Jean-Philippe Toussaint

Self-Portrait Abroad (Dalkey Archive);

Running Away (Dalkey Archive)

French fiction had become austere and theoretical until Jean-Philippe Toussaint took it in the direction of the wacky, even goony. His earlier stories focused on characters retreating from contemporary life, but that has given way to work with a light, lyrical approach. The Toussaint narrator views the world through a melancholy lens, while his characters move at speed on their inter-continental jaunts.

Read an excerpt from Running Away or from Self-Portrait Abroad.