A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin Hardback Book 9781636080680

quotA masterpiece by one of Europes finest contemporary novelistsamp8221 Rowan WilliamsLonglisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary AwardMonks devious and devout amp8211 and an agedefying royal pair amp8211 chronicle the history of their fictional island in this witty critique of Western civilization and history itselfEugene Vodolazkin internationally acclaimed novelist and scholar of medieval literature returns with a satirical parable about European and Russian history the myth of progress and the futility of warThis ingenious novel described by critics as a coda to his bestselling Laurusis presented as a chronicle of an island from medieval to modern times The island is not on the map but it is real beyond doubt It cannot be found in history books yet the events are painfully recognizable The monastic chroniclers dutifully narrate events they witness quests for power betrayals civil wars pandemics droughts invasions innovations and revolutions The entries mostly seem objective but at least one monk simultaneously drafts and hides a quottrueamp8221 history to be discovered centuries later And why has someone snipped out a key prophesy about the islandamp8217s fateThese chronicles...