Vernon Subutex One

Bold and sophisticated, this thrilling, magnificently audacious picaresque is about France and is also about all of us; how loudly we shout, how badly we hurt. It is the story of now. -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times * An enthralling read. The story of one man, one city, it speaks of our entire world. A compelling, vital read, beautifully and vibrantly translated. -- Nell Leyshon Disturbing and compelling . . . I loved and hated Vernon but I couldn't leave him alone . . . Relentlessly brilliant. Reading it was like being on a runaway train - you know it will probably end in disaster but you might as well enjoy the thrill of the ride - it's unputdownable. -- Victoria Hislop An energetic, diverting romp . . . Brimming with sex, violence and deviant behaviour . . . [and] a multitude of sharply delineated characters . . . Often surprises us with its psychological acuity. -- David Mills * Sunday Times. * Vernon Subutex is a great novel because, quite simply, it disturbs you. Despentes is an extraordinary writer -- Franois Busnel * Express * Part social epic, part punk rock thriller, Vernon Subutex is a remarkable portrait of contemporary society... written with a fury that hits right to the bone -- Christine Ferniot * Tlrama * Sex, drugs and 90s punk rock: Vernon Subutex is the Comdie Humaine for our time, produced by the furious talent of Virginie Despentes -- Laurence Houot * Culturebox * A masterful blending of characters, voices and plots with an undeniable sense of changing rhythms. This is not just a novel, it's an electrocardiogram -- Etienne de Montety * Figaro * A mind-blowing portrait of contemporary French society -- Nelly Kaprilian * Les Inrocks * A vast mural of the world today. We all knew Despentes could write, but we were not expecting this -- Frdric Beigbeder * Figaro magazine *

VIRGINIE DESPENTES is a writer and filmmaker. Her first novel, Baise-Moi was published in 1992 and adapted for film in 2000. She is the author of over fifteen further novels, including Apocalypse Baby (2010) and Bye Bye Blondie (2004), and the autobiographical work, King Kong Theory (2006). She won the Prix de Flore in 1998 forLes Jolies Choses, the 2010 Prix Renaudot for Apocalypse Baby and Vernon Subutex One won the Prix Anas Nin in 2015, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker International in 2018.