The Coronation (novel)

This article is about the Boris Akunin novel. For the 17th century play, see The Coronation (play).
The Coronation
Recent Russian language edition
AuthorBoris Akunin
Original titleКоронация, или Последний из романов
LanguageRussian
SeriesErast Fandorin
GenreHistorical detective
PublisherZakharov
Publication date
2000
Publication placeRussia
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages349 pp.
ISBN5-8159-0059-1
OCLC44149409
LC ClassPG3478.K78 K67 2000
Preceded byThe State Counsellor 
Followed byShe Lover of Death 
Portrait by Valentin Serov of the anointing of Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna at their coronation.

The Coronation (Russian: Коронация, или Последний из романов, "Coronation, or the Last of the Romanovs") is a historical detective novel by Boris Akunin, published originally in 2000. It is subtitled великосветский детектив ("high-society detective"). This novel was published in English in February 2009.

The scene of this seventh novel in the Erast Fandorin series is set in 1896 Moscow, at the time of the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II (between 6 May and 20 May O.S.). Akunin prominently features the Khodynka Tragedy of 18 May 1896, when a crowd at the coronation festival stampeded and nearly 1400 people were killed.[1]

The book won the Russian Anti-Booker prize in 2000 for prose.[2] Many Akunin fans in Russia state this book is his best, reading about the tragic atmosphere of late 19th century Russia. However, members of the Russian Orthodox Church objected to the negative portrayal of many members of the Romanov family, especially the characterization of the character Grand Duke Simeon Alexandrovich as a homosexual.[3][4]

  1. ^ Wachtel 205
  2. ^ "Booker Prize". Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  3. ^ Shneidmann 161
  4. ^ Stulhofer and Sandfort, 201