Install and configure a pfSense router/firewall, and become a pfSense expert in the process. About This Book ? You can always do more to secure your software – so extend and customize your pfSense firewall ? Build a high availability security system that’s fault-tolerant – and capable of blocking potential threats ? Put the principles of better security into practice by implementing examples provided in the text Who This Book Is For This book is for those with at least an intermediate understanding of networking. Prior knowledge of pfSense would be helpful but is not required. Those who have the resources to set up a pfSense firewall, either in a real or virtual environment, will especially benefit, as they will be able to follow along with the examples in the book. What You Will Learn ? Configure pfSense services such as DHCP, Dynamic DNS, captive portal, DNS, NTP and SNMP ? Set up a managed switch to work with VLANs ? Use pfSense to allow, block and deny traffic, and to implement Network Address Translation (NAT) ? Make use of the traffic shaper to lower and raise the priority of certain types of traffic ? Set up and connect to a VPN tunnel with pfSense ? Incorporate redundancy and high availability by utilizing load balancing and the Common Address Redundancy Protocol (CARP) ? Explore diagnostic tools in pfSense to solve network problems In Detail pfSense has the same reliability and stability as even the most popular commercial firewall offerings on the market – but, like the very best open-source software, it doesn’t limit you. You’re in control – you can exploit and customize pfSense around your security needs. Mastering pfSense - Second Edition, covers features that have long been part of pfSense such as captive portal, VLANs, traffic shaping, VPNs, load balancing, Common Address Redundancy Protocol (CARP), multi-WAN, and routing. It also covers features that have been added with the release of 2.4, such as support for ZFS partitions and OpenVPN 2.4. This book takes into account the fact that, in order to support increased cryptographic loads, pfSense version 2.5 will require a CPU that supports AES-NI. The second edition of this book places more of an emphasis on the practical side of utilizing pfSense than the previous edition, and, as a result, more examples are provided which show in step-by-step fashion how to implement many features. Style and approach Practical guide to learn the advanced functionalities of pfSense with minimum fuss.

Test your Python programming skills by solving real-world problems About This Book ? Access built-in documentation tools and improve your code. ? Discover how to make the best use of decorator and generator functions ? Enhance speed and improve concurrency by conjuring tricks from the PyPy project Who This Book Is For Whether you’ve been working with Python for a few years or you’re a seasoned programmer, you’ll have a lot of new tricks to walk away with. What You Will Learn ? Know the differences between .py and .pyc files ? Explore the different ways to install and upgrade Python packages ? Understand the working of the PyPI module that enhances built-in decorators ? See how coroutines are different from generators and how they can simulate multithreading ? Grasp how the decimal module improves floating point numbers and their operations ? Standardize sub interpreters to improve concurrency ? Discover Python’s built-in docstring analyzer In Detail This book covers the unexplored secrets of Python, delve into its depths, and uncover its mysteries. You’ll unearth secrets related to the implementation of the standard library, by looking at how modules actually work. You’ll understand the implementation of collections, decimals, and fraction modules. If you haven’t used decorators, coroutines, and generator functions much before, as you make your way through the recipes, you’ll learn what you’ve been missing out on. We’ll cover internal special methods in detail, so you understand what they are and how they can be used to improve the engineering decisions you make. Next, you’ll explore the CPython interpreter, which is a treasure trove of secret hacks that not many programmers are aware of. We’ll take you through the depths of the PyPy project, where you’ll come across several exciting ways that you can improve speed and concurrency. Finally, we’ll take time to explore the PEPs of the latest versions to discover some interesting hacks. Style and approach Recipe based approach where each problem is solved with the help of step by step instructions.

