Il 1914 di Boris Akunin

After a brief review of Russian Literature devoted to World War I, the author takes into account the novel \u10cernyj Gorod (The black city) by well-known author Boris Akunin (pen name of Grigorij \u160alvovi\u10d \u10charti\u161vili), whose literary production can be situated between highbrow and mass literature. In this relatively new (for Russia) area of 'middle literature' Akunin combines classic tradition with detective narrative. In his work he employs 'history' to reconsider the present; particularly in \u10cernyj Gorod the author uses the past \u2013 as it is perceived by his hero, Erast Petrovi\u10d Fandorin \u2013 to reflect on the present. By highlighting the political situation of Russia immediately before World War I, Akunin induces the reader to find political analogies with the current condition of the country