An astonishing, unforgettable novel- a thrilling Second World War assassination plot told with rare literary brilliance.
Laurent Binet (Author)
Laurent Binet lives and works in France.
His first novel, HHhH, was an international bestseller which won
the prestigious Prix Goncourt du premier roman, among other prizes.
The 7th Function of Language won the Prix de la FNAC and Prix
Interallie. Civilisations is a bestseller that has won the Grand
Prix de l'Academie fran aise.
[An] extraordinary true story... made still better by the way in
which Laurent Binet weaves in his own exploits as researcher and
detective to uncover the truth
*Week*
HHhH is a highly original piece of work, at once charming, moving,
and gripping
*Martin Amis*
HHhH blew me away. Binet’s style fuses it all together: a neutral,
journalistic honesty sustained with a fiction writer’s zeal and
story-telling instincts. It’s one of the best historical novels
I’ve ever come across.
*Brett Easton Ellis*
Magnificent ... unsurpassable ... told with grace and elegance ...
exerts a hypnotic sway over the reader ... something of a Greek
tragedy and of the splendid thriller ... All the details have such
persuasive force that they remain indelibly recorded in the memory
of the reader
*Mario Vargas Llosa*
By the time I got to the last page of Binet's masterpiece, I had to
close my eyes and rethink history. I'm rethinking it still
*Gary Shteyngart*
Reinhard Heydrich was one of the most powerful and ruthless Nazis until his 1942 assassination. Binet skillfully blends history and fiction in this spellbinding novel, recounting the rise of Heydrich, the stories of the members of the Czech underground who plotted his death, and French collaboration with the Germans, mixing fact with imagined conversation. Binet's tale is a postmodern one as he skips back and forth between the historical figures and his account of how he wrote the book. HHhH, a German abbreviation for "Himmler's brain is called Heydrich," is unusually suited to audio as it consists mostly of short chapters, making it easy to break off at any point. John Lee's clipped delivery is perfect for material both horrifying, as with the planning of the Holocaust, and tongue-in-cheek, as with Binet's remarks about his messy love life. VERDICT Recommended for all listeners interested in the history of central Europe or in innovative historical fiction. ["Binet won the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman, France's most prestigious literary prize, for HHhH. This fluid translation by Taylor is a superb choice for lovers of historical literary works and even international thrillers," read the review of the Farrar hc, LJ 5/15/12.-Ed.]-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr., New York (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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