What a book, I would say this takes the top spot for the year along with Complications. Maybe this slightly edges Complications in novelty, but maybe not in importance. This is the kind of book one should read very quickly first, and then very slowly a second time, taking in every single sight, smell, taste and touch. Russia remains the greatest literary muse!

One of my favourite quips of the Count is the wisdom from his father about the twice-tolling clock. The first toll is to indicate that one's day of honest work is done, and the second toll is an admonishment about why one is still awake at that hour. Nina Kulikova has to be the most arresting character, her spectre looms so large over the entire story. The unlabelling of the wine bottles was a very clever metaphor about the times and their signs. So was Mishka's proclamation about the Burning of Moscow to inconvenience Napoleon. Seven stars.