The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli: does Fiction Undermine Reality?

This study first presents the novel Le Mage du Kremlin (The Wizard of the Kremlin) by Giuliano da Empoli, which, crowned by the Grand Prix of the French Academy, has had very good press since its publication in 2022. Then, it provides an analysis of the structure, style and event aspect in Da Empoli’s first novel. It dwells on the local colour, the retrospective discourse, the importance of the portraits and the specificity of the events described to bring out the powerful human message of the book, the topicality of which shocks and dazzles.