The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

**THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF FRANCE'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD, THE PRIX GONCOURT
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS & THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD**

'A masterpiece' The Times
‘A love letter to literature’ Leïla Slimani
‘A rollicking literary mystery … Propulsive’ New Yorker

Paris, 2018. Diégane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer, discovers a legendary book titled The Labyrinth of Inhumanity. It has an immediate hold over him. No one knows what happened to its author, T.C. Elimane, who was accused of plagiarism, his reputation destroyed by the critics.

Obsessed with discovering the truth about Elimane's disappearance, Faye weaves past and present, countries and continents, to follow the author's labyrinthine trail from Senegal to Argentina and France and to confront the great tragedies of history.

Will he get to the truth at the centre of the maze?

'The style as well as the sweep is Bolaño-esque' Observer
‘As enthralling as it is thought-provoking’ Eric Nguyen
‘Terrific’ Daily Mail

Translated by Lara Vernaud

Captivating, precise, sensual proseA book that will stir your emotions and make you think. A love letter to literature, this novel is already a classic and it will haunt you.
More than an engrossing investigation into the mysterious author of a cursed book, Sarr's magnificent novel also offers a profound reflection on the resonance of literature in our lives.
A masterpiece * The Times *
Sarr’s dizzying display of reference ... plays a witty game with French and world literature ... This effervescence is infectious and casts its charm in times nostalgic for a belief in books and the communities they create. * Times Literary Supplement *
A powerful book, crossed by an epic breath that celebrates the power of literature. -- Alain Mabanckou, author of BLACK MOSES
Thanks to translator Lara Vergnaud, English-language readers can seamlessly experience Mohamed Mbougar Sarr's pyrotechnic prose. A labyrinth of a novel, The Most Secret Memory of Men is as enthralling as it is thought-provoking. Sarr is a writer that comes along once in a lifetime. -- Eric Nguyen, author of THINGS WE LOST TO THE WATER
Sarr’s incisive critique never relents… a brilliant effort at welcoming readers into the work of an author whose career was interrupted * Guardian *
A literary quest… The style as well as the sweep is Bolañoesque: surreal metaphors, multi-page dream descriptions * Observer *
Ambitious and playful * Economist *
Funny, sharp takes on questions of identity add grit to an inventive tribute to literature's timeless potency * Mail on Sunday *

MOHAMED MBOUGAR SARR was born in Dakar
in 1990. He studied literature and philosophy
in Paris and is the author of four prize-winning
novels. The Most Secret Memory of Men was
awarded France’s Prix Goncourt in 2021 and is
an international phenomenon, selling more
than half a million copies in France and
translated into more than thirty languages.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781529933550
ISBN 10	1529933552
Title	The Most Secret Memory of Men
Author	Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Vintage Publishing
Year published	2025-05-01
Number of pages	496
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.