A complete guide to designing and building fun games with Qt and Qt Quick using associated toolsets About This Book ? A step by step guide to learn Qt by building simple yet entertaining games ? Get acquainted with a small yet powerful addition—Qt Gamepad Module, that enables Qt applications to support the use of gamepad hardware ? Understand technologies such as QML, OpenGL, and Qt Creator to design intuitive games Who This Book Is For If you want to create great graphical user interfaces and astonishing games with Qt, this book is ideal for you. No previous knowledge of Qt is required; however knowledge of C++ is mandatory. What You Will Learn ? Install the latest version of Qt on your system ? Understand the basic concepts of every Qt game and application ? Develop 2D object-oriented graphics using Qt Graphics View ? Build multiplayer games or add a chat function to your games with Qt Network module ? Script your game with Qt QML ? Explore the Qt Gamepad module in order to integrate gamepad support in C++ and QML applications ? Program resolution-independent and fluid UIs using QML and Qt Quick ? Control your game flow in line with mobile device sensors ? Test and debug your game easily with Qt Creator and Qt Test In Detail Qt is the leading cross-platform toolkit for all significant desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms and is becoming popular by the day, especially on mobile and embedded devices. It's a powerful tool that perfectly fits the needs of game developers. This book will help you learn the basics of Qt and will equip you with the necessary toolsets to build apps and games. The book begins by how to create an application and prepare a working environment for both desktop and mobile platforms. You will learn how to use built-in Qt widgets and Form Editor to create a GUI application and then learn the basics of creating graphical interfaces and Qt's core concepts. Further, you'll learn to enrich your games by implementing network connectivity and employing scripting. You will learn about Qt's capabilities for handling strings and files, data storage, and serialization. Moving on, you will learn about the new Qt Gamepad module and how to add it in your game and then delve into OpenGL and Vulcan, and how it can be used in Qt applications to implement hardware-accelerated 2D and 3D graphics. You will then explore various facets of Qt Quick: how it can be used in games to add game logic, add game physics, and build astonishing UIs for your games. By the end of this book, you will have developed the skillset to develop interesting games with Qt. Style and approach Learn Qt with the help of numerous sample games, introduced step-by-step in each chapter

Exploit the features of TypeScript to easily create your very own web applications About This Book ? Develop modular, scalable, maintainable, and adaptable web applications by taking advantage of TypeScript ? Walk through the fundamentals of TypeScript with the help of practical examples ? Enhance your web development skills using TypeScript 2.x Who This Book Is For If you are a developer aiming to learn TypeScript to build attractive web applications, this book is for you. No prior knowledge of TypeScript is required. However, a basic understanding of JavaScript would be an added advantage. What You Will Learn ? Understand TypeScript in depth, including its runtime and advanced type system features ? Master the core principles of the object-oriented programming and functional programming paradigms with TypeScript ? Save time using automation tools such as Gulp, Webpack, ts-node, and npm scripts ? Develop robust, modular, scalable, maintainable, and adaptable applications with testing frameworks such as Mocha, Chai, and Sinon.JS ? Put your TypeScript skills to practice by developing full-stack web applications with Node.js, React and Angular ? Use the APIs of the TypeScript compiler to build custom code analysis tool In Detail TypeScript is an open source and cross-platform statically typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript and runs in any browser or host. This book is a step-by-step guide that will take you through the use and benefits of TypeScript with the help of practical examples. You will start off by understanding the basics as well as the new features of TypeScript 2.x. Then, you will learn how to work with functions and asynchronous programming APIs. You will continue by learning how to resolve runtime issues and how to implement TypeScript applications using the Object-oriented programming (OOP) and functional programming (FP) paradigms. Later, you will automate your development workflow with the help of tools such as Webpack. Towards the end of this book, you will delve into some real-world scenarios by implementing some full-stack TypeScript applications with Node.js, React and Angular as well as how to optimize and test them. Finally, you will be introduced to the internal APIs of the TypeScript compiler, and you will learn how to create custom code analysis tools. Style and approach This is a step-by-step guide that covers the fundamentals of TypeScript with practical examples.

Understand, explore, and effectively present data using the powerful data visualization techniques of Python Key Features *Use the power of Pandas and Matplotlib to easily solve data mining issues *Understand the basics of statistics to build powerful predictive data models *Grasp data mining concepts with helpful use-cases and examples Book Description Data mining, or parsing the data to extract useful insights, is a niche skill that can transform your career as a data scientist Python is a flexible programming language that is equipped with a strong suite of libraries and toolkits, and gives you the perfect platform to sift through your data and mine the insights you seek. This Learning Path is designed to familiarize you with the Python libraries and the underlying statistics that you need to get comfortable with data mining. You will learn how to use Pandas, Python's popular library to analyze different kinds of data, and leverage the power of Matplotlib to generate appealing and impressive visualizations for the insights you have derived. You will also explore different machine learning techniques and statistics that enable you to build powerful predictive models. By the end of this Learning Path, you will have the perfect foundation to take your data mining skills to the next level and set yourself on the path to become a sought-after data science professional. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Statistics for Machine Learning by Pratap Dangeti *Matplotlib 2.x By Example by Allen Yu, Claire Chung, Aldrin Yim *Pandas Cookbook by Theodore Petrou What you will learn *Understand the statistical fundamentals to build data models *Split data into independent groups *Apply aggregations and transformations to each group *Create impressive data visualizations *Prepare your data and design models *Clean up data to ease data analysis and visualization *Create insightful visualizations with Matplotlib and Seaborn *Customize the model to suit your own predictive goals Who this book is for If you want to learn how to use the many libraries of Python to extract impactful information from your data and present it as engaging visuals, then this is the ideal Learning Path for you. Some basic knowledge of Python is enough to get started with this Learning Path.

