The discovery of a new author who one instantly loves is a wonderful thing: one becomes overwhelmed by the volumes of wonder awaiting discovery. The attention to the minutest detail of changes in emotion is immaculate. MK has extraordinary understanding of human character (particularly the erotic), & effortlessly manages the difficult task of letting the characters run the plot rather than spooning the characters into a plot that doesn't quite fit. MK, I note, has particular affection for philanderers, which surely speaks volumes for his own character (I know nothing about the author's own life). This is not a book that debunks life behind the iron curtain but the general rainy bureaucratic grey misery forms the backdrop to every story. This can be the only reason that the book was banned, which in itself is a vivid illustration of the frustration of Communist Eastern European life. The book illustrates one of the incidental and malign features of highly controlled bureaucratic totalitarianism: the huge power that dubiously motivated middle ranking bureaucrats and party workers can exercise over nearly all aspects of ordinary citizens' daily lives. This frustration must have been excruciating.