Madness is Better than Defeat - Softcover

Beauman, Ned

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1473613612 ISBN 13: 9781473613614

Publisher: Sceptre, 2018

Synopsis

In 1938, two rival expeditions set off for a lost Mayan temple in the jungles of Honduras, one intending to shoot a screwball comedy on location there, the other intending to disassemble it and ship it back to New York. A seemingly endless stalemate ensues, and twenty years later, when a rogue CIA agent learns that both expeditions are still out in the wilderness, he embarks on a mission to exploit the temple as a geopolitical pawn. But the mission hurtles towards disaster when he discovers that the temple is the locus of grander conspiracies than anyone could have guessed.

About this title

Product Description:

Rare Book

Review:

Dazzling . . . his best to date . . . If there is one adjective that describes Beauman's prose it is 'buoyant' - a quality which allows the reader to get through a long book with little effort, and the author to carry the considerable heft of his intelligence lightly. And it is a roaming intelligence. (David Patrikarakos Spectator)

Madness is Better than Defeat is a Swiss watch: there isn't a single moving part out of place . . . The jokes are superb . . . a zestful romp? Undoubtedly. But that doesn't quite do justice to the experience of reading Madness is Better than Defeat. The book is certainly a literary performance of a high order . . . The clockwork runs beautifully. Every paragraph gives pleasure. (Kevin Power Literary Review)

Almost perfect . . . This is one of the most purely enjoyable novels I've read in years - by turns sad, moving, thoughtful, intriguing, clever, enlightening, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny - which is more than enough. I can't think of any type of reader who wouldn't enjoy it: whether your thing is genre, literary or, like this, a fizzling, sparking, sparkling mixture of the two. (Darragh McManus Irish Independent)

A teaming shaggy-dog comedy of megalomania and obsession . . . Beauman is a sparkling writer, and his book bustles with diverting micro-narratives . . . A novel of great intelligence and humour, cleverly structured and brimming with tricks . . . a tremendous rainbow (Tim Martin New Statesman)

Beauman has a gift: he's a natural comic writer. (I've only read one funnier book this year) (Cal Revely-Calder Guardian)

It reminded me of a Coen brothers film . . . I found it enchanting, and I was happy to turn every page . . . I really enjoyed it (Tom Sutcliffe BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review)

I am really enjoying it . . . I have no clue what's going to happen when I turn the page (Inua Ellams BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review)

Wildly plotted, comedic . . . One senses that behind the vivacious plotting and baroque characterisation, Beauman's purpose is to question the "madness" of artistic endeavor . . . he emerges from his latest expedition triumphant. (Carl Wilkinson Financial Times)

Beauman's fourth novel provides his usual humour, oddities, convolutions and impressive writing. (Mail on Sunday)

A fun madcap mystery (Daily Mail)

About this edition

• Publisher: Sceptre
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1473613612
• ISBN 13: 9781473613614
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416