan satire... Strange and tantalising' Metro
Discover this powerful dark satire from one of Ukraine's most acclaimed authors.
When Kolya moves into a new flat in Kyiv, he discovers an annotated manuscript hidden inside a copy of War and Peace and decides to track down its author, even if it means digging up the grave of a Ukranian nationalist who died in mysterious circumstances.
An exhumation reveals that an item of great national importance is buried near a fort in Kazakstan so when, during his night shift as a security guard, Kolya is threatened with mysterious phone calls, he sets off on what turns out to be a very bizarre journey. Along the way he meets a host of unlikely characters including Bedouins, ex-KGB officers and a spirit-like companion in the form of a chameleon.
When Kolya moves into a new flat in Kiev, he discovers an annotated manuscript hidden inside a copy of War and Peace and decides to track down its author, even if it means digging up the grave of a Ukranian nationalist who died in mysterious circumstances.