A Strange Country

‘A homage to the power of story…A tour de force with many inspired and delightful touches…Irresistible.’ * Australian on The Life of Elves *
‘Barbery revels in the lavishing of detail…in its many moments of weird lucidity it also beguiles. It’s then that Barbery explores the mystical connections between nature, art and the human heart with vividness and clarity.’ * New York Times on The Life of Elves *
‘A marvellous mixture of fairy tale, poetry, fable and adventure. Muriel Barbery’s characters are beautifully rendered.’ * Le Figaro Littéraire *
‘A Strange Country is both a remarkable adventure story and a philosophical tale, a homage to the imagination and to creativity. It is Tolkien in the land of Jean Giono.’ * La Grande Librairie *
‘In in this cosmic tale, which takes its inspiration from the author’s Asian experience, her contemplation of Japanese gardens and her fascination with Zen Buddhism, Barbery once again celebrates the infinite powers of literature, unveiling the layers of a peaceful but threatened paradise. By taking us into this unusual world, her novel encourages us to revisit our disillusioned lives.’ * L’Obs *
‘Muriel Barbery allows us to reconnect with our dreams and imagination. Entering into her world is a sheer delight.’ * Madame Figaro *
‘Muriel Barbery is the most successful traveller to ”strange countries” that we have in our times.’ * Le Parisien *
‘Both an adventure story and an act of contemplation. A love song to Asian art, Barbery’s novel is inspired by her passion for Japan, where she has lived, and by her long-held desire to write about the gardens in Kyoto…At the end of this beautiful novel that is both amusing and serious, readers will emerge moved and delighted—by allowing their spirits to inhabit that of an enchanted child.’ * La Provence *
‘Through the eyes of strangers, the reader learns about the customs of another world. As well as touches of Voltaire’s Candide, we encounter a good deal of humour. And the ultimate question: “Will poetry and beauty be enough to unite and save the world?”…This captivating, enchanting novel whispers to us the secrets of a lost world in which we can lose ourselves, and dream.’ * Entre les lignes *

Muriel Barbery was born in Morocco in 1969. She is the author of four previous novels, Gourmet Rhapsody, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which sold over six million copies worldwide, The Life of Elves and A Strange Country. She has lived in Kyoto and Amsterdam and now lives in the French countryside.

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