Explore C# and the .NET Core framework to create applications and optimize them with ASP.NET Core 2 Key Features *Get to grips with multi-threaded, concurrent, and asynchronous programming in C# and .NET Core *Develop modern, cross-platform applications with .NET Core 2.0 and C# 7.0 *Create efficient web applications with ASP.NET Core 2. Book Description C# is a widely used programming language, thanks to its easy learning curve, versatility, and support for modern paradigms. The language is used to create desktop apps, background services, web apps, and mobile apps. .NET Core is open source and compatible with Mac OS and Linux. There is no limit to what you can achieve with C# and .NET Core. This Learning Path begins with the basics of C# and object-oriented programming (OOP) and explores features of C#, such as tuples, pattern matching, and out variables. You will understand.NET Standard 2.0 class libraries and ASP.NET Core 2.0, and create professional websites, services, and applications. You will become familiar with mobile app development using Xamarin.Forms and learn to develop high-performing applications by writing optimized code with various profiling techniques. By the end of C# 7 and .NET: Designing Modern Cross-platform Applications, you will have all the knowledge required to build modern, cross-platform apps using C# and .NET. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *C# 7.1 and .NET Core 2.0 - Modern Cross-Platform Development - Third Edition by Mark J. Price *C# 7 and .NET Core 2.0 High Performance by Ovais Mehboob Ahmed Khan What you will learn *Explore ASP.NET Core to create professional web applications *Master OOP with C# to increase code reusability and efficiency *Protect your data using encryption and hashing *Measure application performance using BenchmarkDotNet *Use design techniques to increase your application’s performance *Learn memory management techniques in .NET Core *Understand tools and techniques to monitor application performance Who this book is for This Learning Path is designed for developers who want to gain a solid foundation in C# and .NET Core, and want to build cross-platform applications. To gain maximum benefit from this Learning Path, you must have basic knowledge of C#.

Explore and understand data with the powerful data visualization techniques of Tableau, and then communicate insights in powerful ways Key Features *Apply best practices in data visualization and chart types exploration *Explore the latest version of Tableau Desktop with hands-on examples *Understand the fundamentals of Tableau storytelling Book Description Graphical presentation of data enables us to easily understand complex data sets. Tableau 10 Complete Reference provides easy-to-follow recipes with several use cases and real-world business scenarios to get you up and running with Tableau 10. This Learning Path begins with the history of data visualization and its importance in today's businesses. You'll also be introduced to Tableau - how to connect, clean, and analyze data in this visual analytics software. Then, you'll learn how to apply what you've learned by creating some simple calculations in Tableau and using Table Calculations to help drive greater analysis from your data. Next, you'll explore different advanced chart types in Tableau. These chart types require you to have some understanding of the Tableau interface and understand basic calculations. You’ll study in detail all dashboard techniques and best practices. A number of recipes specifically for geospatial visualization, analytics, and data preparation are also covered. Last but not least, you'll learn about the power of storytelling through the creation of interactive dashboards in Tableau. Through this Learning Path, you will gain confidence and competence to analyze and communicate data and insights more efficiently and effectively by creating compelling interactive charts, dashboards, and stories in Tableau. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *Learning Tableau 10 - Second Edition by N. Milligan *Getting Started with Tableau 2018.x by Tristan Guillevin What you will learn *Build effective visualizations, dashboards, and story points *Build basic to more advanced charts with step-by-step recipes *Become familiar row-level, aggregate, and table calculations *Dig deep into data with clustering and distribution models *Prepare and transform data for analysis *Leverage Tableau’s mapping capabilities to visualize data *Use data storytelling techniques to aid decision making strategy Who this book is for Tableau 10 Complete Reference is designed for anyone who wants to understand their data better and represent it in an effective manner. It is also used for BI professionals and data analysts who want to do better at their jobs.

