Malvern staff member Fernando is a New York Review Books Classics enthusiast, and he has a splendid recommendation for y’all…

The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge

Sometimes the dirty politics of your time catch up to your immediate reality. Just ask Russian anarchist writer Victor Serge (1890 – 1947). He lived in Paris as a young man, then in 1919 traveled Russia supporting the Bolshevik revolution. In 1933, after a few imprisonments, he was deported and settled in France, where he began his career as a novelist. This is his last novel, which stirs together the themes Serge explored his entire life, revolving around the Soviet Great Terror of the early 20th Century. Perfect for fans of political thrillers. In the same vein, check out Fortunes of War: The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning, also available through NYRB Classics.