This is a book about a man who is unable to feel pain. Fate sentenced him to be born in the 18th century - the century of reason and calculation, atheism, executions and revolutions. Driven by a thirst for success, James Dyer, the main figure of the novel, reaches the pinnacle of his career; he is an excellent surgeon, but due to his peculiarity he is not able to sympathize with patients... Andrew Miller's novel became a notable event in the literary life of Great Britain, and translated into many languages of the planet, it became a world bestseller . He is deservedly compared to the famous “Perfumer” by Patrick Suskind.