Build powerful data analytics applications with this business intelligence tool and overcome all your business challenges Key Features *Master time-saving techniques and make your QlikView development more efficient *Perform geographical analysis and sentiment analysis in your QlikView applications *Explore advanced QlikView techniques, tips, and tricks to deliver complex business requirements Book Description QlikView is one of the most flexible and powerful business intelligence platforms around, and if you want to transform data into insights, it is one of the best options you have at hand. Use this Learning Path, to explore the many features of QlikView to realize the potential of your data and present it as impactful and engaging visualizations. Each chapter in this Learning Path starts with an understanding of a business requirement and its associated data model and then helps you create insightful analysis and data visualizations around it. You will look at problems that you might encounter while visualizing complex data insights using QlikView, and learn how to troubleshoot these and other not-so-common errors. This Learning Path contains real-world examples from a variety of business domains, such as sales, finance, marketing, and human resources. With all the knowledge that you gain from this Learning Path, you will have all the experience you need to implement your next QlikView project like a pro. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt products: *QlikView for Developers by Miguel ?ngel García, Barry Harmsen *Mastering QlikView by Stephen Redmond *Mastering QlikView Data Visualization by Karl Pover What you will learn *Deliver common business requirements using advanced techniques *Load data from disparate sources to build associative data models *Understand when to apply more advanced data visualization *Utilize the built-in aggregation functions for complex calculations *Build a data architecture that supports scalable QlikView deployments *Troubleshoot common data visualization errors in QlikView *Protect your QlikView applications and data Who this book is for This Learning Path is designed for developers who want to go beyond their technical knowledge of QlikView and understand how to create analysis and data visualizations that solve real business needs. To grasp the concepts explained in this Learning Path, you should have a basic understanding of the common QlikView functions and some hands-on experience with the tool.

Bringing together three favourite novels about Paddington, the beloved, classic bear from Darkest Peru. Book 1 - A Bear Called Paddington: Paddington Bear travels all the way from Darkest Peru and meets the Brown family on Paddington station for the first time. Since then the Browns’ lives have never been quite the same… for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around. Book 2 - More About Paddington: Whether he is attempting home decorating, detective work or photography, Paddington always causes his own special brand of chaos! Book 3 - Paddington Helps Out Somehow, trouble comes naturally to Paddington. What other bear could catch a fish in his hat, or cause havoc in the Browns’ kitchen just trying to be helpful? Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over fifty years.

Jason and Whit Fireson, the notorious, bank-robbing duo known as the Firefly Brothers, wake to find themselves lying on cooling boards in a police morgue. Riddled with bullet wounds, the reality is inescapable: they've been killed. But they're alive. It is August of 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression but in the waning months of the great Crime Wave, during which the newly-created FBI killed such famous outlaws as John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Across the nation, men are out of work and families are starving, and Americans are stunned and frightened by the collapse of their country's foundations. The Firesons' lovers Darcy and Veronica struggle between grief and an unyielding belief that Jason and Whit have survived, while their stunned mother and straight-arrow third brother desperately try to support their family and evade police spies. And through it all the Firefly Brothers themselves race to find the women they love, and make sense of a world that has come unmoored. Complete with kidnappings and gangsters, heiresses and speakeasies, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers combines the stark realism of a troubled time with all the myth-making magic of the American Dream itself. It is an imaginative and breathless story about being hopelessly outgunned – and tells a tale of danger, redemption, and love that transcends death.

Deadly Seven is a combination of monologues and ‘light’ script engagement of a psychologist with her seven clients, who each represent a deadly sin. Once the psychologist realises she lacks control over each of her clients’ lives, she decides to put an end to their madness. All characters represent an obsession which ultimately destroys them; leading to their deaths.

"Reportajele din aceast? carte vorbesc despre aspecte din istoria recent?, cum ar fi migra?ia, corup?ia, via?a ?n penitenciare sau problemele minorit??ilor, ?nchiderea spitalelor sau stresul care schimb? vie?i, crizele din s?n?tate, pove?ti ale unor oameni obi?nui?i, care fac lucruri speciale. Reg?sim, ?ns?, ?i pove?ti de demult, cum e cazul reportajelor despre lupt?torii anticomuni?ti din mun?i, despre tezaurul de la Pietroasele sau istoriile din satele s?se?ti. Reportajele surprind realit??i dintr-o Rom?nie aflat? ?n continu? schimbare, cu enorme discrepan?e. Sunt ca o fotografie a realit??ii. Cine le cite?te afl? cum se tr?ia sau cum se tr?ie?te ?n anumite locuri. Cum se schimb? sau de ce nu se schimb? lucrurile ?i mentalit??ile. Cartea cuprinde 30 de reportaje publicate ?n revista Dilema veche, dar ?i adapt?ri dup? reportaje sau documentare radio difuzate la Europa FM ?i Radio Rom?nia Actualit??i. Reportajul e un gen mai rar ?nt?lnit ast?zi ?n presa din Rom?nia. Dar asta nu se ?nt?mpl? din cauza lipsei de interes a publicului, ci din pricina lipsei de bani ?i de investi?ii ?ntr-o pres? de calitate. De fiecare dat? c?nd totu?i apar reportaje bine f?cute, se constat? c? publicul le urm?re?te cu interes, tot a?a cum urm?re?te reportajele ?i documentarele oferite de televiziunile str?ine. Asta fiindc? oamenii au nevoie de pove?ti. Un reportaj bine f?cut este de fapt o poveste adev?rat?. P?n? la urm?, ?i aceast? carte este o carte cu pove?ti adev?rate." (Liliana Nicolae)

