Marcel Theroux has written 4 previous, highly regarded novels, none of which I've read. Apparently, this one is a bit of a change in direction, so I had no idea what to expect. It's described in the blurb as dizzying and speculative, and it is. It's presented as a found document, apparently written by one Nicholas Slopen, an academic and expert on Samuel Johnson, the 18th Century English writer, left behind at Slopen's ex-girlfriends house. The story it tells is an incredible one, taking in a conspiracy around a gang of Russians forging letters purporting to be written by Johnson, some very disturbing medical procedures, psychiatry, madness and death. It reads with the pace of a thriller, yet raises some interesting questions about identity and authenticity. Enjoyable, unsettling, intelligent writing.