A critique of the Soviet system transported to a mysterious 'world' - basically a ledge between a towering towel and an abyssal cliff.

I thoroughly enjoyed Andrei's various deployments in different roles in the city and seeing him change from idealistic Marxist-Stalinist and "Experimenteer" to part of the elite and apologist for the new totalitarian regime.

I didn't enjoy, so much, the final third of the book, set out of the city on a great expedition to find the anti-city, where Andrei ends up as an exhausted cynic.

I also didn't enjoy the appalling misogyny. Only three bit-part female characters, who are treated as sex objects.