Seven Lies

A new life of bliss in the USA seems to have been granted to Stefan. But then things start to fall apart, in James Lasdun’s cunning political thriller.

A young man in the former East Germany longs for love, glory and freedom - yearnings that express themselves in a lifelong fantasy of going to America. In time, by a series of blackly comic and increasingly dangerous manoeuvres, he contrives to make his fantasy come true, finding himself not only in the country of his dreams but also married to the woman he idolises. America seems everything he expected and meanwhile his secrets - he thinks - are safely locked away behind the Berlin Wall.

"[T]his seems to be an artful evocation of the effect of totalitarianism on the individual. But if this sounds drably psychological, I am doing the novel a disservice: it is short, intense, powerful and superbly crafted."  -  Chris Power, The Times

"Seven Lies...has a way of enlarging the spirit and refreshing the mind far more comprehensively than many books with twice its 200 pages."  -  James Buchan, The Guardian

James Lasdun:   Novels are just a part of James Lasdun’s output. A much-praised author, he is arguably better known as a short-story writer, and for his memoir about being stalked by a former student. Lasdun’s short story The Siege was filmed by Bernardo Bertolucci and he has co-written two prize-winning film scripts, Sunday and Signs and Wonders. He also writes poetry and essays.