A classic recipe book which excludes ingredients harmful to those suffering from candida, M.E., and allergy sufferers.

Claire and her mother are running out of time, but they don't know it. Not yet. Claire is wrapped up with the difficulties of her bourgeoning adulthood—boys, school, friends, identity; Claire's mother, a single mom, is rushed off her feet both at work and at home. They rarely find themselves in the same room at the same time, and it often seems that the only thing they can count on are notes to each other on the refrigerator door. When home is threatened by a crisis, their relationship experiences a momentous change. Forced to reevaluate the delicate balance between their personal lives and their bond as mother and daughter, Claire and her mother find new love and devotion for one another deeper than anything they had ever imagined. Heartfelt, touching, and unforgettable, Life on the Refrigerator Door is a glimpse into the lives of mothers and daughters everywhere. In this deeply touching novel told through a series of notes written from a loving mother and her devoted fifteen-year-old daughter, debut author Alice Kuipers deftly captures the impenetrable fabric that connects mothers and daughters throughout the world. Moving and rich with emotion, Life on the Refrigerator Door delivers universal lessons about love in a wonderfully simple and poignant narrative.

A bewitching comic fantasy by a master of the supernaturalCat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.

His father and uncles are enchanters, his mother a powerful sorceress, yet nothing seems magical about Christopher Chant except his dreams. Night after night, he climbs through the formless Place Between and visits marvelous lands he calls the Almost Anywheres. Then Christopher discovers that he can bring real, solid things back from his dreams. Others begin to recognize the extent of his powers, and they issue an order that turns Christopher's life upside down: Go to Chrestomanci Castle to train to be the controller of all the world's magic.The Lives of Christopher Chant is the adventure-filled story of the boyhood of Chretomanci, the famous magician who also appears in Charmed Life, Witch Week, and The Magicians of Caprona.

‘One of the best stories I’ve read in a long time!’ Stacey Rebecca (NetGalley reviewer) The Cotswolds Cookery Club was originally published as a three-part serial. This is the complete story in one package. The Cotswolds Cookery Club is opening its doors! Connie has had enough. Enough of the city, enough of her job – and most importantly, enough of her cheating boyfriend! Finally free to chase her dreams, Connie sets up her very own Cotswolds Cookery Club – a place to share scrumptious recipes and, more importantly, a lot of wine… Trish always dreamed of living in a little chocolate box village – but she never expected to be starting over at forty. Could joining the Cookery Club be the perfect distraction from her stroppy teenage daughter and her ex-husband’s new girlfriend? Kate spends her life juggling her three young children and running the busy Cotswolds veterinary practice. It’s time to take charge of the disparate ingredients of her life and transform them into the perfect pot-au-feu! But with three delicious men turning up the heat, perhaps the sleepy Cotswolds village has a few surprises in store… Fans of Milly Johnson, Caroline Roberts and Jill Mansell will love this heartwarming read!

This treasury of all-new true miracle stories from the bestselling authors of Christmas Miracles, The Magic of Christmas Miracles, and Mothers' Miracles offers the real-life wonder their readers have come to love. Some highlights:A disk jockey's selection of music has an astounding unintended effect a comatose Polish woman begins to softly sing along with a song from her childhood.While body surfing, a man is slammed by a wave and hears his neck snap. Unable to move, he begins to swallow water to hasten death. Instead, he feels himself lifted from the water, gliding safely to shore.A school janitor befriends a student, only to learn that she is the daughter of his long-lost son and his very own granddaughter.A Gift of Miracles, like its predecessors, will remind readers and their families that in the midst of our hectic and sometimes frightening world, magic, mystery, and miracles happen. And that if we look hard enough in the corners of our own lives, we, too, can find miracles.

