The Keeper Of Antiquities

Jan 11, 2026 4:11 PM

Author:Yury Dombrovsky

The Keeper of Antiquities is simultaneously one of the great Russian modern novels and a key to understanding the terrible Stalinist purges of the late 1930s.

Set far from Moscow in the remote Kazakhstan capital of Alma-Ata, The Keeper of Antiquities begins with a leisurely, almost scholarly air - like a devious story by Borges. But very soon we find ourselves watching with horror as professional rivalry between the keeper of the town's museum and the chief librarian turns into a deadly struggle for control over the meaning of the past - and therefore over the present.

Reviews

A spirited, often anguished, indictment of mindless officialdom wherever it appears

—— Kirkus Reviews

Poetic, page-turning prose

—— Telegraph

A tale that fuses tinder-dry comedy with meaningful questions of identity and literature

—— Daily Mail

A playful, clever novel ... Billed as a novel disguised as a memoir meant as a self-help book, The Arsonist's Guide is also a rather brilliant satire on the culture of modern reading ... A highly enjoyable, absurdist farce.

—— New Statesman

A wonderfully wry, witty escapade.

—— Esquire

The parodies here are priceless ... Sharp-edged and unpredictable, punctuated by moments of choice absurdist humour

—— New York Times

A literary romp, as playful as its title.

—— The Times

This is one of those novels that begins with an energy and confidence that picks you up and wings you along.

—— Independent on Sunday

This book poses as a memoir by functions as a satire, and Clarke has the true comics loathing of gentility and pretension...There are set-piece send-ups of Harry Potter, long riffs on suburbia, American college life, consumerism and ageing parents. As if this outpouring of wit and wisdom were not enough, Sam continually reflects on the meaning of literature and storytelling.

—— Ian Sansom , Guardian

Exquisitely written and imagined

—— Woman & Home

A stand-out debut from a new talent ... Inventive and unforgettable

—— Good Housekeeping

An incredibly emotional read

—— Grazia

A thrilling page-turner

—— Alexander Larman , Spectator

This is a novel that strikes both horror and joy in the reader, the first-person narration deftly articulating Judith's escalating confusion and fear ... A talent to watch

—— Lucy Scholes , The Sunday Times

A touching, delicate book, it's hitting the shelves with high hopes...On March 1, head out and buy Grace McCleen's book

—— Louis Wise , Sunday Times

A distinctive debut that pulls off the use of a child narrator in delightful style

—— We Love This Book

Touching and funny… a compelling and wholly original debut.

—— Marie Claire

Shimmers with little miracles.

—— Peggy Hughes , Scotland on Sunday

This is a promisingly bold book and McCleen is a talent to watch

—— Lucy Scholes , Sunday Times

A gripping and mesmerizing debut of an unforgettable ten-year-old heroine and her battle with good and evil… A harrowing and powerful story about isolation and belonging

—— My Weekly

An original new voice... Haunting and absorbing, this is a joy to read

—— Jackie Carrier , Suffolk Free Press

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