The setting of Metro 2033 is very compelling - post apocalypse, the Moscow Metro system has become a microcosmic refuge for survivors. The political and economic interactions of the different groups, as well as the fates of those who are social misfits for one reason or another, form a depressingly apt metaphor for our present society.

I found the protagonist's journey to be slightly excessively capricious and Homeric, and I can't decide whether it's clever or pretentious that the author contrived to embed his argument in a mysterious conversation halfway through the book. However, the only thing that really detracted from my enjoyment of and immersion in the story was the poor (English) translation - it left the narrative feeling clunky and the characters feeling simplistic and wooden.