Lee Mandel’s historical novel Moryak revolves around the story of Lieutenant Stephen Morrison, a naval officer sent by President Theodore Roosevelt on a top-secret mission in 1905. Morrison’s assignment is to work with British agent Sidney Reilly to kidnap Tsar Nicholas II and remove him from Russia before he can sabotage the upcoming Portsmouth Peace conference. The mission goes awry and Morrison is captured and sentenced to death. Through a quirk of fate, he is instead sent to the infamous Russian prison on Solovetsky Island. He soon catches the attention of the Bolshevik prisoners and their growing interactions come to have devastating effects on the evolving revolution in Russia, as well as the Allied war effort as the world descends into the chaos of World War I. As events unfold and secrets are unveiled in an uncanny political intrigue, Moryak in fact tells the life story of one man’s struggle for acceptance, him finding his place and finding himself.

Having spent years in a coma, a female protagonist is anxious to lead a normal life. Her miraculous recovery is riddled with falling in and out of our time continuum - she wanders through history in her imagination as if it were her backyard. Notwithstanding her condition, her peers are going through a real change of their own echoing events that engulfed Russia in the past few decades. In Multiple Personalities, life is a masquerade and its participants are characters from classic world literature racing towards destination unknown. The question they all are asking is whether the traditional notion of time's flow from the past to the future is the correct one. Who has the answer?

Maria Rybakova’s Gnedich captures the reader’s attention in its first stanzas with a striking allusion to Homeric Greece: “The rage that killed so many/the wretched rage of Achilles/who knew that he would perish/ that he would perish young. This is a novel-in-verse about the first Russian translator of the Iliad, the romantic poet and librarian Nikolai Gnedich (1784-1833). Since Gnedich spent almost his entire life translating Homer’s epic poem, Maria Rybakova has chosen verse as the most appropriate stylistic means in recreating his life. To the English-speaking world, this genre of poetic biography is best exemplified by Ruth Padel’s Darwin – A Life in Poems. Like the Iliad itself, the novel consists of twelve Songs or Cantos, and covers the life of Gnedich from his childhood to his death. It depicts the lives of Gnedich and his best friend, the poet Batyushkov, who is slowly losing his sanity, and incorporates motifs from their poetry, from Homer’s epics, and from Greek mythology, as well as magnificent images of imperial Russia and the Homeric world. The space of the novel covers snowy Russian villages, aristocratic St. Petersburg salons, magnificent Italian landscapes, and the austere Greece of Homer’s heroes. Rybakova conjures a fittingly romantic vision of the dramatic lives of Gnedich and his best friend. A major part of the novel is the moving correspondence between the two poets. Philosophical reflections on the fate of the individual are intertwined with poignant stanzas devoted to the great but unhappy love to the tragic actress Ekaterina Semyonova that consumed Gnedich. The novel culminates in Batyushkov’s final breakdown in the lunatic asylum and Gnedich’s ruminations on Russia’s tragic future fate. The poetic language of Gnedich is refined: it combines the clarity of Rybakova’s syllabic verses and the sophistication of her metaphors with distinct, novelistic depictions of certain landscapes, people, and their interactions. The novel is spectacularly designed: Rybakova’s style resembles a movie projection with stop-cards at the key moments in Gnedich’s life, his long conversations with his friend, and particular striking sceneries. It creates a novelistic effect on the tale about Gnedich’s life, spanning over twenty years. The narrative is often interrupted by streams of consciousness and reminiscence by its main heroes. At the same time, it continues the traditions of Russian classic literature with its attention to detail and the psychology of the characters. A significant part of the novel is dedicated to the description of Gnedich’s friendship with Konstantin Batyushkov, a talented poet of the Pushkin epoch. Gnedich, disfigured by a childhood disease, was a librarian at the Imperial Library in St. Petersburg and became famous through his translation of the Illiad. Batyushkov, an officer of the Russian Imperial court who participated in military campaigns, as well as one of the best poets of the beginning of the 19th century, went through deep crisis and mental illness. The friendship between the two becomes one of the themes within the novel. Rybakova builds the novel-in-verse’s plot around Gnedich’s translation of the Illiad into Russian. The narrative progresses from the adult Gnedich’s recollection of his childhood in a small country estate in Ukraine in the first Song, his illness and discovery of the magnificent Greek epic about the siege of the Troy that changed his life forever, to the completion of his work on his translation as a final victory over his life’s circumstances. The titanic work on the translation continued for almost twenty-two years (1807-29).