The Adventures of Nevzorov, or Ibicus

A modest Petersburg clerk, Semyon Ivanovich Nevzorov, after believing a fortune-teller who promised him wealth and fame, is swiftly thrust into the very heart of the Revolution and the Civil War. Constantly changing his disguises, origins, and line of work—from a swindler to a scout—he does his utmost to survive and make his way upward, but luck lifts him to heights, only to hurl him back down into poverty.