A fateful evening, the actual events of which remain unclear - Ismail Kadare's novel is full of mysteries. Albania, 1943. The Germans are marching into the country. In Gjirokastra, the esteemed Doctor Gurameto hosts a banquet for the German division commander Fritz von Schwabe, which sends the entire town into a frenzy. Throughout the evening, mysterious rumors circulate, leading the Albanian communists to suspect the doctor of collaboration. Several years after the communist takeover in Albania, the great and the small Gurameto find themselves together in a prison cell. With brutal torture, Albanian, East German, and Russian agents attempt to extract a confession from the great Gurameto. Yet, what truly transpired during that enigmatic dinner remains shrouded in darkness. Was a dead man perhaps involved?.