Description

A Sunday Times Paperback of the Year

‘An astonishing debut . . . I was utterly hooked . . . by this twisty, sexy, shocking treat of a novel . . . How on earth will Julia May Jonas better this?’ – The Sunday Times

A provocative, razor-sharp, and timely novel about a beloved English professor facing a slew of accusations against her husband from his former students – a situation that becomes more complicated when she herself develops an obsession of her own . . .

When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.

And so we meet our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose husband, a charismatic professor at the same small liberal arts college, is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extramarital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both.

And when our unnamed narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus, their tinder-box world comes dangerously close to exploding.

Julia May Jonas takes us into charged territory, where the restrictions of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. Darkly funny and moving, Vladimir maps the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the messy contradictions of power and desire.

Publisher Review

One of 2022's most anticipated books -- Stylist Vladimir is provocative, creepy, brilliantly written, and very funny. I loved it. -- Roddy Doyle 'Vladimir contains far too many uncomfortable truths to be merely fun, but . . . it is, by turns, cathartic, devious and terrifically entertaining.' * New York Times * 'Vladimir goes into such outrageous territory that my jaw literally dropped at moments while I was reading it. There's a rare blend here of depth of character, mesmerizing prose, and fast-paced action.' * Boston Globe * In darkly funny terms, Jonas creates a portrait of a narcissist reckoning with her age and vanity, but also the limits of her power. * Time * 'What is more delicious than the despicable narrator? . . . Jonas, with a potent, pumping voice, has drawn a character so powerfully candid that when she does things that are malicious, dangerous and, yes, predatory, we only want her to do them again.' * Los Angeles Times * If Netflix's The Chair, Lisa Taddeo's best-seller Three Women, and the most compelling passages of Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands had a love child (just go with me here), it would be this fiction debut. With a title character who's a sought-after young novelist new to a college faculty, Vladimir leaves the reader with more questions than answers-about sex, and sexual politics-in the most delicious way. * Entertainment Weekly * There's no chance that Julia May Jonas's darkly funny Vladimir will slip under the radar: featuring an English professor facing allegations of inappropriate conduct, it 'maps the personal and political minefield of our current moment' * Daily Mail * Funny, wise and instantly engaging, Vladimir is how I like my thrill rides: brainy and sexy. -- Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go Bernadette Vladimir is a thrilling debut - smart, sharp, and uber provocative. I devoured it with fascination and awe. -- Lily King, author of Writers & Lovers A whip smart and ferociously clever tale of swirling allegiances, literary rivalries, and romantic tripwires detonating hidden mines - Vladimir is an extraordinary debut. -- Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game Droll, dry, and pacy, Vladimir is deliciously unsparing and enormous fun. -- Lionel Shriver, author of We Need To Talk About Kevin Brilliant and very funny -- Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain Vladimir is among the best novels of the past two decades. Astonishing, magnificent, dazzling, deeply moving - and also deeply funny . . . the rare novel that I hoped would never, ever end. -- Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year A reminder that the best art involves a search for truth. Vladimir is funny, clear, awake, vivid. -- Amitava Kumar, author of Immigrant, Montana