James Birch shares his favourite books

The curator and art dealer picks five favourites. His latest, "Gilbert & George and the Communists", is an account of his travels with the duo in the USSR and China, and a sequel to his memoir "Bacon in Moscow".

A Hero of Our Times

Mikhail Lermontov, 1840

Our hero is a restless contradictory character, troubled by his unsuccessful search for romantic love. I'm fascinated by Lermontov's portrayal of a decadent 1840s society – he wrote it when he was 26 and died a year later after a duel. On my trip through the Caucasus in 1991, I paid homage at the site in Pyatigorsk.

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The Way of a Transgressor

Negley Farson, 1936

I was travelling with the journalist Dan Farson – Francis Bacon had introduced us, and he came to Moscow and Shanghai with Gilbert & George. His father, Negley Farson, was the only Western journalist in Red Square when the Revolution was declared in 1917. Farson Snr's story is immortalised in "The Way of a Transgressor". We proudly completed his interrupted journey.

Put Out More Flags

Evelyn Waugh, 1942

We took a boat down the Volga River to Volgograd: a week's journey, but we were arrested at every port while they checked our papers. Evelyn Waugh's "Put Out More Flags" kept me sane; I laughed even while I was being poked in the stomach with a gun.

Bel-Ami

Guy de Maupassant, 1885

Also on the boat, I read "Bel-Ami" by Guy de Maupassant. It charts George Duroy's rise to fame in the world of newspapers in late 19th century Paris through his exploitation of wealthy and intelligent women. He's the ultimate anti-hero – charming, gracious and utterly without a moral compass. It depicted a life far from the crumbling USSR.

Mrs Jekyll

Emma Glass, 2024

I love 19th century literature and "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" was a particular favourite, so I was intrigued to read this contemporary retelling. It didn't disappoint: although entirely different from the original, it is as compelling and beautifully written.