The Rock of Tanios, by Amin Maalouf

WINNER OF THE 1993 PRIX GONCOURT

An exploration of myth, passion and loyalty from the Lebanon's troubled past, The Rock of Tanios is another superbly rich and rewarding novel from the author of Samarkand and Leo the African. Expertly controlling his multi-faceted narrative with prose of great beauty and power, Maalouf delves into the history of an extraordinary life: the life of Tanios, child of the mountains.

'What gives his books such widespread appeal is the marriage of his powerful storytelling gift with fascinating, heretofore untold stories ... The Rock of Tanios is a compelling story of love, treachery and murder, but it is far more complex than that ... passionate, resonant and beautifully crafted. Needless to say, it is also hugely engrossing ... Highly recommended' Claire Messud in the Guardian

He is a master storyteller ... and his observation of human nature in all its facets is wonderfully accurate throughout' David Robson in the Sunday Telegraph

He is a master storyteller... and his observation of human nature in all its facets is wonderfully accurate throughout' David Robson in the Sunday Telegraph

'Asks all the questions pertinent to the post-colonial condition, but does so with languid readability that renders the didactic experience painless ... Though the moral tone of this work is reminiscent of [Naguib] Mahfouz, Maalouf, unlike his older r es with the wit, levity and self-awareness of a modern novelist working in the European tradition, and his work, as a result, is not only more accessible, but more fun' Giles Coren in The Times