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FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LIE WITH ME

It is the summer of 1916 and, with German Zeppelins on the skyline, the men of Paris are off at war. For Vincent, the sixteen-year-old son of a prestigious family, the tranquillity of the city sits at odds with the salons and soirees he attends. But, after an electrifying encounter with the enigmatic writer, Marcel P, draws Vincent’s desires out into the light, his ever-riskier liaisons with a young solider begin to shape Vincent’s future.

Translated by Frank Wynne

'A short, bold and original novel which beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth' Independent

"In the Absence of Men is a short, bold and original novel which beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth. It is particularly notable for a totally convincing portrait of Proust" - Michael Arditti, The Independent

"An astonishing love story, beautifully told." - Time Out

"Besson is brave to include Proust but his courage pays off: this is a beautiful, dreamily experimental novel unafraid of describing either joy or pain." - Metro