Rights sold: China - Nanhai Publishing, France - Gallimard, Germany - Neuer Malik, the Netherlands - De Arbeiderspers, Poland - Państ. Instytut Wydawniczy

In Antileader, Makanin is dealing seriously with the theme of violence. Its striking main character is othe pugnacious Kurenkov, a man driven by an inner demon of violence over which he appears to have little control. The novel is a psychological study of Kurenkov and of his wife who struggles to come to terms with her enigmatic husband.