TLS BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016

'Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius' John Banville, Guardian

'Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi' Tibor Fischer, Spectator

Everyone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.

Everyone thinks they want to be free - or do they? John Gray's thought-stirring new book on freedom draws together insights from Gnosticism, science fiction, ancient sacrifice and the occult to show that freedom is an illusion and that, like fairground puppets, humans dream of escaping the burden of choice altogether.

About the Author
John Gray is the author of a number of highly regarded and controversial books, including False Dawn, Straw Dogs and, most recently, The Silence of Animals. He has taught at Oxford, Harvard, Yale and the LSE. John Banville described The Silence of Animals as 'a marvellous statement of what it is to be both an animal and a human in the strange, terrifying and exquisite world in which we straw dogs find ourselves'.

Reviews
A generous and energising tumble of ideas...he is inventive and penetrating -- Galen Strawson * Financial Times *
Like Isaiah Berlin with a thing for sci-fi -- Tibor Fischer * The Spectator *
We might believe that we are on a voyage towards a future of perfect freedom, but Gray is here to tell us that we are really only going round in circles, repeating ancient heresies, and retelling old myths in modern cant -- Stephen Cave * Literary Review *
Gray must be one of the best read of contemporary philosophers, trawling insouciantly through high-, middle- and low-brow literature with the sharp-eyed eclecticism of a magpie of genius -- John Banville * The Guardian *
A brain-twisting meditation on freedom...a brief, elliptical inquiry designed to raise more questions than anyone could answer * Kirkus Reviews *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241953907
Author John Gray
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 145g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 11mm