The Surgeon

In the novel “The Surgeon,” the story of the brilliant plastic surgeon Arkady Khripunov is intertwined with the life story of Hasan ibn Sabbah—prophet and founder of the Islamic Nizari state in the 11th century. Khripunov changes human bodies, and therefore changes destinies. By giving people new faces, he sees only material—cartilage and skin. Ibn Sabbah demands unquestioning obedience from his material and personally kills those who displease him. Both regard themselves as beings of a higher order; human passions don’t affect them. The only thing that can truly astonish the chosen one of a god is earthly beauty…

The debut novel “The Surgeon” by Marina Stepnova, included in the longlist of the “National Bestseller” award, has been repeatedly compared to Patrick Süskind’s “Perfume.” Exceptionally harsh, relentlessly beautiful prose will surely please all fans of “The Women of Lazarus.”