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Title: Not to be missed
Review: Kross brings to bear an encyclopaedic knowledge of Estonian and Russian history upon this book about an aging man's journey through his own memories. The novel takes place, for the most part, on a train, but we follow Professor Martens' digressions into the details of his own rise to influence, love life, internal arguments, and penetrating self-doubt. Martens is one of the most engaging characters one is likely to encounter. He is vain, but keeps it mostly to himself, and Machiavellian, although he rarely admits it. The progress of the novel is ponderous. This is not in-flight reading material. But it is worth the time, effort, and attention.
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