I’m all for a long, involved plot with lots of sitting around bickering over the dinner table, but if I don’t like any of the people, I won’t get through the first disk.
You should get The Crimean War by Orlando Figes. I read two of his other books about Russia which weren’t quite so large (and one was paperback).
These are the Russian upper class. They go out for every meal apparently.
Actually in the beginning the cook at their house quits, so maybe that is why they are always eating out. Also they drink at every meal and in their government offices.
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