The Book of Strange New Things

Praise

“Defiantly unclassifiable. . . . Faber reminds us there is a literature of enchantment, which invites the reader to participate in the not-real in order to wake from a dream of reality to the ineffability, strangeness, and brevity of life on Earth.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Provocative, unsettling.”—People

“Profoundly moving. . . . . A vivid portrait of a distant galaxy, reinforced by a narrative that is deeply, emotionally evocative.”—USA Today

“Elegant. . . . A lovely, thought-provoking meditation on love and faith and the never-ending mysteries of the natural world.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Intriguing . . . both painful and compelling. And when you find out the answers to some of the novel’s central mysteries . . . Well, I won’t give anything away, but the answers pack a punch.”—Rick Riordan

“Eerie and ambitious. . . . Faber is a genuinely gifted storyteller and his novel gains resonance and tidal force in its final third.”—The New York Times

“Faber illustrates, movingly, the impossibility of adequate communication in the face of life-changing experience. . . . Rich and memorable.”—The New Yorker

“Fascinating . . . Poignant . . . Remarkable . . .”—The Washington Post

“Faber tells a beautifully human story of love, loss, faith and the sometimes uncrossable distances between people.”—NPR, “All Things Considered”

“Harrowing, wrenching. . . . A bold and unexpected work of beauty. . . . Faber’s sincerity keeps The Book of Strange New Things honest, and his talent steers him away from cliché.”—The New Republic

“[A] masterpiece”—Cosmopolitan

“Intergalactic in scope.”—Reuters

“Astonishing and deeply affecting.”—The Guardian

“A hugely serious story about the testing of religious faith. . . . A work of originality and insight.”—The Times

“At the heart of The Book of Strange New Things is one question: Whom—or what—do you love, and what are you willing to do for that love (or not willing)? The result is a novel of marvel and wonderment with a narrative engine like a locomotive.”—Yann Martel

“In my opinion The Book of Strange New Things is Michel Faber’s second masterpiece, quite different to The Crimson Petal and the White but every bit as luminescent and memorable. It is maniacally gripping.”—David Mitchell

“Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things certainly lives up to its title. I can’t remember being so continually and unfailingly surprised by any book for a long time.”—Philip Pullman

“Weird and disturbing, like any work of genius, this novel haunted me for the seven nights I spent reading it, and haunts me still. . . . The Book of Strange New Things is desperately beautiful, sad, and unforgettable.”—David Benioff

“A moving human drama disguised as a gripping science fiction tale. . . . Magnificently bold and addictive. . . . A book quite unlike any other I’ve ever read.”—The Sunday Times

“A profoundly religious exploration of inner turmoil.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review