Another fascinating novel of ideas from Makine, who is one of my favourite writers. This one is something of a departure from most of his books in that does not read like a memoir, and is told in the third person.

The central character is Oleg Erdmann, a Russian film maker with German ancestry. The first part of the book takes place towards the end of the Brezhnev era, as Erdmann is writing a film based on the life of Catherine the Great. The project is compromised by interference from the Soviet authorities, and is taken on by another director who imposes his own ideas. The second half of the book is set during Yeltsin's presidency, and sees Erdmann recruited by a former friend, now a minor oligarch, who wants to turn Catherine's life into a salacious TV series.

As always with Makine the book is full of revelatory detail, and interesting ideas - in this case mostly about the nature of history and the way it is twisted to suit the prevailing powers. Like Erdmann's projects, Makine struggles to get beyond the cliched views of the facts of Catherine's life. An interesting book, but probably not the best place to start with Makine. ( )