Set in the mid-18th century, at the dawn of the Enlightenment, and roving through England, Europe and Russia, it presents James Dyer, a man whose absence of compassion is physical: he can't feel pain . . . gripping throughout . . . a book that gives visceral pleasure - Independent on SundayA wild adventure through 18th-century England and Russia, medicine, madness, landscape and weather, rendered in prose of consummate beauty. - Independent Books of the YearMiller's juxtaposition of the weirdly wonderful with the harsh reality and brutality of eighteenth-century life is a powerful vehicle for the themes he has chosen to explore . . . A dazzling debut - ObserverDazzling . . . Miller tackles notions of mortality and humanity to brilliant effect . . . truly wonderful - Evening StandardAstoundingly good . . . it shines like a beacon among the grey dross of much contemporary fiction - The TimesStrange, unsettling, sad, beautiful, and profound - Literary ReviewA really remarkable first novel, original, powerfully written . . . Miller's narrative is gripping and his imagination extraordinary. - Sunday TelegraphSkilfully constructed, reaching imaginative heights and emotional depths, this fine first novel explores the question of what it means to be human - The Times Literary Supplement