The Diamond Chariot
Encyclopedia
The Diamond Chariot is a historical mystery novel by internationally acclaimed Russia
n detective story writer Boris Akunin
, published originally in 2003. It is the tenth novel in Akunin's Erast Fandorin
series of detective novels. As with all of the other Fandorin novels, The Diamond Chariot was hugely successful in Russia, selling out its first printing of 200,000 copies in a week.
The Diamond Chariot is available in English since September 2011 from Orion Books, tranlsated by Andrew Bromfiled.
The novel consists of two volumes. In the first one, Dragonfly-Catcher - set in Russia
during the Russo-Japanese War
in 1905, Fandorin
is charged with protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway
from Japanese sabotage.
In the second volume,Between the Lines - set in Japan in 1878 and 1879, the story of Fandorin's arrival and life in Yokohama
is told, including the encounter with his servant Masa and finding a Ninjutsu
teacher.
The first volume is structured as a haiku
, with each chapter corresponding to a syllable, while in the second part, a haiku is placed at the end of each chapter.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n detective story writer Boris Akunin
Boris Akunin
Boris Akunin is the pen name of Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili , a Russian writer. He is an essayist, literary translator and writer of detective fiction.-Life and career:...
, published originally in 2003. It is the tenth novel in Akunin's Erast Fandorin
Erast Fandorin
Erast Petrovich Fandorin is a fictional 19th-century Russian detective and the hero of a series of Russian historical detective novels by Boris Akunin. The first novel was published in Russia in 1998, and the latest was published in December 2009...
series of detective novels. As with all of the other Fandorin novels, The Diamond Chariot was hugely successful in Russia, selling out its first printing of 200,000 copies in a week.
The Diamond Chariot is available in English since September 2011 from Orion Books, tranlsated by Andrew Bromfiled.
The novel consists of two volumes. In the first one, Dragonfly-Catcher - set in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
in 1905, Fandorin
Erast Fandorin
Erast Petrovich Fandorin is a fictional 19th-century Russian detective and the hero of a series of Russian historical detective novels by Boris Akunin. The first novel was published in Russia in 1998, and the latest was published in December 2009...
is charged with protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
from Japanese sabotage.
In the second volume,Between the Lines - set in Japan in 1878 and 1879, the story of Fandorin's arrival and life in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
is told, including the encounter with his servant Masa and finding a Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
teacher.
The first volume is structured as a haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
, with each chapter corresponding to a syllable, while in the second part, a haiku is placed at the end of each chapter.