The Most Secret Memory of Men

Reviews / Votes

Captivating, precise, sensual prose. A 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 Bolanoesque: 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 *