Survival Library

“The purpose of the book you hold in your hands is to say that literature should not be sweetened, purified, or refined. The best books are often lustful, repulsive, spat upon, obscene; they exploit our unhealthy curiosity, expose what society would like to hide, reveal the dark side of our human nature; they create beauty from the wicked, explore boundaries, cross all limits, break taboos. And most importantly: they intrude into what does not concern them. A good book is one that does not preach.”
Frédéric Beigbeder, in a casual and ironic manner, talks about fifty outstanding books and authors that will stay with us for centuries: before the reader stands Philip Roth, Simone de Beauvoir, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Virginie Despentes, Octave Mirbeau, Simone Liberté, Thomas Mann, and of course, Colette. And many others… This is not only a unique hit parade but also a true manifesto for literature in its purest and most impure form — a real remedy for our time.