The devil and his retinue take up residence in 30s Moscow, spreading a dark mix of chaos and justice. Breakneck kickabout malice, interspersed with a stark retelling of the last hours of Christ.

Don’t read the Ginsburg translation – it was based on a censored text, and has an unreadably weird and jocular style to it. I switched to the Glenny after Chapter Three; it’s much better.