It’s written in a plethora of metaphors from beginning to end, which you’ll have to appreciate if you want to enjoy Tomas. Although I can’t credibly interpret even half of them, I find them quite clever, sophisticated, and funny.

The novel takes place in France, where Tomas is on a mission to save the world from all things superficial. The world is exaggerated to the extreme superficial — the “wear sunglasses at night” and “breasts too heavy to carry yourself” kind of world — where TV is so poor that the global channel is called Shit TV and broadcasts nothing but reality shows in variants you wouldn’t even dream of. This richness of superfluousness (and superficiality) in reality stems from Russia as part of the “Great Russian Bear’s” secret plan.

Needless to say, Tomas is the go-to-guy to fight back against the Bear, while also dealing with all things superficial. This may make it sound like a war novel, but it is far from. It actually is much more a story on life, moral, and love — with remarkable and memorable perspectives from Napoleon, a “half-corrupt” judge, and a prostitute. You will have to read it to believe it.

Many of the passages and cool metaphors run over a number of paragraphs and are too long to be quoted here. Suffice it to say, getting invited to a party requires mastering three magic words: “I’m a producer”. Be sure to practise well, to avoid ending up saying “you’re a peanut” instead when the heat is really on.