Absolutely mesmerizing. I took a long time to read it, partly because of other things that were going on, but mostly because I insisted on savoring every sentence. I never would have found this book if not for GR friends. Come to think of it, almost every book that I read now came from a favorites list of a friend or someone I follow. 
 This book is a lights-out masterpiece, one of the greatest novels I have ever read. Without getting into the plot details, I will just say that the story is complex but, ultimately, quite simple in its basic form. Written in and about Stalinist Russia, it uses multiple layers of dramatic intrigue to paint vivid images of all-too-frail men (and women), and all-too-powerful forces that transform their lives in good ways and bad. Incredibly entertaining, gripping, frightening, and funny - the author plays with the reader, leading him/her this way and that, twisting the reader's mind as it does likewise with the characters. 
 Put simply, an incredible book. The multi-form Russian names are always a challenge, as readers of Tolstoy and the other greats will know very well. But for this one, the names are as much fun as every other element of this masterful tale. Highest possible recommendation.